Credits to Carolina Gelen, Pass the Plate
Ingredients
Garlicky Chicken and Couscous
- 4 to 6 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs (1.5 to 2 lbs total)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp neutral oil, such as sunflower or grapeseed
- 2 medium shallots, finely sliced
- 1.5 cups pearled (Israeli) couscous or orzo
- 15 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
- 1 chicken bouillon cube or 2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
Dill Topping
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
- 1/3 cup brined capers, drained, rinsed, and finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
- 1 tsp red chili flakes, plus more to taste
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the garlicky chicken and couscous: Preheat the oven to 425 F. Using a paper towel, pat the chicken thighs dry. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a 12-inch cast iron skillet or other ovenproof skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken skin-side down and cook until the skin looks golden and crispy and releases easily from the plan, about 6 to 8 minutes. If the chicken sticks when you try to flip it, it just needs more time to crisp. Flip and cook until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Add the remaining 2 Tbsp oil and the shallots to the hot pan and cook until the shallots are slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the couscous and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until it’s fragrant and turning a toasty brown color, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 3 cups water, the garlic, chicken bouillon, and a hefty pinch of salt. Arrange the chicken thighs on top, crispy skin side up. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Carefully cover the hot pan with aluminum foil, pinching around the sides to create a tight seal. Transfer to the oven and bake until most of the liquid has absorbed, 3o to 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the dill topping: In a small bowl, stir together the dill, capers, oil, vinegar, garlic, chili flakes, and salt and black pepper. Remove the foil from the chicken and bake for another 5 minutes. Preheat the broiler. Place the oven rack about 4 inches from the heating element. Broil until the chicken skin becomes crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oven. Fish out the softened garlic cloves and crush them on top of the chicken thighs. Dollop the dill topping all over the hot chicken couscous and serve right away.
Natalie’s Notes
Made 5/12/25. Delicious!! Very salty and olive-forward, but I forgot to rinse the capers. I also used boneless, skinless chicken thighs so they did not crisp up, but they were still tasty and I did not need to adjust the cooking time. I substituted 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth for bouillon and 3 cups water.
