Baked Tomato Chicken Thighs and Couscous
By Mersedeh Prewer
Category
Entree
Cuisine
Mediterranean/Middle Eastern
Servings
6
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Total Time
1 Hour 15 Minutes
An absolute winner of a chicken dinner! This comforting one-dish dinner is a harmonious marriage of flavors that celebrate the Middle East and Mediterranean. Whether you knock it up for your family or for a dinner party, it will be a firm favorite in your catalog of go-to recipes.
Ingredients
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2 bell peppers (mix of red and yellow), chopped
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1 red onion, chopped
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1 celery stalk, chopped
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1 carrot, chopped
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1 medium leek, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and sliced into 1/2-inch half moons
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8 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered
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4 garlic cloves, minced
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2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
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Kosher salt
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Freshly ground pepper
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6 large bone in, skin on chicken thighs
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1 teaspoon baharat spice
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1 teaspoon turmeric
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1 tablespoon tomato paste
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2 cups pearl couscous
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2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
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1 large lemon, zested and juiced
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1 small bunch (1oz) tarragon, finely chopped
Directions
Get ready. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F.
Season the veggies. In a large baking dish (about 15×12-inches), stir together the bell peppers, onion, celery, carrot, leek, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Toss until everything is evenly coated with the olive oil.
Season the chicken and roast. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels, then season well all over with salt, pepper, baharat, and turmeric. Rub the seasoning and spices into the chicken thighs until evenly coated, then tuck the thighs into the vegetable mixture with the skin side down. Place in the hot oven to roast (uncovered) for 30 minutes.
Add the couscous. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully transfer the chicken to a rimmed plate. To the baking dish, add the tomato paste, couscous, broth, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Set aside a sprinkle of tarragon for garnish, then add the remaining tarragon to the dish and stir to combine.
Finish the chicken. Place the chicken thighs skin side up on top of the pearl couscous and vegetable mixture. Make sure the flesh is mostly tucked into the couscous mixture but the chicken skin is exposed–this will allow the skin to brown and get crispy.
Finish baking the chicken. Return the dish to the hot oven to roast until most of the liquid has absorbed into the pearl couscous and the chicken has crispy skin, about 30 minutes.
Serve. Remove the baking pan from the oven, garnish with the reserved tarragon and serve.
Recipe Note
- Should you fancy a side salad, I heartily recommend a simple salad such as Healthy Cucumber Salad or Persian Salad-e Shirazi to complement the citrus and delicate aniseed flavor profile.
- The nutrition in this recipe is calculated with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. If you remove the skin and choose not to eat it, the calorie content per serving drops to 453.
Nutrition
Calories 627, Fat 29.4 grams, Monounsaturated Fat 13400 milligrams, Sodium 469.6 milligrams, Sugar 5.9 grams, Calcium 60.6 milligrams, Carbs 57.5 grams, Saturated Fat 7.3 grams, Trans Fat 0.1 grams, Potassium 718.1 milligrams, Vitamin A 92.7 milligrams, Iron 2.8 milligrams, Protein 32.6 grams, Polyunsaturated Fat 5800 milligrams, Cholesterol 141.6 milligrams, Fiber 5.6 grams, Vitamin C 74.1 milligrams