The Simple but Surprising Technique for Cooking Perfect Fluffy Couscous, According to a Moroccan Chef

In Morocco and across North Africa, couscous is more than just a carbohydrate staple—it’s a meal with immense cultural significance. Traditionally served on Fridays, couscous—which in North Africa refers not just to the cooked semolina grains but to the entire dish it’s served with—marks the end of the week and is meant to be shared among friends and family. Its cultural significance is evident in the special care taken in its preparation, the generous portions made, and the communal style in which it is served. While the methods and ingredients can vary among families and regions, couscous consistently holds its place as a unifying meal, expressing hospitality, care, and a love of sharing good food.

Couscous as an Entire Dish

When you hear “couscous” in the Moroccan context, it typically means the cooked couscous grains topped with lamb or chicken and a range of vegetables, cooked in an aromatic broth. For example, Friday couscous, also known as seven vegetables couscous, features large pieces of pumpkin, carrots, zucchini, turnips, and cabbage, with each vegetable cooked to perfection so they retain their shape and vibrant colors. Another type of Moroccan couscous, chicken t’faya features chicken with a fragrant caramelized onion and raisin sauce served on top of couscous grains. 

The Origins of Couscous

The exact origin of couscous is debated among historians, however, it is widely accepted that couscous began with the Amazigh (aka Berbers), the indigenous people of North Africa, particularly in regions that are now Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Historical references, including those by 13th century Arab geographers, highlight couscous (referencing the entire meal) as a staple in North African cuisine. By the 16th century, it had gained widespread popularity throughout the region.

Over time, couscous became a meal deeply associated with community and tradition, symbolizing the joy of gathering. Its growth in popularity can largely be attributed to the fact that it is made from semolina, a widely available and easily harvested grain in the region. Dried couscous also stores easily and is simple to prepare, requiring little more than  flour and water, making it ideal for North Africa’s arid, hot climate. Its versatility and the fact that it complements a variety of proteins and vegetables also contribute to its historical and ongoing popularity, as does the fact that it can easily be made in large portions, perfect for feeding groups. It is still typically served on Fridays in Morocco after “Jumu’ah,” the weekly Islamic prayer, as a way of celebrating connection and togetherness.

How Couscous Grains Are Traditionally Made and Cooked in Morocco

Couscous is traditionally made from semolina, a coarsely ground durum wheat flour, which is sprinkled with water until a dough forms and then hand-rolled and pressed through a sieve until it separates into tiny grains. This handmade method is still common in some rural regions in North Africa, though most couscous in today’s markets is machine processed.  

In this traditional handmade method, coarse semolina flour is moistened with water and shaped by hand into small balls. These balls are then pressed through a series of sieves of varying mesh sizes, gradually creating finer and finer granules. Each sieving stage results in a different size of couscous, from coarse to fine, and various sizes are sold separately. People choose the size of their couscous based on their personal preference. Fine couscous is similar in size to grains of sand, the medium coarse is slightly larger than the fine one, and the coarse slightly larger than the medium one. The medium size is very common and is the size sold in western supermarkets.

The granules are then cooked in a two-part steamer known as a “couscoussière.” The bottom portion holds a flavorful broth with chunks of protein (often lamb, beef, or chicken), vegetables, and spices, while the top holds the couscous grains, which are placed above the simmering broth. The steam from the simmering broth cooks the grains above. Couscous is traditionally steamed in three rounds, each round separated by fluffing the couscous with hands or a fork to prevent clumping and to ensure even cooking. This steaming process infuses the couscous with the subtle flavor of the spices and aromatics from the simmering stew below, showcasing the time and care inherent in Moroccan cooking. 

This method of preparation is labor intensive, and even in Morocco preparing handmade couscous from scratch is less and less common. Instead, it has become more common to find prepared couscous that has been par-steamed and dried, often labeled as “instant” couscous, similar to what is found in most US markets. While hand-prepared couscous is incomparable, with the right technique, it is still possible to transform store-bought par-cooked dried couscous into perfectly cooked, fluffy couscous that even I, a Moroccan chef, can confirm is delicious and worthy of serving to my family. Here’s my unique technique for transforming store-bought couscous at home.

How to Prepare Store-Bought Couscous With a Fluffy Texture

As mentioned above, outside of North Africa, the timely steaming method of making couscous is rarely used by home cooks. Instead, packaged couscous has become a popular quick-cooking staple, typically sold as an “instant” version that has been pre-steamed and dried. This means it only requires a brief rehydration before eating, which is much faster than the traditional three-step steaming process used in Morocco.

Most instant couscous is prepared by simply adding boiling water, covering, and allowing it to steam. While quick and convenient, this method often leads to couscous that’s overcooked, sticky, and clumpy rather than having the tender, fluffy texture of traditional Moroccan couscous. However, with a slightly more careful approach, it’s possible with the supermarket ppackaged varieties to achieve fluffy and “al dente” couscous, similar to what you’d experience with high quality couscous in Morocco. My method for preparing store-bought couscous that yields a light and fluffy texture involves briefly rehydrating the couscous grains with room temperature water, then heating them in the oven to finish cooking them. Here are my tips to get the best results.

• Seek out high quality couscous. As is true with many recipes, the more simple the recipe, the more important it is to start with high quality ingredients to guarantee the best results. When selecting couscous, make sure you purchase couscous made with 100% semolina durum wheat. The brands I recommend are Dari, Tria, and Mazyana, which can be purchased as specialty markets or online.
• Soak the grains with room temperature liquid. Despite what the package for your store-bought couscous may suggest, avoid soaking instant couscous with boiling broth or water. Boiling liquid generates too much steam when initially being absorbed into the grains, which will cause the couscous to overcook and stick together.
• Start with less liquid than you’d expect. I can guarantee that most instructions on store-bought couscous call for too much liquid. Often, half the recommended amount of broth or water is sufficient. Here I’ve scaled down the standard ratio of liquid to grain and I call for about half the amount of liquid that most recipes or boxed instructions recommend.

To check if the couscous has absorbed enough liquid, squeeze a few grains of couscous between your fingers. If the grains feel soft but still hold their shape, they have absorbed enough. If they feel hard, they haven’t absorbed enough liquid. If this is the case, you can add an additional half cup of room temperature liquid and let the couscous soak for a few additional minutes, then check again.  If they feel soft and squishy (which won’t happen with my technique), they have absorbed too much. 

• Use a flavorful broth: For the best flavor, I recommend using a good quality stock or broth (beef, chicken, or even vegetable broth will all work well) instead of water. This will mimic the depth of flavor from a traditional Moroccan couscous where the grains absorb the flavors of the steaming broth below.
• Fluff with your hands: After the grains have absorbed the liquid, I recommend using your hands as opposed to a fork to fluff them gently. With fingers we use our senses to touch (and feel) the grains whereas with a fork we need to use our eyes and the result isn’t as efficient. Using your hands will allow you to separate the grains with more precision and create a light, airy texture.
• Finish with olive oil or butter: Once the couscous has soaked, and before it bakes in the oven, drizzle it with a bit of olive oil or melted butter and toss to coat evenly before heating the couscous. This not only adds flavor, but the coating of fat also promotes even cooking of the grains in the oven, and ensures the grains won’t stick together.
• Bake in the oven: The gentle, steady heat of the oven is the best way to warm the couscous before serving. The couscous isn’t really cooking further at this stage, but it is warming through and softening to the ideal fluffy tender texture, without running the risk of the grains sticking together, which happens when boiling water is poured over couscous.

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• 3 cups (510g) dry couscous (see notes)

• 1 1/2 cups (360g) cold or room temperature homemade chicken or vegetable stock or store bought low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth or water, plus more as needed

• 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt or fine sea salt use half by volume, plus more to taste

• 3 tablespoons (45ml) olive oil or melted butter 

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350℉ (175℃).  In a 9- by 13-inch baking dish, add couscous and pour the liquid over top. Use your hands to mix the couscous evenly, making sure all the grains are moistened. Let sit at room temperature until all liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. 

2. Use your fingers (or a fork) to separate the grains of couscous until light, fluffy, and well separated. Check their consistency—the grains should be plump but still hold their shape when pressed between two fingers. If your couscous is still hard, add 1/2 cup of stock, broth, or water, let sit for 15 additional minutes, and fluff again. 

3. Add salt and olive oil or melted butter to grains and use fingers to mix thoroughly. 

4. Cover tightly with foil and bake until couscous grains are fully tender and hot, 30 to 35 minutes. Fluff with a fork and season to taste with salt. Serve.

Special Equipment

 9- by 13-inch baking dish

Notes

When selecting couscous, make sure you purchase couscous made with 100% semolina durum wheat. The brands I recommend are Dari, Tria, and Mazyana, which can be purchased as specialty markets or online.

Make-Ahead and Storage