One-pot harissa chicken and couscous

With an herby cucumber-yogurt salad on the side

Hi, friends. One of my most popular recipes I’ve ever shared is my one-pan Dijon chicken and pearl couscous — a one-pan, one-hour meal that is easy enough for a weeknight and special enough for a dinner party. It’s a staple around here and so many of you have shared that it’s a go-to in your homes, too, with spouses and kids and other mouths to feed requesting it again and again. And I get it! Simple, straightforward ingredients, elevated with a few delicious extras. What could be better?

Which is why I thought it was high time for a 2.0. It was a tough week in our home — the never-ending virus parade continued, with a one-two punch of stomach bug meets cold having made its way from Sasha to me to Denis and finally to poor baby Nora. We were all craving something comforting, and my dulled taste buds were asking for all things bright, flavorful, and a little bit spicy.

Tell me more

And let me tell you, this harissa chicken and couscous with a cucumber-yogurt salad is alllll of those things. It’s a classic Saturday Table combination — warm main dish with cool, crunchy, complementary salad on the side — with so many bold flavors. Spicy, vibrant harissa, bright and zingy lemon, cool and creamy yogurt, alllll the herbs.

It’s a new favorite in our home and I hope it’ll be in yours, too.

Before we start

• We’re using harissa, which is a North African pepper paste that is just bursting with flavor. I like to use a mild harissa paste here so that I can get all of those flavors without making the dish too spicy. But, of course, you do you. If you and everyone you’re feeding like quite a bit of heat, go for the spicy variety. Mina is my go-to brand.

• Pearl couscous is basically a small, round pasta. I love the nutty flavor and toothsome texture so much. Feel free to sub in rice here if you prefer. Orzo would be good, too!

• You’ll need an oven-safe skillet here because we’ll be starting this dish on the stove and finishing it in the oven. Cast iron or stainless steel works best for crisping up those chicken thighs! A Dutch oven would be perfect, too. If you don’t have a skillet that can go in the oven, you can start this on the stove in whatever skillet you have then transfer the whole thing to a casserole dish for the oven portion.

• I love to cook with bone-in, skin-on thighs because, honestly, they’re hard to overcook, and I like the freedom that gives me. Ten more minutes in the oven because I’m still throwing together the salad or unloading the dishwasher or feeding a baby or making a cocktail? (Or likely all four at once?) No sweat. Plus, they are just so damn juicy. You can use bone-in, skin-on breasts if you prefer, though I would definitely be checking the temperature on those and taking them out the second they hit 165 degrees F. You can also use boneless/skinless thighs and/or breasts — those will cook a bit faster, so again, check the internal temperature regularly!

The recipe

Serves: 4

Ready in: about an hour

For the chicken and couscous: