By Becky Hardin
Published Feb 20, 2018
Chicken Couscous with Bacon and Corn will be your new favorite one pot chicken dinner! I love that this one pot chicken and couscous recipe is a main course and side dish all in one, baked together in flavorful goodness. This delicious chicken couscous recipe takes little effort to make and there’s virtually zero cleanup!
Easy Chicken Couscous Recipe
Chicken Couscous with Bacon and Corn is an EASY one pot chicken dinner for any night of the week! You’re going to love this tasty chicken couscous recipe.
I love one pan dinners that all cook together, like my Ranch BBQ Chicken or Chicken Con Queso Skillet …and this chicken and couscous recipe with bacon and corn is my new favorite.
Less cleanup, less fuss, more time with family, more flavor! Win win win!
This One Pot Chicken Couscous Recipe will be your go-to when you need a tasty and impressive meal!
One Pot Chicken and Couscous Dinner
It’s hard to believe this delicious Chicken Couscous Recipe is all made so easily in one pan!
I haven’t had couscous very many times but every time I do, I know I need to make it more. It’s such a sturdy and healthy side dish and is so comforting at the same time. It’s like rice or polenta and goes with almost anything. Couscous is better for you than rice, since it’s a lower calorie option that can replace rice in so many recipes.
This one pot chicken couscous recipe is the perfect example of what you can do with couscous for a simple and tasty dinner. The flavors are SO DELICIOUS.
This is the ultimate meal to make for guests or just for a quiet night at home. Heck, make it tonight! Your family is sure to thank you. We make this and Henry chows down on the couscous, bacon, and corn, and we devour all the chicken. It’s perfect!
How Do I Make Couscous More Tasty?
Couscous can take on any flavor, which makes it the perfect grain to mix in with your meals. The bacon and corn in this one pot recipe adds a hardy, savory taste. By adding all these flavors into one pot, you end up with a tasty chicken and couscous dish for any occasion!
In general when making couscous, be sure to add plenty of salt and seasonings to give it flavor. It’s almost tasteless on its own, so you’ll need to add something to make it taste good. But that’s easy to do!
How to Cook Couscous
The first step of this recipe is to cook the couscous!
If you’ve never made it before, you’ll be surprised by how QUICK and EASY it is. Follow the directions on whatever package of couscous you buy for best results. But here is a general how-to.
If you want to make plain couscous, all you have to do is follow these simple steps:
- Boil water. Use 1 1/2 cups of water for every 1 cup of dry couscous
- Add any seasonings you want! Try butter or olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- When the water boils, remove it from heat. Add your couscous, cover with a lid, and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
- Once the couscous has soaked up all the water, fluff it with a fork and serve.
You can eat couscous hot or cold. Try mixing it in with your vegetable side dishes to make a quick meal or pair it with any chicken dish to create your own chicken couscous recipe.
This chicken couscous recipe is classy enough for the fanciest guests or homey enough to make for yourself and pack as leftovers. It’s simply delicious and deliciously simple! I just love chicken and couscous and I can’t wait for you to try it.
See the recipe card for details on how to make this one pot chicken couscous recipe. Enjoy!
If you like this chicken couscous recipe, try these other easy one pot recipes:
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Garlic Chicken and Potatoes
- Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Honey Mustard Chicken Skillet
- 40 Clove Garlic Chicken and Potatoes
- Bacon Chicken and Ranch Potatoes
- Chicken and Rice
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ ¾ cup original Moroccan-style Couscous
- ▢ 6 chicken thighs we used bone in with skin but you can use whatever kind you prefer
- ▢ Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- ▢ 8 slices bacon cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces, divided
- ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ▢ 1 medium sweet yellow onion minced
- ▢ 6 cloves garlic peeled but left whole
- ▢ 2½ cups heavy cream or half and half milk can be substituted, but it can curdle
- ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ▢ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ▢ 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- ▢ 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
- ▢ 2 cups frozen corn thawed (Green Giant Roasted Corn is great)
- ▢ 1 lemon (half will be used in the dish and half will be used as garnish)
Garnish:
- ▢ 2 radishes very thinly sliced
- ▢ Extra crisped bacon
- ▢ Chopped parsley
- ▢ Freshly squeezed Lemon juice
Instructions
- Cook couscous according to package directions.
- Season the chicken thighs, on both sides, with salt & pepper
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon pieces just until lightly browned and just crispy. Transfer bacon, with a slotted spoon, to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon grease, and refrigerate the remainder for later use.
- Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet with the rendered bacon fat.
- Heat the bacon fat/oil, over medium heat until the oil has a sheen.
- Place the thighs, top side down, in the skillet. Brown the chicken until golden, and transfer to another paper towel-lined plate.
- Add minced onion and garlic to the skillet and sauté until onion is translucent and garlic softens.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cooked couscous; cook until couscous begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir often.
- Add the cream, thyme sprigs, salt, pepper and all except 2 tablespoons crisped bacon; bring to a simmer. Stir.
- Add chicken thighs, crisp side up. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.
- Stir in corn and thyme leaves. Drizzle with the juice from 1 lemon.
- Cover and cook until liquid has almost evaporated, 15-20 minutes.
- To serve:
- Place a scoop of the couscous mixture on a serving plate and top with one chicken thigh. Garnish with radish slices, reserved bacon, parsley and squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
One Pot Couscous Chicken with Bacon and Corn
Ingredients
- ¾ cup original Moroccan-style Couscous
- 6 chicken thighs we used bone in with skin but you can use whatever kind you prefer
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 8 slices bacon cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion minced
- 6 cloves garlic peeled but left whole
- 2½ cups heavy cream or half and half milk can be substituted, but it can curdle
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cups frozen corn thawed (Green Giant Roasted Corn is great)
- 1 lemon (half will be used in the dish and half will be used as garnish)
Garnish:
- 2 radishes very thinly sliced
- Extra crisped bacon
- Chopped parsley
- Freshly squeezed Lemon juice
Instructions
- Cook couscous according to package directions.
- Season the chicken thighs, on both sides, with salt & pepper
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon pieces just until lightly browned and just crispy. Transfer bacon, with a slotted spoon, to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon grease, and refrigerate the remainder for later use.
- Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet with the rendered bacon fat.
- Heat the bacon fat/oil, over medium heat until the oil has a sheen.
- Place the thighs, top side down, in the skillet. Brown the chicken until golden, and transfer to another paper towel-lined plate.
- Add minced onion and garlic to the skillet and sauté until onion is translucent and garlic softens.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cooked couscous; cook until couscous begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir often.
- Add the cream, thyme sprigs, salt, pepper and all except 2 tablespoons crisped bacon; bring to a simmer. Stir.
- Add chicken thighs, crisp side up. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.
- Stir in corn and thyme leaves. Drizzle with the juice from 1 lemon.
- Cover and cook until liquid has almost evaporated, 15-20 minutes.
- To serve:
- Place a scoop of the couscous mixture on a serving plate and top with one chicken thigh. Garnish with radish slices, reserved bacon, parsley and squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
