Perfect Couscous
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A versatile and super-easy side dish, couscous is made from tiny steamed balls of semolina flour. Though we often think of it as a grain, it’s actually a type of pasta.
Couscous is a North African dish made from tiny steamed balls of semolina flour. Though we think of it and cook it as a grain, it’s actually a type of pasta. Traditionally, couscous is steamed in a special double-chambered cooking vessel called a couscousière, which is a time-consuming process. However, here in the States, we often use the instant variety of couscous that cooks up in just 5 minutes—making it one of the quickest and most versatile side dishes around, way faster than basmati rice or mashed potatoes.
The cooking instructions on the back of the box will give you perfectly fine couscous, but this recipe shows you how to take it up a notch. It’s delicious paired with saucy dishes like Moroccan brisket or chicken tagine, and it also complements grilled Moroccan meatballs with yogurt sauce beautifully.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Couscous
Step-By-Step Instructions
To start, bring the cooking liquid (preferably a flavorful chicken or vegetable broth) to a boil in a medium pot. Add a drizzle of olive oil, a pat of butter, and a little salt.
Next, add the couscous. (I use 1-3/4 cups liquid to 1-1/2 cups couscous.)
Take the pan off the heat, cover, and let the couscous steam for 5 minutes.
When you lift the lid, the grains will appear flat in an even layer. Use a fork to fluff it up and break up the clumps for light and fluffy couscous.
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Perfect Couscous
A versatile and super-easy side dish, couscous is made from tiny steamed balls of semolina flour. Though we often think of it as a grain, it’s actually a type of pasta.
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (or water)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ cups (10 oz) couscous
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water (or broth), salt, butter, and oil to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover tightly with a lid, and remove from heat. Let the couscous steam for 5 minutes. Use a fork to fluff the couscous and break up any clumps. Serve warm.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The couscous can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, reheat it in the microwave until hot.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 226
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 37g
- Sugar: 0g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 7g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Cholesterol: 5mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Best foolproof, fluffy and tasty couscous ever. Have done this several times. It’s a keeper 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I can’t even believe how fast this was! And it tasted GREAT! This will be my go to dinner fix when I’m in a hurry! : )
The weight equivalents are very wrong.
If one follows them, the result will be way too dry.
400mL might be close enough to 1¾ cups of water, but 1½ cups of couscous is actually about 247g (8¾oz), not the 283g (10oz) you suggest.
See https://www.howmany.wiki/vw/–1%7C2–cup–of–couscous–in–ounce
Hi Ray, Sorry you had a problem with this! The conversion for couscous will vary a bit by brand. I just weighed it on my scale and have updated the number to 270 grams.
This one was a winner for my fussy son – amazing!
My only thought is that I might leave out the 1/2 teaspoon of salt next time as the chicken stock I use made it salty enough already. We all loved it though – thank you!
Finally my couscous is not all clumpy! Thank you!x
In an effort to make couscous more healthy, I never added butter or olive oil to it and always thought it came out dry and brick-like. Adding both of those makes all the difference and I will never do couscous another way. Thanks Jenn!
This did not work. I ended up with a bowl of wasted couscous. It sat at the bottom of the pan and because it was way too much water, the couscous stayed hard.
Hi Jenn, making this tomorrow to serve with the honey mustard panko crust salmon
Have both regular and Israeli couscous. I think that the Israeli is larger. Which do you use.Thanks, carol
Regular couscous (the smaller grain). Hope you enjoy the meal!
OK, I have always found couscous boring, bland, so I don’t cook it. BUT…..
I made this recipe last night (because my younger sons love couscous)
I have to say, THE BEST EVER COUSCOUS I’ve tasted (and I’ve been to Morocco too!)
I did add plenty of cumin seeds while heating the olive oil, that’s the only change I made.
I roasted plenty of whole garlic in their skins, onions, red and green peppers and whole large mushrooms in olive oil, black pepper, and salt, then mixed in with the couscous, MAGIC.
1000% I will be making couscous as per your recipe, thank you.
This recipe is now my go-to couscous method. Excellent!
Great recipe for couscous, my husband and I loved it. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I followed the written recipe exactly. I have a saucepan full of soupy couscous. I put it back on the burner and now, bonus, I have burned soupy couscous. This is about as simple as a recipe gets and it didn’t turn out.
Laurie: I’m guessing that you had traditional couscous and not instant. Instant couscous is sold in the states with no mention of the word “instant”. Are you by chance in Canada or another country than USA?
Thanks for sharing your cous cous recipe I definitely need to find one that works, and plan to try your recipe soon. I wanted to ask which kind of cous cous is best to buy for flavour and freshness, whether it be boxed, bagged or vaccum sealed etc. When I go to the grocery store I only saw boxed versions of cous cous. With those the pasta is plain and the seasonings are in a separate package away from pasta itself, but it just seems like if you go with a boxed pasta, automatically you’re in for a less than delicious cous cous. If there is a recommended type of packaging to look out for when shopping then I would much rather use that cous cous than standard boxed versions. Thank you!
Hi Johnny, I like the RiceSelect brand. Hope you enjoy the couscous if you make it!
Simple and just as I like it
Oh my god, wonderful! I’m an American living in France and my husband is used to having couscous royale. I have not been able to get the semoule to not be gummy or clumpy, and this recipe is just top! Thank you so much 🙂
AMAZING!!!
I will never use another recipe to cook couscous. I don’t use regular couscous I use Israeli couscous always. This recipe will work for Israeli couscous and regular couscous the same.
I bought a tagine at Williams Sonoma about 7 yrs ago and it came with two recipes; Moroccon Short Ribs and Red Wine Braised Short Ribs.
I make the Moroccan short ribs often and it has a recipe for couscous. I make the couscous as Jens recipe instructs and then add the ingredients from the Morrocan Short Rib recipe( two cups cooked couscous, two tablespoons olive oil, half teaspoon tumeric, one teaspoon grated orange zest, two tablespoons lemon juice, quarter cup dried currants and half teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste). I do add more currants and orange zest and salt to taste.
Thank you for this incredible recipe I will be sharing it with others.
Came out perfectly! Will definitely keep this on hand anytime I make couscous.
The best ratio of water, thus far! It was light, fluffy, and broke up just fine after steaming.
I was skeptical that it’d be dry since the couscous sucks up all the liquid at once, but it turned out super fluffy and moist!
Loved this recipe. Hubby complimented the couscous twice!
This recipe has revolutionised the way I cook couscous.
My couscous turned out perfect, thank you!
Fantastic and easy.
Omg!!! It is so good!!!
Thank you 😊
I did not think it was possible for couscous to taste this damn good!
Thank you!! I have a history of ‘fluffing’ the making of couscous. Usually ends up as a glutinous glump.
Two things of importance is the use of stock (chicken), and the addition of the oil and butter to that boiling stock.
I have tried boiling water and adding the butter at the end, in the fluffing stage but…..in so many ways….it is a failure.
Made a fabulously tasty couscous this evening, with sliced apricots, pistachios, pan fried chickpeas in paprika, coriander and parsley. Yumm!!!
Great recipe. Loved the result. Thankyou. I served it with a slow cook beef stew.
This is really interesting! Couscous (or ‘cuscuz’ in Northeast Brazil) is a breakfast main dish eaten with some sort of protein such as butter, cheese, fried eggs or jerked beef in its salty version, or coconut and coconut milk in its sweet version. It’s a strong breakfast made to keep farmers and workers full until lunchtime. We first hydrate it and let it sit for a few minutes and then steam in boiling water in a special kind of pot (a cuscuzeira, such as this https://images-americanas.b2w.io/produtos/01/00/img1/106295/3/106295346_1GG.jpg). It’s nice to see how the recipe changes!
I have always ended up with clumpy, bland couscous and this was a life changer. So good I could have eaten it on its own, however, I served with apricot chicken and it was so awesome. Thank you!
Came out perfectly! Much better than the instructions on the back of the bag (which was a mushy mess).
Terrible. Left uncooked sloppy result
Gonna try the steaming method today 🙂
Yesterday I needed to prepare a quick meal and I tried this recipe. It came out tops
Came out great. Also, thanks for not adding a whole bunch of BS before the recipe! Short intro paragraph , bam RECIPE. You know why I’m here. Thanks!
Turned out perfect! Light, delicate texture and we added curry, garlic, seasoning salt and Montreal chicken seasoning. It was paired with steamed broccoli and baked halibut for a completely delicious experience!
Amen. I’m looking for a recipe, not storytime.
Fantastic and easy recipe, came out perfect on my first try
I have made this a few times…give it a 10..fantastic thanks
Made this on 2 successive nights. First night, used substandard (old) couscous. Consistency was perfect, flavor sucked. I mean, wasn’t very good…
Made it again tonight, fresh couscous. Perfect, both consistency and flavor.
Paired with Moroccan chicken with preserved Meyer lemons. Not your recipe, Jenn (blush!).
Will become the basis of lots of variations in the future: roasted garlic, sauteed onions, etc.
Many thanks for this recipe. So simple, so right.
Joe
How would I adapt this recipe if using Israeli couscous?
Hi Lynda, As I’m not sure about the water to couscous ratio and timing for Israeli couscous, I’d recommend following the instructions on the box. 🙂
The first time I made couscous was from a Hello Fresh meal kit. It was awful. Slimy little pellets of awfulness. So, being forever the one to keep trying something new, I bought the Hello Fresh kit again and ditched their recipe and used yours instead. My result wasn’t perfect. But the chicken broth was a great improvement, as was the butter. This was something I would actually eat. I don’t know if that counts as a testimonial.
As a suggestion. You should make some couscous without that Hello Fresh Meal Kit. That’s probably your problem & why you are ending up with something you wouldn’t eat. Especially if it’s the larger Israeli couscous, where this recipe needs modification or it doesn’t come out right.
Instead, you should get some regular CousCous from the bulk foods section of your grocery store & cook it from scratch. It literally only takes 10 minutes to make & the last 5 minutes is just letting it sit. It’s also very inexpensive to buy.
Recently, I purchased both traditional couscous and Israeli couscous from the bulk dry food bins at the grocery store. But I realized I no longer had a recipe available at home, so I went online and your site was the first one I found, at the top of the search results, and it looked simple & straightforward. For my first batch I decided on the traditional couscous, and to use this recipe, but with some modifications, based on what I have available.
I have a bunch of turkey broth available, so I decided I would use it & instead of butter (unsalted) I used original Smart Balance, which is not unsalted. Upon completion, it didn’t look exactly like your picture, but once I used a fork to fluff it up, it looked & tasted absolutely wonderful. I haven’t had any great couscous since many years ago when I served in the military and spent time on more than one occasion in the Mediterranean. This recipe, turned out perfect, bringing back many wonderful memories of the food.
I will be using this recipe, many, many more times with many different meals.
Thanks.
Super easy and delicious!!! Thank you 🙂
We usually buy the packaged couscous where you add water. This was so much better! The chicken broth combined with the butter and olive oil gave the couscous an added dimension. We could have made a meal out of it! Thank you for the recipe.
Was delish and EASY. Exactly what I was looking for. 🙂
Worked out great!
This worked well… I used this couscous in place of the barley in the Egyptian salad, and it upstaged the main dish!
I’ve been dealing with clumpy couscous when the solution was so simple. Thank you so much.
Worked a treat!
Delicious chicken parsley couscous using your method was delicious.
excellent, accurate recipe,
thank you
Really loved this recipe
Thanks for the recipe!
I loved this recipe. I did a second time with a little switch to it, I added some butter and herbs, and it come out super delicious. Thanks for the amazing recipes.
Delicious. Easy. So flavorful! My new staple.
Perfect little addition of taste and so easy! We throw into our salads to bulk up a bit besides using as a side with bbq dinners. Sometimes I”ll roast vegies and then toss them together! YUM!!
I’d never cooked couscous before but it worked out perfect. Was great with my lamb stew.
I love this recipe. I cook it olive oil till it becomes a little golden and add just water. This way, I can use the couscous as a salad or instead of rice and sometimes in desserts with fruits.