This chili features tender chicken breast, a combination of black beans and kidney beans, corn, salsa, and couscous. The result is a deliciously flavorful chili with a terrific texture! This Chicken and Couscous Chili recipe is destined to become part of your chili recipes rotation!
This chili goes back to 2015 when I was issued a recipe challenge to create a dish using a specific set of ingredients: Chicken, cheese, couscous, and salsa. Fortunately these were very reasonable ingredients to work with and nothing off-the-wall like some of those episodes from Chopped where they’re given things like spaghetti, enchilada sauce, caviar, and bean sprouts. Or how about mahi-mahi, Nacho Doritos, and blue raspberry twizzlers? Ready, set, go!
No, this was going to be easy and I ended up creating this Chicken and Couscous Chili that is rich in flavor and has a terrific texture with the addition of the couscous. It’s fast and easy to make and deliciously satisfying. Serve it with some cornbread muffins and you’re all set!
Chicken and Couscous Chili Recipe
Let’s get started!
Heat the oil in a medium stock pot and saute the onions until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno peppers and cook for another minute.
Add the chicken and cook until most of the pink is gone. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and cook for another minute.
Add all remaining ingredients except for the couscous, cilantro and cheese. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the couscous and return to a simmer for another 10 minutes or until the couscous is done.
Stir in the cilantro.
It’s ready to serve!
Serve topped with shredded cheese and sour cream if desired. Serve with our tender and moist cornbread muffins.
Enjoy!
For more delicious chili recipes be sure to try our:
Chicken and Couscous Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper , seeded and diced (remove membranes if you don't want the chili to be hot)
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast or boneless chicken thighs , cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 14.5 ounce can kidney beans , rinsed and drained
- 14.5 ounce can black beans , rinsed and drained
- 14.5 ounce can corn , drained
- 4 cups quality chicken broth
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 1 chipotle en adobo sauce , diced plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/3 cup uncooked couscous
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 6 ounces shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, queso quesadilla cheese, or combination , for serving
- sour cream , for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium or large stock pot and saute the onions until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno peppers and cook for another minute. Add the chicken and cook until most of the pink is gone. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and cook for another minute.Add all remaining ingredients except for the couscous, cilantro and cheese. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the couscous and return to a simmer for another 10 minutes or until the couscous is done. Stir in the cilantro.Serve topped with shredded cheese and sour cream.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet April 21, 2015
Jani says
This has been a staple of my home cooking for a long time. I usually whip up a big batch that lasts me a good while. I skip the salsa and the chipotle en adobo (no idea where to get that where I am based), plus the cheese. I tend to add a tin of tomato puree in the beginning. An added bonus the nice reddish hue. I have a batch cooling down on the stove at the time of writing. This time I experimented with adding a dollop of sriracha, works fine. Thanks for the recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy to hear that, Jani, thank you!