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This easy couscous recipe comes out fluffy and seasoned in 10 minutes, no actual cooking required! Here are the simple tricks that make all the difference.
If there is one food I recommend as a fast and easy side dish, it’s this one: couscous! This tiny pasta is fluffy, flavorful, and takes just 10 minutes to whip up with no actual cooking required. That’s right: all you need is boiling water!
This traditional Berber food has swept the globe because it’s easy to make and its light texture makes it perfect for serving with just about anything. Here’s how to make couscous: my easy recipe.
5 Star Reader Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I made this for dinner tonight and my husband and I loved it. It went perfect with the baked pesto chicken that I made as well. Thanks for the recipe!” -Kendra
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I have decided to try eating more foods based on the Mediterranean Diet. I have never enjoyed couscous in the past but decided to give it a try. Your recipe seemed so simple that I had to give it a go! AMAZING! It came out perfect and I’m using it as a base for several of my lunches for work!” -Kathy
What Is Couscous?
Couscous is a North African pasta with tiny grains made from semolina flour. Its texture looks like grains of rice or quinoa, but’s actually a pasta! It originated with the Berbers of Algeria and Morocco, sometime between the 11th century and 13th century. Today it’s a pantry staple around the world because of its versatility and quick cooking time. It’s a cultural dish of the Maghrebi cuisines in the countries of Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, Morocco, and Libya.
Is couscous gluten free? No. Couscous is a pasta made with wheat, so it contains gluten. People with gluten free diets should avoid it or look for special gluten-free couscous.
Types of Couscous
There are three major types of foods called couscous: Moroccan, Israeli or pearl couscous, and Lebanese. The recipe below features Moroccan couscous, so it’s not optimized for the Israeli variety, which has a different cooking time.
- Moroccan couscous has very small, irregular grains and a quick cooking time. It’s the standard variety and labeled “couscous” at the grocery (it typically won’t include the word Moroccan).
- Israeli couscous (aka pearl couscous) is larger and shaped like balls. It’s technically a pasta and not couscous, since the grains are large and shaped exactly the same. It’s also machine made, whereas couscous is made by hand. The food was invented in Israel in the 1950’s when the government needed to feed masses of immigrants.
- Lebanese couscous has grains that are even larger and a longer cooking time. It’s more difficult to find in mainstream US grocery stores, but may be available at international grocery stores.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:
- Water or broth: Either works; vegetable or chicken broth add a nice savory depth
- Dry Moroccan couscous: The small grain variety: see above!
- Olive oil: adds richness and helps separate the grains
- Lemon juice: Adds a brightness to the flavor
- Fresh parsley: For garnish; I like the color and herby essence
How to Cook Couscous (No-Fail Method)
There are several methods for how to cook couscous. It’s tricky to get perfectly fluffy because it can become clumpy when boiled in a small pot. Here’s my no-fail method that results in fluffy grains every time (or jump to the recipe below):
- Use a ratio of 1 cup couscous to 1.5 cups liquid. Use water, chicken broth or vegetable broth; broth brings in extra savory flavor notes.
- Boil the liquid. Boil it in a teapot or a small pot on the stove. Boiling the water separately helps to avoid clumps.
- Place the dry grains in a skillet with ½ teaspoon salt. Using a skillet makes for more surface area and less chance for clumping.
- Pour over the liquid and wait 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork. That’s it! You’ll find it’s perfectly fluffy with separated grains: no clumps!
Ways to Serve Couscous
his couscous recipe is for a basic side dish, flavored with lemon and parsley. It goes with just about anything: because it takes just 10 minutes, we find ourselves making it often. Here are a few ways to flavor and serve it:
- Add lemon, parsley and olive oil for a quick and easy side
- Make into a couscous salad by mixing with veggies and dressing
- Make a traditional seven vegetable couscous by this Moroccan blogger
- Serve with a stew like Moroccan chickpea stew
- Make a bowl meal with this easy sheet pan dinner or Mediterranean couscous bowls
- Serve under seafood like shrimp, salmon, salmon cakes, or scallops
How are you planning to serve this 10 minute side dish? Let us know in the comments below.
Storage Instructions
Leftover couscous stores refrigerated for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet over low heat (adding a splash of water or olive oil as necessary), or microwave in 30-second increments. It also works straight from the fridge or mixed into a couscous salad.
Dietary Notes
This couscous recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.
Easy Couscous
This easy couscous recipe comes out fluffy and seasoned in 10 minutes, no actual cooking required! Here are the simple tricks that make all the difference.
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: North African
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups water or broth
- 1 cup dry couscous*
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Bring the water or broth to boil (in a tea kettle or a small pot).
- Place the dry couscous into a skillet with the salt. Pour the boiling water over the entire surface. Wait for 10 minutes.
- Fluff the couscous with a fork. Stir in the olive oil, lemon juice, and parsley. Taste and add additional lemon or salt to taste.
Notes
*This recipe is for Moroccan couscous, tiny grains of semolina that cook quickly. For Israeli or pearl couscous, go to How to Cook Israeli (Pearl) Couscous.
More Easy Side Dish Recipes
Want more quick and easy sides? Here are a few basics that you’ll find yourself making on repeat:
- Go basic with How to Cook Rice, How to Cook Quinoa, How to Cook Bulgur or How to Cook Farro
- Opt for Easy Lemon Orzo
- Try Spinach Rice with Feta or Cilantro Lime Rice
- Go for Perfectly Seasoned Quinoa
- Grab Easy Canned Chickpeas, Easy White Beans or Easy Cannellini Beans
I’d purchase homemade
(from scratch, a lost art) Couscous from an elderly friend in Europe. The texture was sooo different from the boxed product available in Stores or Restaurants. I miss her.
I made this for dinner tonight and my husband and I loved it. It went perfect with the baked pesto chicken that I made as well. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome!
So, I have decided to try eating more foods based on the Mediterranean Diet. I have never enjoyed couscous in the past but decided to give it a try. Your recipe seemed so simple that I had to give it a go! AMAZING! It came out perfect and I’m using it as a base for several of my lunches for work!
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much! We are so happy to hear this and thank you for letting us know! Let us know if you try anything else!
Great information and perfect recipe.
Let us know if you have any questions!