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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Hi Jenn, I wonder what was my mistake as the chicken breasts I had flattened to the required thickness returned to their original size or close to it..Hence, they had to stay on the grill for more than 10′. What do you think?
We loved the taste but as u can imagine it was dry.
Thank you for your advice.
Love all of your recipees I have done before.
Josee
Hi Josee, It’s normal for them to plump up on the grill. I’m guessing they just cooked a bit too long. Next time, try pounding them just a bit thinner.
Hi Jenn, another delicious chicken recipe! Thanks so much. Can this be frozen in the marinade to thaw and BBQ in the summer? It would be a great make-ahead and so convenient for summer. Thanks in advance! 😊
Glad you like it! Sure, it would be fine to freeze the chicken in its marinade. 🙂
I made this for lunch today and we all loved it. My daughter said, “this is delicious – let me guess, this is a Jenn Segal recipe!” Served it with the suggested warm couscous salad and that was also a hit. Thank you!
All I can say is WOW! Bursting with flavor that was a real hit with our group. Super juicy and tender even with reheating leftovers. Made this in a 7 pound recipe for our friends, and they all raved. Definitely putting this in rotation. Thanks!
This chicken is delicious! After I made it my son said it needs to be my go-to recipe for grilled chicken. It was moist, tender and very flavorful! Thank you!
Hi; thinking of spatchcock a 2kg chicken to cook on the bbq. What quantity marinade would I need for this?
I’d suggest doubling it. Hope you enjoy!
I did this. Doubling the recipe and it worked fine. If you spatchcock, your chicken will rock.
My family loves this moroccan chicken. We moved last year and have yet to purchase a grill. This will be one of the first things I make when we finally get a grill.
do you recommend these ingredients for baby back ribs?
Hi Sandra, I’ve never tried it, but I think it should work. 🙂
Hi Jen – another absolutely delicious recipe – trying it on Saturday night (might even get properly dressed and put my lipstick on). I love your idea of ‘procrastibaking’ – there is definitely a lot of that going around these parts, though our flour shortage is keeping things interesting.
Please could I make a heartfelt request – could you please discourage people from using single-use freezer bags or ziploc bags for marinades. It’s just another thing to add to the great pile of non-recyclable plastic – polythene cannot be recycled and much of it ends up in the oceans. A plastic or ceramic container does the job perfectly (use a plate if you don’t have a lid) and it can be washed up and used a squillion more times.
Lots of well-known chefs encourage people to use polythene for tasks like bashing up biscuits for cheesecake and for meat/fish marinades – yes, it’s easy and saves us the 20 seconds it would have taken to wash it up, but at a much larger long-term cost.
Whenever I see it in a recipe, I write to the author and ask them to reconsider.
Thanks again for sharing all your lovely recipes.
Hi Jayne, Thanks for your input regarding the ziploc bags for marinades. For future recipes, I will provide both the option of a bag and a bowl. And hope you enjoy the chicken on Saturday (your comment about putting lipstick on made me laugh)! 🙂
I marinate all my meats in reusable containers and encourage others to do the same. The amount of plastic that we’re throwing away is choking our planet! Please think twice.
Thank you Jayne, for caring enough to comment and inform.
My husband made this for dinner tonight using chicken thighs. It was AMAZING!! The flavor was outstanding. This recipe is definitely a keeper!!
Thank You!!