Salsa Couscous Chicken won the 38th Pillsbury Bake-Off in 1998. Recipe on Pillsbury.com by Ellie Matthews of Seattle, Washington. In addition to winning the Bake-Off, Ellie is an author of fiction and nonfiction works including The Linden Tree (winner of the 2007 Milkweed Editions Prize for Children’s Literature).
Start by heating oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add almonds; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from skillet; set aside.
Add garlic and chicken to the same skillet; cook 4 to 5 minutes until chicken is browned, turning once.
In small bowl, combine salsa, water, raisins, honey, cumin and cinnamon; mix well. Add to chicken. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally. (I omitted the raisins because my family doesn’t like them.) Stir in almonds. Serve over couscous or rice. I used yellow rice because my kids love it.
This is a quick and easy meal that my whole family liked. We have some picky eaters around here, so it’s always nice to serve something that everyone actually likes.
Salsa Couscous Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 cups hot cooked couscous or rice
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped almonds
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 8 chicken thighs skin removed
- 1 cup Old El Paso™ Salsa
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons dried currants or raisins
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Cook couscous as directed on package.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add almonds; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from skillet; set aside.
- Add garlic and chicken to skillet; cook 4 to 5 minutes until chicken is browned, turning once.
- In small bowl, combine salsa and all remaining ingredients; mix well. Add to chicken. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in almonds. Serve over couscous.
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