Chicken Couscous Recipe

Chicken Couscous Recipe

To my mind, this Chicken and Strawberry Couscous Salad Recipe is the perfect summer meal. When the weather gets hot, I'm looking for a dish that is fresh and light. Featuring fresh strawberries, walnuts, and chicken, this couscous dish ticks all of the boxes. What makes this an amazing recipe for me is that in the winter, you can serve it hot and it's just as good. We hope that this Chicken Couscous Recipe inspires you. 

The recipe is simple, and it requires very little actual cooking. One little tip; if you want to kick up the flavor of the couscous, consider substituting chicken or vegetable stock for the water when cooking. If you go this route, just make sure to use a low-sodium stock; that way you get to be in control of the salt levels in the dish. Ready to get cooking? Grab an apron! 

Chicken Couscous Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked Israeli couscous
• 1 cup fresh strawberries
• 12 oz poached (directions below) or canned chicken breast
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup pecans
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped

Directions

1. Cook couscous according to package instructions. Consider using chicken or vegetable stock for the liquid (adds flavor). Set aside.
2. If using canned chicken, open and drain the can. If using poached chicken, poach as described in the next step.
3. To poach chicken, add about a pound of raw chicken to a pot with a roughly chopped onion, 1 bay leaf, 1 Tbsp peppercorn, 2 tsp salt, and one sliced-up lemon. Add enough water or chicken stock to cover and submerge the chicken. Bring to a slow simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the heat, cool, then cut into cubes.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, tarragon, and Dijon mustard.
5. Chop up the strawberries, parsley and pecans.
6. Combine couscous with chicken and chopped ingredients.
7. Top with vinaigrette and toss well. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper levels.
8. Eat and enjoy!

Print Recipe

Chicken and Strawberry Couscous Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked Israeli couscous
• 1 cup fresh strawberries
• 12 oz poached  or canned chicken breast
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup pecans
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped

Directions:

1. Cook couscous according to package instructions. Consider using chicken or vegetable stock for the liquid (adds flavor). Set aside.
2. If using canned chicken, open and drain can. If using poached chicken, poach as described in the next step.
3. To poach chicken, add about a pound of raw chicken to a pot with a roughly chopped onion, 1 bay leaf, 1 Tbsp peppercorn, and 2 tsp salt, and one sliced up lemon. Add enough water or chicken stock to cover submerge the chicken. Bring to a slow simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the heat, cool, then cut into cubes.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, tarragon, and dijon mustard.
5. Chop up the strawberries, parsley and pecans.
6. Combine couscous with chicken and chopped ingredients.
7. Top with vinaigrette and toss well. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper levels.
8. Eat and enjoy!

We hope that you are inspired by our Chicken Couscous recipe. If you give it a try, let us know what you think in the comments, and if you need further inspiration, check out our Watermelon Mango Salad with Feta Cheese. Happy cooking!