This one pot chicken bacon couscous really is a one pot wonder! Full of chewy bacon, tender chicken, crunchy veggies, and seasonings, this dish makes for a great dinner and even better leftovers!
I’m calling this dish one pot chicken bacon couscous, but it should really be called “oh shoot, it’s dinner time, the Debth’s have been sick, and we haven’t been to the grocery store”. I thought that title was a tad too long, so I stuck with one pot chicken bacon couscous. 😉
Although this started out as a “leftovers” dish, it actually turned out to be a really unique and flavorful dinner!
Ever since Trevor and I started this food blog, we’ve started having more leftover ingredients. A random carrot here, a few stalks of celery there, that one clove of garlic that fell under the vegetable drawer, etc. I absolutely HATE wasting food, so I’m always trying to come up with creative dishes to make out of those random leftovers.
As I told you guys on Monday, Trevor and I fell victim to the stomach flu last week. Well, Wednesday rolls around, it’s back to reality, it’s dinner time, and I do NOT want to walk to the store.
I scrambled up whatever leftovers I could find and came up with this really delicious one pot chicken bacon couscous. Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations with this meal, so I was very pleasantly surprised. 🙂
Shout out to Trevor, though, for being the real inspiration for this recipe.
Last Monday, Trevor was a freaking rockstar.
I do not handle being sick well. When it hits me, it hits me hard and completely knocks me over. Trevor, of course, was sick, too, but he took responsibility for letting Teddy out, feeding him, running to the corner market for Gatorade and Saltine’s, and making us couscous for dinner.
I took exactly 6 bites that night, but the next day I was feeling hungry, and that couscous sounded really good!
I figured you guys didn’t want a recipe for boiled couscous 😉 , so I decided to elaborate a little bit and added some leftover rotisserie chicken, bacon, a few veggies, and a good splash of white wine. I didn’t, however, add to my dish pile. This couscous is a one pot wonder! Y-E-S.
It’s a really humble, simple dish, that Trevor and I happily devoured for dinner that night.
But wait. What the heck is couscous? Couscous is a tiny pasta made of wheat that is a staple in North Africa and it’s really amazing. The texture is unlike anything you’ve ever had, it’s quick cooking, and it’s so versatile!
The texture of couscous is hard to explain. It’s light, fluffy, and kind of gritty (in a good way!). I thought the texture of couscous went perfectly with the slightly crunchy veggies, chewy bacon, and tender chicken.
Once the couscous was added to my pan, it took less than 5 minutes to cook. Who doesn’t love a quick dish?
The best part of couscous, however, is it’s versatility. It’s pretty bland on it’s own, but with other ingredients, couscous can create a truly spectacular, very texturally interesting dish! Make it into this one pot chicken bacon couscous, a pasta salad, or even make it for breakfast!
This one pot chicken bacon couscous really was a one pot wonder! It’s hearty, full of amazing flavors, and makes a ton, so say helllloooo to dinner for the rest of the week!
– Jennifer
Have you ever had couscous? Show me the yummy!
One Pot Chicken Bacon Couscous
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 5 strips bacon
- 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 whole carrots diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 1-2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1 ½ cups couscous NOT israeli pearl couscous
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups cooked chicken chopped (I used leftover rotisserie)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed and softened
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning or more to taste
- salt to taste
Instructions
For the bacon
- In a large metal skillet, place bacon in a single layer. Cook over medium heat until crispy, flipping halfway through.
- Remove bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel.
- Chop and set aside.
- Drain the bacon grease from the pan, reserving two tablespoons.
For the couscous
- Heat the same pan over medium heat (you may have bits of bacon stuck on the bottom, that's ok) and add in bacon grease.
- Add in diced onion, carrots, and celery. Season with just a touch of salt.
- Cook for about 7-10 minutes, until softened, stirring occasionally.
- Add in garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Pour in white wine and scrape up anything leftover on the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in couscous and chicken broth.
- Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is cooked.
- Stir in chopped bacon, chicken, unsalted butter, italian seasoning, and salt, to taste until well combined.
- Serve and enjoy!
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Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
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