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Pan-Seared Chicken with Tomato Couscous

weeknightquickone-pan
10 minPrep20 minCook4Serves

Ingredients

  • 1 poundchicken breast (boneless, skinless)
  • 1 cupcouscous
  • 2 cupscherry tomatoes
  • 1½ cupschicken broth
  • 3 clovesgarlic
  • 3 tablespoonolive oil
  • 1lemon
  • ¼ cupfresh basil
  • ·salt
  • ·black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoonred pepper flakes

Prep

  1. 01

    Mince 3 cloves garlic.

  2. 02

    Halve 2 cups cherry tomatoes.

  3. 03

    Roughly chop 1/4 cup fresh basil.

  4. 04

    Cut 1 lemon in half.

Method

  1. 01

    Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.

  2. 02

    Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When shimmering, place chicken in the pan and cook for 6–7 minutes until golden, then flip and cook another 5–6 minutes until cooked through (internal temp 165°F). Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.

  3. 03

    Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the same skillet. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

  4. 04

    Add cherry tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to blister.

  5. 05

    Stir in couscous, coating well with oil, then pour in chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, then cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 5 minutes.

  6. 06

    Fluff couscous with a fork. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Slice chicken, lay it over couscous, squeeze lemon juice over everything, scatter fresh basil on top, and serve.

Spice Tips

For deeper heat, increase red pepper flakes to 1/2 teaspoon. A pinch of smoked paprika adds warmth and complexity. A dollop of Greek yogurt stirred in at the end creates a creamy finish.

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