Matt's Macros · mattsmacros.com/recipes/harissa-steak-couscous-bowls

Meal Prep/ North African/ Mediterranean

Harissa Steak Couscous Bowls

Name: Harissa Steak Couscous Bowls
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 3 servings
Ingredients: 567g lean beef top round steak (1.25 lb package), trimmed and sliced thin against the grain; Cooking spray, as needed; Pinch of kosher salt and black pepper; 60g harissa paste (about 1/4 cup); 2 lemons, zested and juiced (about 60g juice total); 12g fresh garlic (about 4 cloves), minced or grated; 6g olive oil (about 1 1/2 tsp); 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and black pepper; Water, 1-3 tbsp as needed to thin; 80g dry Moroccan couscous (about 1/2 cup); 100g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 1/2 cup); 120g water or broth (about 1/2 cup), for the couscous; Pinch of kosher salt; 340g baby carrots (about 3/4 of a 1 lb bag), halved lengthwise if thick; 2 medium zucchini (about 390g), sliced into half-moons; Cooking spray, as needed; 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and black pepper; 15g chopped parsley or cilantro (about 1/2 cup loosely packed), for finishing

A North African-inspired 3-day meal prep with lemon-harissa top round steak, fluffy Moroccan couscous with chickpeas, and roasted carrots and zucchini. Three containers at ~537 cal / 53g protein each.

Cal

537

Protein

53g

Carbs

54g

Fat

13g

Per serving · 1 of 3 / ~430-500g cooked weight

Tested in the kitchen

Prep

15 minutes

Cook

25-30 minutes

Total

45 minutes

Yield

3 servings

Ingredients

Steak

567g lean beef top round steak (1.25 lb package), trimmed and sliced thin against the grain
Cooking spray, as needed
Pinch of kosher salt and black pepper

Lemon Harissa Sauce

60g harissa paste (about 1/4 cup)
2 lemons, zested and juiced (about 60g juice total)
12g fresh garlic (about 4 cloves), minced or grated
6g olive oil (about 1 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and black pepper
Water, 1-3 tbsp as needed to thin

Couscous and Chickpeas

80g dry Moroccan couscous (about 1/2 cup)
100g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 1/2 cup)
120g water or broth (about 1/2 cup), for the couscous
Pinch of kosher salt

Roasted Vegetables

340g baby carrots (about 3/4 of a 1 lb bag), halved lengthwise if thick
2 medium zucchini (about 390g), sliced into half-moons
Cooking spray, as needed
1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and black pepper
15g chopped parsley or cilantro (about 1/2 cup loosely packed), for finishing

Method

01Preheat and prep the pan. Heat oven to 425F. Line a sheet pan with parchment or foil for easier cleanup.
02Make the lemon harissa sauce. In a mixing bowl, stir together harissa paste, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, sauce spices, and 1-3 tbsp water until the sauce is spoonable but not watery. Taste and adjust with a little more lemon or water if your harissa is very salty or thick.
03Split the sauce before it touches raw steak. Add about half the lemon harissa sauce to the sliced steak and toss to coat. Set the steak aside while the vegetables start roasting. Keep the other half of the sauce separate for drizzling after cooking.
04Roast the vegetables. Spread carrots and zucchini on the sheet pan in a single layer. Spray lightly with cooking spray, season with vegetable spices, and roast at 425F for 20-25 minutes, flipping once around the 12-minute mark, until the carrots are tender and the zucchini has browned edges.
05Make the couscous while the vegetables roast. Bring 120g water or broth and a pinch of salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in couscous, cover, remove from heat, and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then stir in the drained chickpeas.
06Cook the steak. Heat a large skillet over medium-high until hot, then spray lightly with cooking spray. Cook the steak in 2 batches for 2-3 minutes per side, spreading the pieces out so they sear instead of steam. The steak should be browned and just cooked through.
07Rest and finish. Transfer the steak to a plate and rest 5 minutes. If any pieces are large, slice smaller against the grain. Toss the herbs through the couscous and roasted vegetables, or keep them as a topping. Spoon the reserved lemon harissa sauce over the steak after cooking.
08Portion by weight. Weigh the cooked steak, couscous and chickpeas, vegetables, and reserved sauce if you want exact portions. Divide each component evenly across 3 containers.

Notes from the kitchen

Harissa paste varies a lot by brand. If yours is very spicy or salty, start with 45g harissa and add more after tasting the sauce. Top round is lean and macro-friendly, but it needs thin slicing and a hot pan. Cut against the grain and cook in batches so it does not get chewy. This is intentionally a 3-day meal prep. The flavor holds longer, but steak texture is better when the batch is shorter. Do not overcook the steak on prep day; slightly under medium reheats better than steak cooked hard in the pan. Cool components 10 minutes before sealing and refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat 90 seconds, stir or flip the steak, then 45-60 seconds more, and add the reserved sauce after reheating if you can. If you want more carbs for a heavier training day, bump couscous to 120g dry total (about +50 cal and +10g carbs per serving).

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