Sweetly Spiced Chicken Thighs with Tangelos

I hear a lot of complaints that healthy food is bland. Hah! And this meal is proof of just how delicious nutritious can be.

This recipe is a full meal with chicken, whole grains, vegetables, fruits and even legumes!

As with most of my cooking, I set out to cut sodium and saturated fats, boost nutrition and make the flavors explode. This recipe does all of that. In fact, here’s what my daughter said in a text message when she ate it for the first time.

Here’s how I did it.

• I added a bunch of delicious spices. In this recipe, I was inspired by some Middle Eastern seasonings. If you haven’t had cardamom before, it’s worth the effort to pick some up. Cardamom is fruity and delicious. If you have a store nearby that sells spices in bulk (like Whole Foods), you can pick up just a spoonful of this exotic spice.
• I used citrus. It’s simple to cut sodium with the addition of lemon or other citrus. I frequently squeeze a lemon over a finished dish to brighten flavors. In this chicken recipe, however, I have the flavors pop with the addition of a couple tablespoons of orange juice and sweet, juicy tangelos. If you can’t find tangelos, choose another favorite citrus fruit.
• I used a reduced-sodium broth too. When cooking the whole-grain couscous, I used both broth and water to cut sodium, but I added some cinnamon and zest of the tangelos to leave it anything but bland.
• I carefully chose health-boosting foods. We’ve got skinless chicken thighs (and they are quite nutritious and cook up more moist than breasts), lots of vegetables, legumes, and delicious citrus fruits. This dish is really a full meal!

Citrus zest adds a flavor punch

The portions in this dish are large enough for hearty eaters, but many of us will enjoy leftovers for lunch. For my carb-counting patients and friends with diabetes, keep in mind that the health-boosting fiber is a significant contributor to the total amount of carbohydrate – a full 13 grams fortunately. If the carb count in this recipe is still greater than your meal allotment, you can cut the couscous by half and save about 13 grams of total carbohydrate (4g of which are fiber).

The flavors pop in these Sweetly Spiced Chicken Thighs with Tangelos

Sweetly Spiced Chicken Thighs with Sunkist Minneolas

This recipe is a full meal loaded with health-boosting nutrition. In addition to the chicken, you'll get legumes, whole grains, nearly a full serving of fruit and 2 full servings of vegetables. The portions are large, so you might have leftovers for lunch!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner - a full meal

Cuisine: Middle Eastern Inspired

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 cups chicken mixture and scant 2/3 cup couscous

Calories: 535kcal

Author: Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, FAND

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 4 large carrots, chopped (about 1.5 cups)
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed
• 1.75 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon divided (save 1/4 teaspoon for the couscous)
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth divided (save 1/2 cup for the couscous)
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 6- ounce bag baby spinach
• 4 Sunkist minneolas peeled, separated into sections and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• 1 cup dry whole wheat couscous
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon zest from the minneola

Instructions

• Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the oil. Sauté the onions and carrots until slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir.
• Add the chicken, chickpeas, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, cardamom, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly so the spices are evenly distributed.
• Add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and the orange juice.
• Increase the heat to bring the contents to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a low boil and cover. Cook for 30 minutes or until the chicken is done. Stir periodically.
• Meanwhile prepare the couscous. Put the water and remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth into a medium pot. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and the zest from the minneola. Cover and bring the contents to a boil. Then add the couscous and stir. Return the lid and remove the pot from the heat. Allow the contents to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Then fluff with a fork.
• Just before serving, add the spinach to the chicken mixture and mix to wilt, about 2 minutes. Then add the chopped minneola.
• Serve over couscous.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups chicken mix, 2/3 cup couscous | Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1.5g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 540mg | Fiber: 13g

Cheers to delicious, nutritious eating!

SaveSave