Grilled Moroccan Chicken
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The spices in this grilled chicken recipe are reminiscent of ras el hanout, a North African spice blend that usually contains over a dozen spices.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
First posted on this site in 2012, this grilled Moroccan chicken is an oldie but a goodie! The spices used in the marinade echo the flavors of ras el hanout, a North African spice blend that contains over a dozen spices, like cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, cardamom, allspice, fenugreek, and more. Not only is this dish a hit with the whole family – yes, even the little ones – but it’s also a breeze to prepare. The bonus? Minimal clean-up! Pair the chicken with plain couscous or my warm couscous salad with apricot vinaigrette.
What You’ll Need To Make Grilled Moroccan Chicken
Step-by-step instructions
Begin by pounding the chicken breasts to an even 1/2-inch thickness.
This both tenderizes the meat and ensures even cooking. Left in their natural shape, the thin side of the fillet dries out while the thicker side finishes cooking.
Next, make the marinade by combining the olive oil, spices, salt, garlic and sugar in a bowl or directly in a sealable plastic bag.
Mix well.
Place the chicken and marinade in a freezer bag, press the air out, and then massage the marinade into the chicken until the breasts are evenly coated. Marinate in the fridge for at least 5 hours or overnight.
When you’re ready to eat, preheat your grill to high. It’s important that the grill is very hot — you want nice grill marks and char in the short amount of time it takes to cook these.
Grill just a few minutes per side for perfectly tender chicken breasts.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
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Grilled Moroccan Chicken
The spices in this grilled chicken recipe are reminiscent of ras el hanout, a North African spice blend that usually contains over a dozen spices.
Ingredients
- 1½ to 1¾ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (or chicken tenderloins)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of wax or parchment paper and, using a meat mallet, pound to an even ½-inch thickness. (Skip this step if substituting chicken tenderloins.)
- Mix all ingredients except chicken together in a small bowl or measuring cup. Place pounded chicken breasts inside a 1 gallon zip-lock bag. Add marinade to the bag, press air out and seal shut. Massage marinade into the breasts until evenly coated. Place the bag in a bowl in the refrigerator (to protect against leakage), and let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least 5 hours or overnight.
- Clean grill and preheat to high. Place chicken breasts on grill, spooning marinade over top. Grill, covered, for 2-3 minutes per side. Do not overcook.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 344
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Sugar: 1g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 40g
- Sodium: 798mg
- Cholesterol: 118mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I made this tonight for my son and a bunch of his friends. Everyone LOVED it. I loved how easy it was to make. I had some chicken thighs also, so I made it with both breasts and thighs. I usually prefer dark meat, but in this case we all agreed that the white meat was better with these spices. This will become one of our regulars. Great for a large group and so delicious.
Absolutely delicious as written. Big hit with my entire family
I love this! Being a kind of lazy cook, I just quadrupled the quantities of dry seasoning and combined it in a mason jar. I rub a little olive oil on the chicken breast, rub it with the spice mix, let it sit for 30 minutes and throw it on the grill. I’ve got enough of the mix to do this several times and I don’t have to pull everything out every time. Thanks much!
My family loved this tasty recipe and I loved it because it is full of healthy antioxidants! I only marinated it for 45 minutes and it still turned out wonderful. Adding this to our favorite go-to recipe list!
Okay Jenn, you have been my go-to bomb proof recipe source for several years now, and you’ve done it again with your Moroccan Chicken recipe. I followed your recipe to the letter. This is one of the most moist and delicious chicken recipes ever – not too spicy, just the perfect amount of seasoning, and so fast and easy (LOVE the Sunday taste, Tuesday effort factor!!!). I also served several of your side dishes with it – prosciutto wrapped asparagus, carrot slaw, and warm apricot couscous – SMASHED IT OUT OF THE PARK! I used to feel I needed to test a recipe before making it for guests, but not your recipes Jenn. This entire meal is my new go-to for dinner guests – love it!
This is so good and simple, you can cook it in a pan on the stove too. It makes amazing cold sandwiches the next day – so make a lot!
Added a 1/4 tsp of cardamom to this and it was extraordinary.
Just made this last night. Loved the taste combination, and so easy to prepare for those of us who aren’t expert cooks. My friends and I all loved it. Will definitely be making this again. Next time will try the carrot slaw, which also sounds delicious. Thanks for these great recipes.
This Moroccan chicken recipe is delicious. My husband, my 2 year old daughter and I loved it! Thank you so much for sharing your cooking experience and recipes and moreover in an easy way and step by step with pictures. Your website has become my favorite. Thanks again!!!
Thanks for the wonderful feedback, Ingrif. So happy you’re enjoying the site!
This is a simple and easy dish to pull together with mouth watering results! I have tried to entice my husband to morrocan cuisine in the past but this very tasty dish has finally won him over! I doubled the seasoning and used this recipe on drumsticks & chicken wings for an extra moist and a powerful kick! Thank you for sharing