How to Make Couscous

Growing up, my mom made her famous Moroccan couscous salad and cooked it anytime she needed a quick side for dinner because it was ready in 5 minutes. Below, you’ll learn how to make it, how much per serving and water ratio, plus all her tips for making it taste great!

What is Couscous? 

Couscous is famous for its lightning-fast preparation, delicious buttery flavor, and nutritious qualities. While some people think it’s a grain, it’s made from ground durum wheat (semolina), the same grain used to make pasta, shaped into tiny granules. The type of couscous depends on the size of the grain: Moroccan (small grains), Israeli (pearls), and Lebanese or Moghrabieh (larger pearls).

Is Couscous Healthy? 

What I love about couscous is that, unlike most pasta recipes, which have a sauce, it tastes delicious plain. Each ½ cup serving of cooked couscous offers 3 grams of protein and 30% of the daily recommended intake of selenium, making it a healthy carbohydrate option. 

Plus, in addition to eating it plain, couscous can be added to salads, tossed with vegetables and a delicious homemade vinaigrette served alongside roasted protein and vegetables. 

Ingredients for Couscous

What I love about making Moroccan couscous is that technically, all I need is water to cook it. However, to make it more flavorful, I use these ingredients:

• Moroccan couscous: this is the smallest grain-shaped variety. You’ll find it labeled on the box.
• Liquid: use water or broth to add flavor.
• Seasoning: at the very least, a little salt to season the water (omit if using broth). I also like to add a little garlic powder and onion powder.
• Olive oil or butter: this adds flavor and separates the tiny grains during cooking.

How to Make Couscous on the Stove

Cooking Moroccan couscous is simple; however, if you’re used to making grains like farro or rice on the stove, there are some differences that I note in each of these steps:

1. Bring the liquid to a boil:
   Combine the water or broth and the seasonings plus the olive oil or butter in the pot and bring it to a boil. Don’t add the couscous until after it boils. 
2. Add the couscous
   Once the water is boiling, stir in the couscous, turn off the heat, and cover it with a lid. Turning off the heat, even moving it to another burner, is essential since the liquid absorbs quickly, and you don’t want to burn it.
3. Wait 5 Minutes
   The couscous needs to sit in the pot for 5 minutes, covered, to absorb the water.
4. Fluff
   The final step is to fluff the couscous to separate it from each grain. This is done after all the liquid has been absorbed.

First time making Moroccan couscous? Watch this quick video:

Ratio of Water to Couscous

Depending on the type of couscous you’re cooking, the ratio of water to couscous will vary. One serving of Moroccan couscous is ⅓ cup dry and needs between ½ and ¾ cup of water to cook. The range is because this type of couscous is parboiled (partially cooked) and can vary by brand.

	Dry Couscous	Liquid	Cook Time
Moroccan (Golden)	⅓ cup	½-3/4 cup	5 min
Israeli (Pearl)	⅓ cup	½ cup	10 min
Lebanese	⅓ cup	1 cup	15 min

How Many Servings Does Dry Couscous Yield

I typically calculate ⅓ cup of dry couscous per person. A typical box of Moroccan couscous (like this one available in most grocery stores in the US) has 4 servings, although the box says about 5 but I think that’s a stretch.

How Do You Know if Couscous is Done? 

Regardless of what type of couscous you cook, you’ll know it’s done because all the water will have been absorbed by the couscous. The grain will be soft, and when you fluff it with a fork, it will separate easily in the pot. There should be no visual water left.

How long does Couscous Last in the Fridge?

Whether you have leftovers, made a couscous salad, or used it as a grain option for your meal prep, couscous can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Can you freeze Couscous?

While freezing didn’t affect the taste when I tried it, unfortunately, the texture of couscous changes to a wet, mushy kernel after it’s been frozen and you warm it up.

How to Serve Couscous

As promised, here are a few delicious ways to make couscous a regular part of your weekly meal rotation. Remember you can swap it for rice or most cooked grains in almost any recipe. 

• Mediterranean Chicken Bowls swap the farro for couscous.
• Chicken with Dried Plums & Sage
• Pan-Seared Chicken with couscous on the side.
• Baked Salmon in Foil with couscous on the side.
• As a Topping for Salad