One-Pan Garlic Butter Chicken Couscous (Printable)

Succulent chicken thighs seared in aromatic garlic butter, nestled atop fluffy couscous with cherry tomatoes and fresh spinach.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
02 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
03 - 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Garlic Butter

06 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 4 cloves garlic, minced

→ Couscous and Vegetables

08 - 1 cup couscous
09 - 1.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
11 - 1 cup baby spinach
12 - 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme
13 - Zest of 1 lemon
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Finishing

15 - Lemon wedges for serving

# How To Make It:

01 - Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and smoked paprika.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoned chicken thighs and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same skillet. Once melted, stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Pour chicken broth into the skillet, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Stir in couscous, cherry tomatoes, spinach, dried thyme, and lemon zest.
05 - Nestle seared chicken thighs on top of the couscous mixture. Cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes until couscous is tender and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
06 - Remove from heat. Fluff couscous with a fork and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • One skillet means one thing to wash, and honestly, that alone might save your sanity on a busy night.
  • The chicken thighs stay impossibly tender while everything else cooks together, so there's no babysitting or complicated timing.
  • Garlic butter elevates couscous from side dish to the reason you're thinking about dinner all day.
02 -
  • Don't skip patting the chicken dry—wet skin will steam instead of sear, and you'll miss out on that crucial golden crust that makes everything taste better.
  • The couscous will continue absorbing liquid as it sits, so if you're not eating immediately, add a splash more broth before covering to store it.
03 -
  • Use a skillet with a lid from the start, or cover with foil—the steam is essential, and improvising usually means opening it too often to check.
  • Let your skillet get genuinely hot before the chicken touches it; hesitation is the only thing standing between you and a restaurant-quality sear.
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