5 couscous cooking mistakes to avoid

Couscous is simple, versatile and fast to cook. Good quality couscous is ready in just 5 minutes! But even so, a novice cook can struggle to get it to achieve that fluffiness and lightness everyone enjoys.

To help you make couscous the right way, we’ve gathered the 5 mistakes to avoid when cooking couscous.

1. You don’t choose whole-grain couscous.

Although many people think couscous is a grain, it’s actually closer to pasta. The better quality couscous you buy, the easier it is to prepare and the better the taste. We recommend cooking with whole-grain for an added boost of fiber. 

2. You don’t use the right water-to-couscous ratio.

Here is where it gets tricky. Although couscous is closer to pasta, it actually cooks more like a grain. You shouldn’t put dry couscous into a pot of boiling water and leave it to cook like pasta. Make sure you’re using the right water-to-couscous ratio, which is 1 cup water to 2/3 cup couscous and only leave it for 5 to 10 minutes to soak.

3. You add the couscous before the water has boiled.

Martino’s couscous is pretty much ready to go right out of the box–one of the main reasons we love it so much. It really only needs 5 minutes in very hot or simmering (not boiling) away from the stove to let moisture seep back in. Once you bring the water to a boil, be sure to take it off the heat and add the couscous to prevent overcooking.

4. You don’t let it sit long enough.

The tiny granules of couscous need time to soften. While it is fast to prepare, it still needs to stay covered for a while to capture the steam from the hot water. If you uncover it too soon, you run the risk of undercooking your couscous, causing it to be chewy or crunchy.

5. You forget to fluff.

Right out of the pot, couscous can be dense. Be sure to fluff it with a fork a couple of times to make it nice and soft. You can do so by scraping the surface and breaking up the clumps for light and fluffy couscous.

If you avoid these 5 couscous cooking mistakes and follow our tips for cooking couscous, you will be a true chef in the kitchen!