This Mediterranean chicken casserole is a really tasty meal to have during a busy week.
It’s a great store cupboard meal – it uses jarred olives and red peppers, chopped tomatoes and couscous. Add some chicken and a green pepper and it’s a delight!
You get sweet jarred red peppers, salty olives and the fresh bright crunch of the green pepper. Then there’s that juicy sauce with the taste of smoked paprika and oregano. Trust me, you’re going to love it.
This was also seriously easy to make and took less than 30 minutes. This will serve 4. Enjoy!
Ingredients, Substitutions and Variations
- Olive oil – or vegetable oil
- Onion and garlic – if you like, you can use the frozen pre-minced variety to save some time.
- Chicken – skinless, boneless chicken thigh works best, but you can also use chicken breast.
- Tin of chopped tomatoes – you could switch for passata for a smoother sauce.
- Vegetable stock – or 500ml water and a vegetable stock cube.
- Green olives – though I haven’t tested it, black olives would work nicely here as a substitute if you prefer.
- Roasted red peppers – you could pre roast your own red peppers rather than using a jar, but the jarred ones do bring a wonderful sweetness.
- Smoked paprika and oregano – for an irresistible Mediterranean flavour.
- Green pepper – for a lovely, fresh texture contrast. Optional.
- Couscous – you could also serve this with rice, bread, or even on its own.
- Ras-el-hanout – to flavour the couscous. Don’t skip it!
Top Tips
- Don’t overcook the chicken
The chicken will be cooked in the lovely sauce – don’t cook for too long when you add it to the casserole dish, it will become tough.
- Adding the green pepper
You want the green pepper to be just warmed through, so add it right at the end so that it retains that lovely, crisp texture.
- Get ahead
This dish can be made well in advance and kept in the fridge for a week. Heat thoroughly and add the green pepper just before serving. You can also keep in the freezer for up to three months.
Get the cook books:
Mediterranean Chicken Casserole with Couscous
Save This RecipeIngredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 400 g skinless, boneless chicken thighs Cut into bite size pieces
- 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 200 g green olives
- 200 g jar roasted red peppers
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 green pepper
- 300 g couscous
- 1 tsp ras el hanout
Instructions
- Peel and chop the onion and garlic and add to a large pan with the olive oil. Cook over a medium heat for 2 minutes, then add the chicken. Brown for 2-3 minutes (they don’t need to cook all the way through).
- Tip in the chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, olives, sliced red peppers, smoked paprika and oregano. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, adding the sliced green pepper for the final couple of minutes.
- For the couscous, tip into a large bowl with the ras el hanout and a little salt and pepper, and add 400ml boiling water. Leave to sit until all of the water has been absorbed.
- To serve, pile the couscous into bowls and top with the casserole, making sure you get plenty of the juice.
Leave a Reply