Chargrilled Spiced Chicken W Couscous with Pine Nuts
Submitted by gomtu
Paprika-rubbed chicken breasts chargrilled until smoky, sliced over fluffy couscous tossed with toasted pine nuts, dried apricots, and fresh coriander. A vibrant 40-minute dinner with North African flair.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minFlatten those chicken breasts, dust them with paprika, and let a screaming-hot griddle do the rest. The result is juicy, smoky strips of spiced chicken piled over couscous that practically makes itself.
The couscous is where things get interesting. Toasted pine nuts add buttery crunch, chopped dried apricots bring pops of honeyed sweetness, and handfuls of fresh coriander tie it all together with a bright, herby finish.
A quick garlic-lemon dressing drizzled over the top pulls every element into one cohesive, satisfying plate.
This is the kind of meal that looks like you fussed but took less than 40 minutes start to finish.
Pro Tips
- Pound the chicken evenly so it cooks at the same rate across the whole breast. Aim for about 1cm thickness.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat, shaking often. They go from golden to burnt in seconds, so watch them closely.
- Let the couscous steam undisturbed for the full 5 minutes after removing from heat. Fluff with a fork before adding the mix-ins.
- Swap in almonds or pistachios if pine nuts are hard to find or pricey. Both work brilliantly here.
Ingredients
Directions
- Split each chicken breast almost in half horizontally, open out like a book and place between sheets of clingfilm.
Beat with a rolling pin to flatten the chicken.
Remove clingfilm, sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper, then drizzle over 2 tbsp olive oil.
Heat a griddle pan or grill until hot then cook the chicken this in batches if your griddle or grill pan isn?t large enough).
Meanwhile, put the remaining olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and seasoning in a screw-topped jar and shake well to mix.
When the chicken is cooked, cut it into strips and arrange on top of the couscous.
Drizzle over the dressing and serve garnished with the sprigs of fresh coriander.
COUSCOUS WITH PINE NUT KERNELS AND APRICOTS In a large saucepan bring 500ml chicken or vegetable stock to the boil.
Stir in 275g couscous and season with salt and pepper.
Cover, remove the saucepan from the heat and leave for 5 minutes or until the stock has been absorbed.
Add 4 tbsp freshly chopped coriander, 50g toasted pine nut kernels and 75g chopped dried apricots.
Serve topped with the chargrilled chicken strips.
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