Sesame Ginger Chicken Couscous Bowls (Printable)

Tender chicken over pearl couscous with vibrant sesame-ginger dressing and fresh vegetables

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1.1 lbs
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Pearl Couscous

05 - 1 1/2 cups pearl Israeli couscous
06 - 2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
07 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Sesame-Ginger Dressing

09 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
10 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
11 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
12 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
13 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated
14 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
16 - 1 teaspoon sriracha or chili sauce, optional
17 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

→ Vegetables and Toppings

18 - 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
19 - 1 cup shredded carrots
20 - 1 cup cooked shelled edamame
21 - 4 green onions, sliced
22 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
23 - 1/4 cup roasted cashews or peanuts, roughly chopped, optional
24 - Lime wedges for serving

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Rub chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on prepared sheet.
02 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
03 - While chicken cooks, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add pearl couscous and toast for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly golden.
04 - Add chicken broth and 1/4 teaspoon salt to couscous. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until couscous is tender and liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
05 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, lime juice, sriracha if using, and sesame seeds until well combined.
06 - Transfer cooked couscous to a large mixing bowl. Pour sesame-ginger dressing over couscous and toss well to coat evenly.
07 - Divide dressed couscous evenly among 4 serving bowls. Top each bowl with sliced chicken, cucumber, carrots, edamame, green onions, and fresh herbs. Sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired.
08 - Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 45 minutes without making your kitchen smell like chaos.
  • The sesame-ginger dressing tastes like it took hours to develop, but it's genuinely just one mixing bowl and a whisk.
  • You can prep everything in advance and assemble the bowls right before eating, which is a gift when you're feeding people with different schedules.
02 -
  • Don't mix the dressing into warm couscous and then let it sit for hours—it'll taste increasingly salty as the grains absorb the liquid, so dress it close to serving time.
  • If you accidentally overcook the couscous and it gets mushy, you can still rescue it by spreading it on a sheet to cool, but next time reduce the liquid by 1/4 cup.
03 -
  • Toast your own sesame seeds in a dry pan for 2 minutes before adding them to the dressing—it costs nothing but taste noticeably richer and more complex.
  • Make the dressing the day before and let the flavors marry in the fridge, which actually makes it taste deeper and more developed by serving time.
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