This Slow Cooker Chicken with lime and couscous recipe is so easy to make and it has a ton of flavors! It's so hearty, and loaded healthy veggies! The perfect chicken dinner for busy weeknights!
Today I am going to share one of my favorite chicken recipes, Slow cooker Chicken with lime and couscous. Cooking chicken in a slow cooker is one of my favorite cooking methods as it gives food a taste that cannot be found through other methods.
This crock-pot chicken dish uses simple ingredients that you can find in your pantry. The chicken is seasoned with a blend of paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, coriander, cumin, and lime.
To make it even healthier, I added some fresh veggies, which also boosts the flavor of the lime chicken.
Now let’s talk about the preparation and cooking process.
This slow cooker chicken recipe requires a small amount of preparation. It involves chopping the garlic, slicing the veggies, and searing or browning the chicken thighs.
Browning the chicken is a crucial component of many chicken recipes. By browning the outside, you are ensuring a crispy exterior that will protect the meat underneath and provide a nice texture. It gives the dish a bit of a more complex flavor and adds some color for presentation.
I browned the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side before adding it to the slow cooker. You may skip this step, it’s entirely up to you and definitely not necessary.
The Preparation:
- Rinse chicken (if needed); pat dry with paper towels.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season with salt/pepper.
- Add chicken pieces to hot oil in a single layer without crowding.
- Sear the chicken thighs for about 5-6 minutes on each side or until the skin has a nice golden brown color.
The Slow Cooking Process:
Here are some important steps to follow while cooking this chicken with lime and couscous in an instant pot.
- Place fresh vegetables on the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Combine chicken broth and white wine, pour on top of vegetables.
- Put the seared chicken thighs on top of the vegetables.
- Cover and cook for 3 hours on high heat or 6-7 hours on low heat (Or until the internal temperature should register 165 degrees F).
How to Cook the Couscous:
The first thing you may notice about this recipe is that that it has couscous. Couscous is delicious, and versatile in texture. Couscous can be eaten as a side dish, salad, or use it in place of rice or quinoa. It also offers a wide variety of health benefits: good source of protein, fiber, and essential vitamins, such as B vitamin. On that note I should mention that I cook this recipe in two ways:
- For heartier result: Cook the couscous together with other ingredients right inside the slow cooker
- For less starchy results: Cook the couscous separately. Quickly rinse the cooked couscous with cold water to remove starch, then pour into the Crock- Pot® slow cooker before serving.
Note: If you choose for option 2, you may want to cut the amount of chicken broth in half (or only ¼ cup of chicken broth)
Hope you'd enjoy this Slow Cooker Chicken with Lime and Couscous recipe! Don't forget to come back and rate this recipe!
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Lime Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 pieces chicken thighs, skin-on (about 3 pounds)
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- salt/pepper for browning the chicken
- 1 cup dried Israeli Couscous
Produce/Vegetables:
- 1 cup fresh small carrots
- 1 cup fresh julienned red bell pepper
- 1 medium-sized red onion, (cut into big chunks)
- 7 cloves garlic, (finely chopped)
Spice Mixture:
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- a dash of cumin powder
- 1 large lime , (about 3 tablespoons of lime juice)
- Zest from 1 lime
Broth Base:
- ½ cup chicken broth , (Note: use only ¼ cup chicken broth if you want to cook the Israeli Couscous separately)
- 2 tablespoon dry white wine
Instructions
Browning the Chicken:
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season with salt/pepper.
- Sear the chicken thighs for about 5-6 minutes on each side or until the skin has a nice golden brown color.
- Transfer to a large bowl and mix in the spices mixture and lime juice. Be sure to rub mixture over both sides of the chicken.
Cooking in a Slow Cooker:
- Place fresh vegetables (bell pepper, carrots, red onion, garlic cloves): on the bottom of Crock-Pot® slow cooker.
- Combine chicken broth and white wine, pour on top of vegetables. (please see notes)
- Put the seared chicken thighs on top of the vegetables.
- Cover and Cook for 3 hours on high heat or 6-7 hours on low heat (Or until the internal temperature should register 165 degrees F)
Adding Couscous:
- Option 1: Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove the lid and add uncooked couscous into the slow cooker. Add a bit extra broth if necessary. Cover and cook for 30 minutes longer or until couscous is cooked.
- Option 2: Cook the couscous separately. Quickly rinse the cooked couscous with cold water to remove starch, then pour into the slow cooker before serving. (please see notes).
Angelic Sinova says
Your photography always blows me away! That Lime Chicken with Couscous look super delicious. I love making dinner in my crock-pot slow cooker.
Rika says
Thanks so much Angelic...
Christy Maurer says
I love using my Crockpot! I am definitely going to have to try this recipe. It looks so good!
Jacqui S says
I need to start using my crockpot more often! Unfortunately, I leave at 6:30 and don't get home to 5. I'm afraid it'd be a little over cooked by then, even on low. But, this looks like a nice fall weekend recipe! Thanks!
Rika says
You should check out this item: Crock-Pot® 6-Quart Slow Cooker with Stovetop-Safe Cooking Pot.. It has a timer that automatically switches over to “Keep Warm” in case you forget to turn it off.
Pam Wattenbarger says
I love using my crockpot in the fall. It makes it so easy to make hearty meals like this one. I wish mine had the keep warm feature like yours does.
franckxethee says
It does look easy to prepare food with the slow cooker. This is a good investment for the kitchen.
jmanandmillerbug says
That looks amazing! I love using the slow cooker so easy and all the food comes out so good.
Sarah says
This looks super yummy. I will have to give it a try. I really enjoy using a slow cooker whenever I can!
jennifer says
this looks so good! i will have to save this recipe for the future - love my crock pot!
Rebecca Swenor says
This slow cooker lime chicken recipe sounds amazing and looks delicious. I love cooking in the slow cooker because you put the ingredient in and have it cook for hours which makes the flavors taste so much better. This looks like a slow cooker I will have to check out. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Amanda Love says
Slow cookers are heaven sent. They make cooking so much easier for me and planning meals will always be great when you have a slow cooker around. I love that you can just throw everything in there and leave it to cook. This recipe sounds amazing and it looks so festive too, perfect for the Holidays!