Mexican Couscous
Fast and Easy! Mexican Couscous is hearty and complete with fire roasted tomatoes, veggies, beans and spices. It’s filling and could easily be the main meal.
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One of the things I love about making couscous is it cooks really quickly. This is perfect when you need a quick side for busy nights. Like rice, couscous has a mild flavor so you can add different spices and other seasonings for a versatile dish!
What Is Couscous?
Couscous is a pasta made from little balls of durum wheat or semolina flour. The most popular are, Moroccan, Israeli, and Lebanese. For this recipe I use Moroccan as it cooks up light and fluffy. It’s the perfect foundation for all the other hearty ingredients.
This Mexican Couscous is mildly spicy and has a nice zesty flavor. It could be the main meal or a side dish with enchiladas and tacos. The leftovers are even better and it’s even great cold!
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Let’s eat!🤍
Mexican Couscous
Ingredients
Spices
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2-3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Couscous and other ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped fine
- 1/4 cup or 1/2 bell pepper- orange, yellow or red, chopped fine
- 1 cup Moroccan couscous
- 1 14.5 oz can crushed fire roasted tomatoes my favorite brand linked below
- 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro optional – can substitute with parsley, or sliced green onions
- 1/2 lime, juiced
Instructions
- Combine all the spices in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat a large deep sauce pan to medium high heat and add olive oil, onion and bell pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes until softened.
- Stir in spices and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add in couscous and toast stirring constantly for 1 minute.
- Add beans, tomatoes and broth. Stir to combine and bring mixture to a boil. Put the lid on and turn heat to low and cook for 5-8 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let set 3-5 minutes. Add cilantro and lime juice and fluff with a fork.
- Note: Some of the couscous will stick to the bottom of the pan, Don't leave this behind! These little toasted bits of gold add great flavor.
Notes
- Serve with fish or chicken with a simple green salad for a complete fast meal.
- Mexican couscous bowls. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa and romaine lettuce. (My favorite)
- Make vegetarian tacos using hard shell or soft corn tortillas. Serve with your favorite taco toppings.
- Make nachos!
- Make sure to completely cool before transferring to the freezer. This will prevent the grains from becoming a hard block in the freezer.
- Lay out couscous on a large sheet pan to cool, then transfer to a large freezer safe zip-lock bag. Smooth in one single layer and remove excess air. Lay flat in freezer.
- Couscous will last 4-6 months in the freezer as long as it’s in an airtight bag.
A few of my favorite kitchen essentials used for this recipe.
