Chicken Couscous Salad with Roasted Pepper Dressing

You are going to love this chicken couscous salad with roasted red pepper dressing! It's easy to make and the dressing packs a lot of flavor. 

Easy Chicken Couscous Salad

I was so in love with my Morrocan inspired chicken and couscous recipe, that I made this roasted red pepper dressing to go with the leftovers! 

And you know the best part was that it was more than enough and Lord knows that I know how to stretch a meal for days on end. If the food stores well you can be sure it's going to be repurposed one way or another and you going to see it again looking even more delicious:) 

Ingredient Breakdown

I've broken this recipe up into four sections to make it even easier to follow!

1. Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
2. Couscous
3. Chicken
4. Vegetables

I share ingredients, where to find them, how to use and you can find the full printable recipe in the recipe card below.

1. Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Although we love roasting bell peppers I always keep a jar for the sheer convenience. They are peeled and soaked in extra virgin olive oil ready for you to use.

2. Couscous

Moroccan couscous which is the tiny balls of semolina flour made of durum wheat and is also an ingredient when making pasta.

I normally buy my couscous from Woolworths, you'll find it with the grains. I sometimes like buying the serena brand which most supermarkets like Checkers and PicknPay stock.

They all cook differently so read the packaging. The Serena brand comes in sachets so all you have to do is place the sachet in a bowl, pour boiling water over it and let it sit for a minute. That's it then fluff it up with a fork and use it.

For more on how to cook couscous, read my blog post how to cook couscous.

3. Chicken

You can use chicken thighs or you can use rotisserie chicken.

Water or chicken broth/stock: We recommend using low-sodium stock or go low on salt. I often skip the stock and use water.

Salt: Just like pasta, salt is the only seasoning you need.

Organic Chicken seasoning: Chicken seasoning adds an umami, savory flavor that makes the chicken delicious, just like in restaurants. I say organic because regular spices have a lot of salt! Hence low sodium stock if using stock.

Smoked Paprika: Paprika adds a spicy, smokey kick to the chicken. Paprika is simply red peppers slow-roasted and then ground into a powder. The difference is the word "smoked" since red peppers are dried over smoke which gives them that smokiness.

Ground Cumin: Cumin adds an earthiness and uniquely warm flavor to the chicken.

Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil not only browns the chicken when cooking but also gives it a unique flavor.

Salt: No food is complete without salt. It makes all the flavors come together as one.

Black pepper: Ground black pepper gives the dish a peppery and mildly spicy

4. Vegetables

Gather cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, fresh parsley.

I find that slicing cherry tomatoes for salad recipes is best. This way, you avoid trying to catch it as it rolls around the plate:)

Use a teaspoon to scoop the seeds out of the cucumber for a less damp salad just in case it sits out longer than expected.

How to Make Chicken and Couscous Salad With a Red Pepper Dressing

• Make the Sauce

Let's start with the sauce and set it aside then get on with the rest of the recipe.

Take your roasted red peppers, garlic cloves, olive oil, salt and pepper and add into a food processor. I like adding a tablespoon of water into the food processor to start, the ingredients and a little chili spice and then blend it all. Find the full quantities in the recipe card below and more detail right here on my blog red pepper sauce.

• How to Cook Couscous

• Chicken

• Vegetables

Expert Tips

Grill the chicken: Grilled chicken will give an extra taste and aroma compared to pan-fried chicken. Make sure to cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F.

Use low-sodium stock for couscous: Stocks are usually very salty, so use a stock with low sodium content or skip using salt for couscous.

Make sure the water and stock are hot for couscous: When making fluffy couscous, add hot water or stock to it. This will make it fluffier and quicker to cook.

How to cut cherry tomatoes: Cutting fresh tomatoes individually can be time-consuming. Place the cherry tomatoes over a cutting board-lined baking sheet and slice them all at once.

Make Ahead: You can prepare a few elements of the dish ahead of time. For example, you can marinate the chicken, cook the couscous, and make the roasted red pepper salad dressing a day before. However, we recommend making the salad fresh and cooking the chicken right before serving.

Meal prep tip: Make the couscous, dressing, and chicken in advance and store them in airtight containers for the next day.

Substitutions and Variations

• Chicken Substitute: If you don’t want to cook chicken at home, you can use premade or leftover rotisserie chicken as well. Cut it in bite-size pieces and it is good to go. You can use any different protein like chicken thighs, lean meat, fish, or shrimp.

• Chicken Seasonings: store-bought seasoning for the chicken is a nice substitute. You can add herbs like Italian seasonings or garlic powder to the seasoning.

• Add garlic to the chicken: Garlic cloves give the chicken a delicious, garlicky, pungent taste.

• Add leafy greens to the Salad: You can combine arugula or fresh basil to the salad for an added layer of flavor. An arugula salad with a homemade dressing can take this easy chicken couscous salad to the next level.

• Vegetables: You can add more roasted vegetables like sweet potato, zucchini etc. for more flavor.

Serving Ideas

Serve the dish in personal portions or dish out all the elements individually for guests to assemble themselves. For a complete meal, we recommend serving the dressing on the side so guests can pour it over according to their preference.

How to Store Chicken Couscous Salad?

We recommend storing each element separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a day or two.

Freezing options: Freeze the cooked couscous and chicken in an airtight container for a month.

Reheat the couscous in a medium saucepan over a stovetop or microwave, while the chicken can be heated in a pan, oven, or air fryer.

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