One Pot Couscous with Shrimp and Peas – A simple dish made in 30 minutes from start to finish, featuring everyday ingredients packed with incredible flavor. You’ll be blown away with how unique and vibrant this dish is made with minimal effort.
I’m such a big fan of these one pot meals. I mean, I even wrote a book about them! One of the best things about a meal like this? It’s a great opportunity to load up all the nutrition you want to feed your family in each bite, and most importantly, with just one pot to clean.
I usually like to have my one pot meals made with simple ingredients that are likely to be hanging out in everyone’s kitchen. Today I decided to use up some of those odd and ends in your pantry that could use some love like couscous, raisins, and pistachios.
What is couscous?
If you’ve never had couscous before or cooked with couscous, it is in fact little pasta pearls and not a whole grain, as many people think. These little guys look along the same lines as barley or quinoa, and they can be used interchangeably with grains, but they are, in fact, pasta.
Couscous is very versatile, you can make hot dishes like this recipe I have for you today, or cold dishes. It’s incredible used in all sorts of salads!
Ingredients
Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for full ingredient amounts and instructions, or click the Jump To Recipe button at the top.
- Shrimp – If you get frozen shrimp, make sure to let them thaw fully before starting.
- Olive oil – Safflower, sunflower, vegetable, or avocado oil will work too.
- Onion – White or yellow onion work best with their more mild flavor.
- Garlic – Use as much or as little as you like.
- Bell pepper – Mine is made with a yellow bell pepper but any color will work.
- Raisins – These are a game changer! They absorb all these amazing flavors. Golden raisins will work best.
- Couscous – I found some great tri-colored pearl couscous. You can use any type that your local grocery store carries.
- Chicken broth – Vegetable broth will work too. I like to use low-sodium to have full control over the salt.
- Peas – I used frozen peas, but fresh or canned are great as well.
- Spices – I used cumin and smoked paprika.
- Salt and pepper – Season to taste.
- Pistachios – I loves having a bit of crunch in this recipe. Almonds would also be delicious.
- Parsley – I love some parsley as a fresh garnish for my dinners. It’s completely optional!
Other ingredients you can add
The flavors in this recipe are bold, delicious, and also so versatile. You can dress this couscous up or down! It’s a great recipe to add to your weekly rotation when you need to use up some ingredients in your fridge or pantry. Here are a few ideas to give you some inspiration:
- Other dried fruits such as apricot, craisins, mango.
- Chicken, ground or cubed
- Corn
- Broccoli or cauliflower
- Carrots
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
- Mushrooms
- Chickpeas, black peans, kidney beans, white beans, etc.
- Fresh lemon wedges
How to make couscous with shrimp and peas
- Cook the shrimp: Season the shrimp with the cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp from the skillet.
- Sauté the veggies: Add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion turns translucent. Add the garlic and raisins, stir, then cook for 1 minute.
- Cook the couscous: Add the couscous and chicken broth. Stir everything together and bring everything to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken broth has been absorbed. Mix in the frozen peas and let them warm up for 2-3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the shrimp on top of the couscous. Garnish with pistachios and parsley.
Leftovers
Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Couscous will reheat really well in the microwave! If you need an alternative heating method, you can reheat this dish on the stovetop in a skillet over medium-heat. Add a splash of broth to help everything reheat without drying up. Cover the skillet with a lid and keep a close eye on it as it reheats.
Freezing
This is a great freezer meal to give yourself a break during the week. Let the couscous cool down fully to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container and storing in the freezer.
It’s important to take the couscous out of the freezer and transfer it to the fridge the night before you plan on serving it. This will make the reheating process so much easier for you. Reheat using the methods detailed above.
Looking for more easy one-pot meals? Try these:
- Couscous Pilaf with Sautéed Mushrooms
- Cajun Shrimp Tomato Alfredo Pasta
- Crispy Cajun Shrimp Fettuccine
- Skillet Chicken and Mushrooms
- Tomato Shrimp Pasta
- Moroccan Chicken Couscous
- Italian Shrimp Bake with Pasta
- Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Looking for more recipes? Follow on… My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram
One Pot Couscous with Shrimp and Peas
Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined and tails on
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1 cup couscous uncooked
- 2 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 1/2 cup peas frozen
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup pistachios chopped
- parsley for ganish
Instructions
- Season shrimp with cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and toss.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet. When oil is smoking hot add shrimp and cook for a minute or two on both sides, until pink. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside.
- Add chopped onion and bell pepper to skillet and saute until onion is translucent. Add garlic and raisins and cook for another minute.
- Add couscous and chicken broth to the skillet and bring to a boil, then turn heat down. Cook couscous for about 10 minutes until all chicken broth is absorbed. Add frozen peas and cook for a couple more minutes until peas are no longer frozen.
- Remove skillet from heat and add shrimp. Garnish with pistachios and parsley.
Recipe Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Couscous will reheat really well in the microwave! If you need an alternative heating method, you can reheat this dish on the stovetop in a skillet over medium-heat. Add a splash of broth to help everything reheat without drying up. Cover the skillet with a lid and keep a close eye on it as it reheats.
