Asian Sesame Chicken Couscous (Print View)

Chewy pearl couscous tossed with tender chicken in savory sesame-soy dressing

# Ingredient List:

→ Couscous Salad

01 - 1 cup pearl couscous
02 - 2 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
03 - 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
04 - 1 large cucumber, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced
05 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced
06 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
07 - 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

→ Sesame-Soy Dressing

08 - 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
09 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
10 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
11 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
12 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
13 - 1 garlic clove, minced
14 - 1 teaspoon Sriracha or chili sauce, optional
15 - 1 tablespoon neutral oil

# Directions:

01 - Bring water or chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in pearl couscous, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 8–10 minutes until tender. Drain excess liquid and spread couscous on a baking sheet to cool.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, chili sauce if using, and neutral oil until well combined.
03 - In a large bowl, combine cooled couscous, shredded chicken, cucumber, scallions, and cilantro. Drizzle with sesame-soy dressing and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the salad and toss once more to incorporate.
05 - Serve immediately at room temperature or refrigerate for 30 minutes for a chilled salad.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Ready in 30 minutes flat, which means you can have dinner on the table faster than scrolling through your phone.
  • The dressing is so good you'll find yourself wanting to drizzle it on other things all week.
  • Naturally dairy-free and adaptable enough to please pretty much anyone at the table.
  • It tastes even better the next day, so meal prep suddenly becomes your secret weapon.
02 -
  • Don't skip spreading the couscous on a baking sheet to cool—leaving it in the pot means residual heat keeps cooking it and you'll end up with mush.
  • Toast your own sesame seeds if you have five minutes, because store-bought pre-toasted sometimes tastes stale, and fresh-toasted makes an actual difference.
  • The dressing tastes stronger when the salad is freshly made, so if you're making it ahead, you might need to add a touch more soy sauce or vinegar before serving.
03 -
  • If your cucumber is particularly watery, salt it lightly and let it sit for five minutes, then pat it dry before adding it to the salad—this prevents everything from getting soggy.
  • Taste the dressing before you combine it with everything else; adjust the salt and acid then, while it's easier to control the flavors.
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