I haven’t posted a chicken recipe on here since September! I figured it was definitely time to change that. I really don’t eat much chicken so I guess I’ve gone a long time without even making it without realizing. I have been on a couscous kick so when I came across Cooking Light‘s recipe for Couscous Stuffed Chicken I was pretty pumped. However, I apparently do not possess the skill to create pinwheels with chicken. What they lack in beauty though they most certainly make up for in flavor!
Ingredients:
1/3 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup uncooked couscous
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
3 tablespoons chopped plum tomato
2 tablespoons kalamata olives, chopped
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 minced garlic clove
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Cooking spray
1/4 cup uncooked couscous
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
3 tablespoons chopped plum tomato
2 tablespoons kalamata olives, chopped
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 minced garlic clove
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Cooking spray
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. First make the couscous. Add the broth to a small pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the couscous. Cover and let stand for 4 minutes.
Add the couscous to a small bowl and fluff with a fork. Allow to cool. Add the chopped tomato, olives, feta, olive oil, parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Place chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch thickness. (I failed at this step. My pounding brought it by no means close to 1/4 inch thickness. Next time I make this, I think I’ll try it with chicken tenderloins instead).
Add the couscous mixture on top of each piece of chicken.
Roll up and secure with wooden picks. Pretty sure this should have looked prettier than mine ended up.
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large oven proof saute pan over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray and add the chicken rolls. Cook for six minutes until the chicken is browned. Turn over and bake at 400 degrees.
The original recipe said 5 minutes. Because my pieces were so thick it took closer to 20 minutes.
So yeah. My presentation isn’t going to win me any awards. BUT this dish tastes so good! The chicken remained really moist and flavorful.
The couscous mixture was fantastic. I am not the biggest fan of olives so I included fewer in my rolled up chicken (which meant my olive-loving boyfriend got more in his mixture. No complaints from him).
I think thin chicken tenderloins would work much better with these if you are big on presentation.
Great recipe! Gonna make my bf this tonight.
OH yum! This looks like a great weeknight meal. I wonder if quinoa would work in place of the couscous. I might give it a try – thanks for the recipe!
yum! I saw this recipe on cooking light too and its been on my list of dinners to try! Glad yours turned out so well, now I really need to give it a shot! (and who cares if you don’t get a perfect pinwheel as long as its tasty 🙂
Ok, I love this idea! I am all about couscous, what a great way to use it!
Couscous is probably my favorite thing in the entire world, next to chicken, so I’m def. on board with this.
That looks very yummy! I have always been more partial to quinoa but then again I don’t really cook too much couscous. I really should change that, because this looks wonderful!
Dude, stuffed chicken is so tricky! Looks like you did a good job to me…
Looks amazing! I love, Love, LOVE chicken and cous-cous is a favorite! Thanks ~ this is a winner!
This is such a wonderful idea, I’ll have to try this! :0 looks so delicious.