Chicken Thighs with Harissa and Vegetable Couscous

Kroger® had harissa chili paste on sale so I went for it, and this is what I came up with. You can find a recipe for yogurt sauce or just serve it with sour cream. The veggies I added were just what I had on hand feel free to adjust to your taste.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Calories: 563 Calories

Ingredients

• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• ½ cup couscous
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground thyme
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, or more as needed
• 1 medium poblano pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons harissa paste
• 2 pounds skin-on chicken thighs
• 1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 teaspoons chile powder

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Mix 2 tablespoons olive oil and harissa paste together in a small bowl. Place chicken thighs in a large glass bowl and add harissa mixture. Toss to evenly coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours to overnight.

Step 2

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down. Cook until skin is browned, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Step 3

Reduce heat to medium and add onion, poblano pepper, and serrano pepper to the pan, with another tablespoon oil if needed. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until veggies are slightly softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add zucchini, tomato, curry powder, thyme, chile powder, and turmeric. Cook until veggies begin to release their moisture, about 3 minutes.

Step 4

Return chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan. Add chicken stock, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until chicken is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 10 to 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Step 5

Remove pan from the heat. Remove chicken thighs from the pan. Add couscous to the liquid in the pan and mix well. Let sit until couscous is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Step 6

Serve chicken thighs with couscous-vegetable mixture.