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Spiced Chicken with Couscous

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on November 9, 2012

Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Spiced Chicken with Couscous

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ground cumin ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice ½ teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste¼ teaspoon pepper, plus extra to taste4 (12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed and halved crosswise1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed1 cup couscous ½ cup dried apricots, chopped into ¼-inch pieces⅓ cup green olives stuffed wtih pimento, sliced, plus 1 tablespoon olive brine

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine cumin, pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl.
  2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and rub with spice mixture. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high until just smoking. Cook chicken, skin side down, until browned, about 5 minutes. Arrange chicken, skin side up, in 13 by 9-inch baking dish and roast until meat registers 160 degrees, about 20 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, bring broth to boil in now-empty skillet. Stir in chickpeas, couscous, apricots, olives, and olive brine, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with chicken.
Spiced Chicken with Couscous

Spiced Chicken with Couscous

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste
¼ teaspoon pepper, plus extra to taste
4 (12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed and halved crosswise
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
1 cup couscous
½ cup dried apricots, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
⅓ cup green olives stuffed wtih pimento, sliced, plus 1 tablespoon olive brine

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste
¼ teaspoon pepper, plus extra to taste
4 (12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed and halved crosswise
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
1 cup couscous
½ cup dried apricots, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
⅓ cup green olives stuffed wtih pimento, sliced, plus 1 tablespoon olive brine

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste
¼ teaspoon pepper, plus extra to taste
4 (12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed and halved crosswise
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
1 cup couscous
½ cup dried apricots, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
⅓ cup green olives stuffed wtih pimento, sliced, plus 1 tablespoon olive brine

Why This Recipe Works

For this Moroccan-inspired spiced chicken dish, we rubbed bone-in chicken breasts with ground cumin and pumpkin pie spice, a blend of warm spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. While the spice-scented chicken baked, we prepared a hearty 5-minute couscous studded with fruit, chickpeas, and olives.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine cumin, pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl.
  2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and rub with spice mixture. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high until just smoking. Cook chicken, skin side down, until browned, about 5 minutes. Arrange chicken, skin side up, in 13 by 9-inch baking dish and roast until meat registers 160 degrees, about 20 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, bring broth to boil in now-empty skillet. Stir in chickpeas, couscous, apricots, olives, and olive brine, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with chicken.

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