Couscous “Paella” with Sausage and Chicken

Loaded with sausage, chicken, and lots of vegetables, this one-pan dish is as filling as it is easy! This fun twist on classic Paella uses couscous instead of rice for a 20-minute dinner recipe. 

Yep, you read that right. TWENTY MINUTES.

It’s like a gift sent straight from the dinner gods.

How is this possible, you ask?

Well, first, there’s not a lot of prep work involved. Just slice some kielbasa, dice a red pepper, cut up a chicken breast, and mince some garlic.

I’m a huge fan of using the least amount of dishes as possible, so I use just one cutting board and one knife by starting with the garlic, then dicing the pepper, slicing the pre-cooked kielbasa, and finishing with the raw chicken. Easy peasy!

As with probably 80% of the things I cook, I used my favorite cast iron pan to put this together.

This is a great recipe to keep on-hand for those nights when you forgot to make any plans for dinner. I love keeping kielbasa in the freezer because it’s pre-cooked and thaws in a water bath in just a few minutes time. Even if you don’t have any chicken in the house, I bet you have some random leftover vegetables and perhaps even a bag of peas in the  back of your freezer.

Four very hungry people could demolish this pan pretty easily, though in my house it made three dinners and three lunches. I think it tastes better the longer it sits in the fridge and soaks up all those tasty flavors!

Enjoy this hearty dinner, my friends!

Here’s the Recipe!

Couscous "Paella" with Sausage and Chicken

Yield: 4-6

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Loaded with sausage, chicken, and lots of vegetables, this one-pan dish is as filling as it is easy! This fun twist on classic Paella uses couscous instead of rice for a 20-minute dinner recipe.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth*
• 1 1/2 cups dry couscous
• 1 (10-12 ounce) bag frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 6 ounces sliced kielbasa
• 1 large chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Once boiling, turn the heat off and stir in the couscous and peas. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
2. While the couscous is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and swirl in the oilve oil. Add the pepper and kielbasa to the pan and arrange in a single layer as much as possible. Allow to brown for 5 minutes undisturbed. Add the chicken pieces, garlic, salt, thyme, and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Turn the heat off.
3. Fluff the cooked couscous with a fork and transfer to the skillet along with the halved tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to fold the ingredients together. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Notes

*Or use 1 (14-ounce) can of broth + 1/4 cup hot water

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 428Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 57mgSodium 799mgCarbohydrates 43gFiber 4gSugar 5gProtein 24g

Nutrition information has been auto-calculated for your convenience.

Last Updated on September 9, 2019