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Harissa Chicken Couscous is so good. It features juicy chicken thighs sautéed with eggplant and harissa-flavored pearl couscous. It’s served with grilled lemon, a tangy yogurt sauce, and sweet and tangy pomegranate arils. This easy dinner is spicy and flavorful and it all comes together easily in one pan. Serve with this Moroccan carrot noodle salad with golden raisins, goat cheese and harissa For a perfect Moroccan-inspired meal!
I can’t get enough of harissa. This spicy chili paste adds so much flavor to anything you put it on. Everything from these Harissa Meatballs (30 pcs), Chicken with harissa, chickpeas and eggplant in a pan To these Mini Shakshukas They are full of flavor and so easy to prepare for easy weeknight meals.
Ingredients you will need to prepare harissa chicken with couscous
- Chicken – I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks. Bone-in meat is juicy and hard to overcook. Use all the thighs or drumsticks if you like!
- Harissa – This is a spicy and flavorful paste originating from North Africa. It is made with mixed chilies, cumin and coriander seeds, garlic and plenty of olive oil. I have a recipe that shows you how. How to make harissa from scratch or you can buy it in the ethnic/international sections of most major supermarkets.
- Couscous – Couscous is a type of pasta made from semolina flour. You can usually find two different types of couscous in stores: pearl couscous and regular couscous, which is similar in size to rice. For this recipe, pearl couscous should be used. It takes longer to cook, but it adds a nice texture to this recipe.
For the rest of the ingredients, see the recipe index card below!
How to make harissa chicken with couscous
- Cooking the chicken – Sprinkle both sides of the chicken thighs and legs with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil. Once hot, add the chicken, skin side down. Cook for 15 minutes or until the skin is golden brown, flip and repeat. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Cook the eggplant – In the same pan, cook the eggplant for 2 to 3 minutes per side, then transfer to the plate with the precooked chicken.
- Preparing the couscous – Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the shallot, garlic, spices and salt for 2 to 3 minutes or until the shallot is translucent. Add the harissa sauce and a splash of water, stir, then add the couscous. Stir until the couscous is coated with the spices.
- Cooking couscous and chicken – Place the chicken and eggplant in the couscous, pour in the water and bring the heat to medium-high and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until the couscous is tender. Cook partially covered.
- Preparing garnishes – Roast the lemon halves on a gas stove or on a hot grill. Add lemon juice and a splash of water to the yogurt and chop the Italian parsley.
- Gather and serve – Remove the harissa chicken from the heat, then squeeze over the roasted lemon, drizzle with yogurt sauce and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and Italian parsley. Serve immediately.
Tips and tricks
- Prepare the eggplant and garnishes while the chicken is cooking. Browning the chicken takes 30 minutes, so I used that time to prepare the rest of the dish, that way everything came together much faster.
- Other vegetables – Add canned chickpeas for extra texture. Freshly chopped green or Kalamata olives, mint or cilantro.
- Couscous – Substitute with brown rice or quinoa. Check package directions for water amounts. If using couscous, be sure to use pearl couscous, which is larger than regular couscous and resembles rice.
- Storage Instructions – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave until warm.
Frequently Asked Questions About Recipes
Harissa is a traditional North African paste made from dried chili peppers, ground cumin and coriander, smoked paprika, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. It’s spicy, smoky, and a tasty addition to any dish.
If you can’t find harissa in stores or don’t want to use it, substitute chili paste mixed with tomato paste for a similar flavor profile.
More recipes for dinner
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This first step of cooking the chicken takes some time (about 30 minutes), so I used that time to prepare the rest of the dish. It came out wonderfully!
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Sprinkle both sides of the chicken thighs and legs with a few pinches of salt and a few turns of freshly ground pepper. In a large skillet, set the heat to medium-high and add the oil. When the oil is hot, give it a quick stir and then add the chicken, skin side down, and cook for about 15 minutes, until the skin is golden brown. Flip it over and cook on the opposite side for a further 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
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Add the eggplant pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Add the eggplant to the plate with the pre-cooked chicken.
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Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the shallot, garlic, spices, and salt. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the shallot is translucent. Add the harissa, a splash of water, and stir until the harissa is combined with the water and spices. Add the couscous and stir until the couscous is coated and coated with the spice mixture, about 2 to 3 minutes.
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Place the chicken on the couscous and add the eggplant around the chicken. Pour in the water or chicken broth (for the record, I used water and it was delicious) at different points, beating down on the couscous. Bring the flame to medium-high and simmer the couscous mixture for about 10 to 12 minutes. You’ll notice that the water should be almost evaporated. Taste the couscous and if it needs a little more time, leave it on the heat for 2 to 3 more minutes.
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While it’s cooking, prepare the garnishes. I roasted some lemon on the gas stove. I squeezed some lemon juice and added a splash of water to the yogurt and blended it all together to make it more liquid. And I chopped some Italian parsley.
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Remove the harissa chicken dish from the heat and squeeze the roasted lemon over the chicken and couscous. Drizzle with the yogurt, sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and Italian parsley. Serve immediately.
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This dish is delicious as leftovers and keeps for up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Tips and tricks
- Prepare the eggplant and garnishes while the chicken is cooking. Browning the chicken takes 30 minutes, so I used that time to prepare the rest of the dish, that way everything came together much faster.
- Other vegetables – Add canned chickpeas for extra texture. Freshly chopped green or Kalamata olives, mint or cilantro.
- Couscous – Substitute with brown rice or quinoa. Check package directions for water amounts. If using couscous, be sure to use pearl couscous, which is larger than regular couscous and resembles rice.
- Storage Instructions – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave until warm.
Service: 4gram | Calories: 628kcal | Carbohydrates: 80gram | Protein: 33gram | Fat: 19gram | Saturated fat: 5gram | Polyunsaturated fat: 4gram | Monounsaturated fat: 8gram | Trans fats: 0.1gram | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 1790mg | Potassium: 704mg | Fiber: 8gram | Sugar: 7gram | Vitamin A: 358International Union | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutritional information is calculated automatically and should only be used as an approximation.
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