Featuring tender morsels of chicken and sweet zucchini spears bathed in a rich and savory sauce, all served over a bed of highly seasoned couscous and then punctuated with a bright hit of cilantro and lime, curried chicken and zucchini is truly a feast for the senses. And despite the intensity of flavor, it is relatively simple to prepare. Adapted from a recipe originally published by Gourmet magazine circa 2005, this version is somewhat simplified, but without sacrificing any flavor. It's a dish that regularly appears on my table when garden fresh zucchini is abundant in the summer, but it makes a terrific choice any time of year.
Curried chicken and zucchini pairs well with a glass of dry riesling, or alternatively, my all time favorite cocktail...an elderflower gin and tonic.
Ingredients for Curried Chicken and Zucchini
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
- zucchini
- yellow onion
- garlic
- vegetable oil
- unsalted butter
- curry powder
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- chicken broth
- heavy whipping cream
- couscous
- fresh cilantro
- lime
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preparing the Ingredients and Sautéing the Chicken and Zucchini
If using bouillon paste, begin by preparing the chicken broth.
Chop the onion, mince the garlic, and cut the zucchini into spears.
Cut the chicken into pieces and season them with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then sauté the chicken in two batches until just cooked through and golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. When the butter has melted, add the zucchini and season it lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté the zucchini, stirring frequently, until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes.
Transfer the zucchini to the plate with the chicken and set aside.
Cooking the Sauce and the Couscous
Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Then add the garlic and curry powder. Cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about another 2 minutes.
Transfer half of the onion mixture from the skillet into a large saucepan with a tightly fitting lid and set aside.
Stir 1½ cups broth into the remaining half of the onion mixture in the skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until reduced by half, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the cream to the skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has slightly thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
In the meantime, add 2 cups of broth and 1 tablespoon of butter to the onion mixture previously set aside in the saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Add the couscous and ½ teaspoon of salt to the saucepan. Then give it a quick stir. Cover with the lid and remove from heat. Let the couscous stand for at least 5 minutes.
Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Then add the chicken and zucchini to the skillet, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Stir gently and allow everything to warm through over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.
In the meantime, chop the cilantro and quarter the lime.
Transfer the curried chicken and zucchini to a serving dish and sprinkle the chopped cilantro over the top. Then fluff the couscous with a fork. (And stir in a little extra butter, if desired.)
To serve, spoon the chicken and zucchini over a generous bed of couscous to soak up all that sauce, and place a juicy wedge of lime alongside.
Hint: This dish would also be excellent served over a bed of jasmine rice instead of couscous, if you prefer.
Storage
Leftover curried chicken and zucchini can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
📖 Recipe
Curried Chicken and Zucchini
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into roughly equal sized slices (about ½ thick)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)
- 2 or 3 small zucchini cut into roughly equal sized spears (about 2 inches long by ½ inch thick)
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3½ cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 10 ounces couscous
- ½ cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sauté in two batches until just cooked through and golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. When the butter has melted, add the zucchini and season it lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté the zucchini, stirring frequently, until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to the plate with the chicken and set aside.
- Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Then add the garlic and curry powder. Cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about another 2 minutes.
- Transfer half of the onion mixture from the skillet into a large saucepan with a tightly fitting lid and set aside. Then stir 1½ cups broth into the remaining half of the onion mixture in the skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then cook until reduced by half, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream to the skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has slightly thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, add 2 cups of broth and 1 tablespoon of butter to the onion mixture previously set aside in the saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir in couscous and ½ teaspoon of salt. Then give it a quick stir. Cover the saucepan with the lid and remove from heat. Let the couscous stand for at least 5 minutes.
- Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Then add the chicken and zucchini to the skillet, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Stir gently and allow everything to warm through over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the chopped cilantro over the top. Finally, fluff the couscous with a fork. (And stir in a little extra butter, if desired.)
- To serve, spoon the chicken and zucchini over a generous bed of couscous to soak up all that sauce, and place a juicy wedge of lime alongside.
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