Spicy Harissa Chicken with Couscous
Thin-sliced chicken breast simmered in a warm, toasted spice and harissa sauce, served over fluffy couscous with a cooling spoon of yogurt.
- Total
- 20 min
- Prep 6 · Cook 11 · Rest 3
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Toasting spices · Simmering
- Savory
- Quick
- Spicy
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Boil 100 ml water in the small saucepan. Put the couscous in a heatproof bowl, pour the boiling water over it, add a pinch of the salt, cover, and let it stand until the grains are tender and the water is absorbed.
~6 min
Boiling water and covering allows couscous to steam and absorb water evenly, hydrating the grains without stirring.
-
While step 1 waits
While the couscous stands, slice the chicken breast across the grain into 1 cm strips and season with the remaining salt and black pepper.
~3 min
-
Heat the olive oil in the frying pan over medium heat. Add the curry powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant and darkened slightly.
~1 min
Toasting spices in oil blooms their fat-soluble flavors and makes them more aromatic; 30 seconds prevents burning.
Toast the ground spices only until they smell nutty, about 30 seconds; any longer and they turn bitter.
Toasting spices Toast ground spices in oil over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds; they burn quickly, so keep them moving and remove from heat if they darken too fast.
-
Add the chicken strips in a single layer and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides and cooked through to 74°C/165°F, about 4 minutes.
~4 min
Cooking to 74°C/165°F ensures chicken is safe and juicy; browning adds flavor through Maillard reaction.
-
Stir the harissa into the pan with 2 tbsp water and simmer until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken, about 2 minutes.
~2 min
Simmering reduces water and concentrates flavors, thickening the sauce so it clings to the chicken.
If the sauce tightens too much, loosen it with a spoonful of the couscous cooking water rather than more oil.
Simmering Simmer gently so the sauce reduces without scorching; stir occasionally and watch for thickening that coats the back of a spoon.
-
Fluff the couscous with a fork and spoon it onto a plate. Top with the chicken and sauce, add the yogurt, and rest 3 minutes before eating.
~3 min
Resting allows juices to redistribute and the dish to cool slightly, improving texture and flavor.