The short version
Instant couscous with cooked chicken, peas, cherry tomatoes and basil pesto. Serves 2 · estimated 17 minutes including prep. Five ingredients includes pesto. Only water is extra; no separate oil or seasoning is needed. Start with cooked chicken.
Why you’ll love this 5-ingredient pesto chicken couscous
- A complete methodMeasured ingredients, practical equipment and clear cooking cues.
- 5-Ingredient DinnersInstant couscous with cooked chicken, peas, cherry tomatoes and basil pesto.
- Know before you startFive ingredients includes pesto. Only water is extra; no separate oil or seasoning is needed. Start with cooked chicken.
Ingredient notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below. Here’s what matters when you shop:
Before you shop. Five ingredients includes pesto. Only water is extra; no separate oil or seasoning is needed. Start with cooked chicken.
The ingredient count. Exactly five purchased ingredients in the base recipe. Oil, condiments and garnishes count; only water is excluded. Optional variations and side dishes change the list.
Cook along, hands-free
Cook Mode reads each step out loud, runs the timers for you, and listens for “next” — no greasy fingers on your phone.
5-Ingredient Pesto Chicken Couscous
Instant couscous with cooked chicken, peas, cherry tomatoes and basil pesto.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 17 min
- Serves
- 2
Tick what you already have — everything else goes on your shopping list.
Missing something? Get it delivered tonight.
We’ll build your list from the unticked ingredients, with one-tap links to Amazon and Walmart grocery.
Equipment
- 6-quart pasta pot with strainer lidSee our pick →
- 8-inch chef’s knifeSee our pick →
- Instant-read food thermometerSee our pick →
Instructions
-
Prepare
Halve tomatoes and dice cooked chicken. Measure 200 ml water, or the amount required by your couscous packet.
-
Heat chicken and peas
Bring measured water to a boil in a lidded pot. Add peas and chicken, cover and simmer for 4–6 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F / 74°C. Add a little water if needed.
-
Hydrate
Stir in couscous, take off heat, cover and stand for 5 minutes, or your packet resting time. If most water has evaporated, top up before adding couscous.
-
Finish
Fluff and stir in pesto and tomatoes. Serve immediately.
Recipe notes
- Timing: Five ingredients includes pesto. Only water is extra; no separate oil or seasoning is needed. Start with cooked chicken. Preparation, preheating and any rest explicitly stated in this method are included in the total estimate. Follow doneness and package directions if they require longer.
- Recipe status: Newly authored for this collection and not yet kitchen-tested. Cooking times are estimates.
- Recipe-page cover: A text recipe card. The Pinterest pin uses an AI-generated editorial food illustration in the style of the earlier collection, not a photograph of a kitchen-tested dish.
- Nutrition: Not calculated for this recipe.
Nutrition has not been calculated for this recipe.
Equipment for this recipe
Check the equipment list before starting. Appliance size and power can affect cooking time.
6-quart pasta pot with strainer lid
Drain through the lid — no colander, one less thing to wash on a weeknight.
8-inch chef’s knife
One sharp, balanced knife handles 90% of weeknight prep.
Instant-read food thermometer
Check internal cooking and reheating temperatures.
Easy variations
- Bean version: Replace chicken with the same weight of drained canned cannellini beans.
- Larger batches: Scale ingredient quantities with the serving controls. Use sufficient pan or basket space and allow more time for extra batches; instruction text describes the base batch.
How to store and reheat
- For this recipe: Use within 2 days or the chicken’s remaining storage time, whichever is shorter.
- Chill promptly: Refrigerate perishable food in shallow covered containers at 40°F / 4°C or below within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F / 32°C. Follow the shorter storage period stated above or on an opened ingredient; previously cooked ingredients keep their original storage deadline.
- Reheating: If reheating cooked leftovers, heat the portion thoroughly to 165°F / 74°C. Keep cold toppings separate. Follow any stricter package directions.
Frequently asked questions
What should I know before making 5-ingredient pesto chicken couscous?
Five ingredients includes pesto. Only water is extra; no separate oil or seasoning is needed. Start with cooked chicken.
Can I make it ahead?
Use within 2 days or the chicken’s remaining storage time, whichever is shorter.
Has this recipe been kitchen-tested?
Not yet. This is a newly authored recipe with estimated timing. Check the stated doneness, safe internal temperatures where given, and ingredient package instructions.