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Chicken Couscous with Bacon and Corn is one of my favorite one-pot chicken dinners. I love that it’s a main course and side dish all in one, baked together in flavorful goodness. I can’t believe how easy it is to prepare, and that there’s minimal cleanup.
5-Star Review
“This one pot meal is one of our go to’s that everyone enjoys. We have used boneless/skinless and bone in, both turn out amazing. One pot meals make meal prep for a big family easy.” -Brittany
Easy Chicken Couscous Recipe
Chicken Couscous with Bacon and Corn is an easy one-pot chicken dinner I find perfect for those busy weeknights. One-pan dinners like this ranch BBQ chicken and chicken con queso skillet are great go-tos when life gets hectic, and this chicken and couscous recipe with bacon and corn is my new favorite.
Savory chicken thighs are simmered with cooked couscous and crispy bacon, then brought together with loads of seasonings, a creamy sauce, and roasted corn. As the pot simmers on the stove, the flavors meld and deepen to create a rich, comforting dish that’s satisfying and a complete meal all in one.
Tips for Beginners
- Add more flavor to the couscous. Couscous can take on any flavor, which makes it the perfect grain to mix in with your meals. Be sure to add plenty of salt and seasonings to give it flavor, or cook it in a pot of chicken or vegetable broth.
- Don’t skip searing the chicken. This helps lock in the flavor and moisture.
- Thaw the frozen corn. Once thawed, pat the corn dry so it doesn’t add too much moisture to the dish and dilute the flavor.
One Pot Couscous Chicken with Bacon and Corn
Ingredients
- ¾ cup original couscous Moroccan-style
- 6 chicken thighs I 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 tbsp 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 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tsp 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.¾ cup original couscous
- Season the chicken thighs, on both sides, with salt & pepper.6 chicken thighs, kosher salt & freshly ground black 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.8 slices bacon
- 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.2 tbsp olive oil
- 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.1 medium sweet yellow onion, 6 cloves garlic
- 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, salt, pepper, thyme sprigs, and all except 2 tablespoons of crisped bacon; bring to a simmer and stir.2½ cups heavy cream or half and half, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- Add chicken thighs, crisp side up. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.
- Stir in thyme leaves and corn. Drizzle with the juice from 1 lemon.2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves, 2 cups frozen corn
- 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.1 lemon, 2 radishes, extra crisped bacon, chopped parsley, freshly squeezed lemon juice
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Chicken Couscous With Bacon and Corn Step by Step
Cook the couscous: Cook ¾ cup couscous according to package directions and set aside.
Season the chicken: Season 6 chicken thighs on both sides with salt & pepper.
Cook the bacon: Cook 8 slices bacon in a large skillet, just until lightly browned and the bacon starts to get crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Keep 2 tbsp bacon grease in the pan and refrigerate the rest to use another time.
Sear the chicken: Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the skillet with the bacon fat and heat over medium heat until the oil has a sheen. Place the thighs, top side down in the skillet and brown the chicken until golden. Transfer to another paper towel-lined plate to blot off any excess grease.
Cook the aromatics: Add 1 minced onion and 6 cloves garlic to the skillet and sauté until the onion is translucent and the garlic softens and becomes fragrant.
Toast the couscous: Lower the heat to medium-low and add the cooked couscous; cook until couscous begins to brown, toasting it lightly for about 5 minutes. Stir often.
Add the remaining ingredients: Add 2½ cups heavy cream or half and half, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, 3 sprigs fresh thyme, and all except 2 tbsp of the crisped bacon, and bring everything to a simmer.
Add chicken thighs, crisp side up. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.
Add thyme leaves and corn: Stir in 2 tsp minced thyme leaves and 2 cups corn. Drizzle with the juice from 1 lemon. Continue cooking, covered, until the liquid has almost evaporated, 15-20 minutes.
Serve: Place a scoop of the couscous mixture on a serving plate, top with one chicken thigh, and garnish with radish slices, reserved bacon, parsley, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Enjoy!
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat over the stove or in the microwave. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is a complete meal, so I don’t need to make too many sides to go with it. But I do like to start my meal off with some greens like this green goddess salad or a hearty kale salad. A side of dinner rolls and a fruity apple crumble for dessert make it the ideal meal in my books.
More One Pot Meals To Try
- This Meatball Parmesan has juicy meatballs smothered in a delicious marinara sauce, which I’ve topped with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Chili Mac is a family-favorite, filled with ground beef, noodles, cheese, beans, and so much more.
- This Chicken Alfredo Recipe With Jar Sauce is an easy 30-minute meal that I’ve loaded up with lots of cheese.
Firstly, this took a very long time to create; bacon, chicken, and couscous all to cook separately and be pulled out and later assembled. If you were to use three pans, the recipe might take the stated time but not the way it is written. The flavors are ok together but very much missing a punch of something. I would add cherry tomatoes for some acid as is is a pretty flat dish. It’s pretty and with fresh corn off the cob, it really helped. Worth trying but go in knowing you need a couple hours or three pans.
This one pot meal is one of our go toโs that everyone enjoys. We have used boneless/skinless and bone in, both turn out amazing. One pot meals make meal prep for a big family easy.
One pot meals really are the best!!
I’m sorry this one didn’t work out for you!
Yum! A delicious recipe. Other posters need to actually read the recipe plus the hints and tips before criticising.
I cut out all of the cream and substituted lemon juice. Also I added mushrooms in with the onion and garlic minced (donโt leave them whole as recommended itโs way to strong)
I also used chicken breast and cooked separately seasoning with garlic powder, light salt and pepper and chopped into pieces.
Lower calorie and my husband and I loved it.
So glad to hear that!
Those are not boneless,skinless thighs pictured.Is the cooking time accurate for whole thighs or b/s thighs?
The recipe calls for boneless, skinless thighs and yet it is pictured here with skin on the chicken.
Skinless?
The pictures sure look like skin-on thighs. And the recipe says to put the the cris side up. Ive never seen a boneless thigh be crispy unless it was really over cooked.
(I dont know why this comment is in all caps.)