This Instant Pot Pearl Couscous is made with pearl couscous, broth, parsley, lemon juice and cooked to perfection.
Couscous is a healthy versatile dish that goes very well with almost anything. It cooks in 15 minutes and seasons well with lemon and parsley. This dish is probably one of my favorite side dishes to make and to eat. It is so simple and you can whip it up in a matter of minutes.
If you love this recipe, feel free to try my Canned Pumpkin Rice or my Lemon Pesto Rice.
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Why you will love this recipe
Versatile: Pearl couscous has a very neutral flavor, making it versatile and fun to get creative.
Full of flavor: The broth and lemon juice combination give this couscous so much delicious flavor.
Great for any weather: I love making this during any season and it is hearty and flavorful.
Serves a crowd: You can easily make a lot of couscous in the instant pot. For every extra cup of couscous, add a cup of broth.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Pearl Couscous
- Broth
- Lemon
- Parsley
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
In an Instant pot, hit the saute button and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the couscous. Toast for about 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the broth and the couscous. Cover and pressure cook on high for ZERO minutes, and when it is done, let it naturally release.
With a fork, fluff up the couscous.
Add freshly squeezed lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley.
Hint: Do not release pressure. Let the pot naturally release.
Substitutions
Couscous: You definitely will need to use pearl couscous to make this. You can find it in the rice section of the grocery store.
Broth: To make this a vegetarian dish, use vegetable broth. Otherwise I prefer using chicken broth since I prefer the taste.
Lemon: I would not use the store bought lemon juice for this. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for best flavor.
Parsley: I love garnishing this recipe with parsley although you could use cilantro or green onion if you want.
Variations
Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes into the pot before pressure cooking.
- Deluxe - serve this couscous in a salad.
- Kid friendly - add crushed potato chips (ketchup chips!)
Check out this my Baby Corn Stir Fry.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. I used my Instant Pot pressure cooker for this, and this couscous is foolproof each time.
Storage
This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top tip
Do not release pressure. Let the pot naturally release.
Instant Pot Pearl Couscous
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Instant Pot Pearl Couscous is made with pearl couscous, broth, parsley, lemon juice and cooked to perfection.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cups of pearl couscous
- 1 ¼ cups of broth (vegetable broth for vegetarian)
- ¼ cup of chopped parsley
- ½ lemon, squeezed
Instructions
- In an Instant pot, hit the saute button and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the couscous. Toast for about 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the broth and the couscous. Cover and pressure cook on high for ZERO minutes, and when it is done, let it naturally release.
- With a fork, fluff up the couscous. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Moroccan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 237.1
- Sugar: 2.8 g
- Sodium: 1,467.9 mg
- Fat: 12.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.1 g
- Fiber: 3.9 g
- Protein: 16.3 g
- Cholesterol: 52.5 mg
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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