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’ve made this recipe and I thought it was excellent. My husband loved it also. The spices were great it was so easy to make and it was so quick once you put it on the grill. I even made the couscous with the dried apricot and scallions scallions. I have shared it with several friends and also shared your website. Keep coming back to your recipes again and again.
Really enjoyed this recipe – easy to make and delicious. The only reason I gave it a 4 is because Jenn’s Grilled Tequila Chicken Breast recipe is my absolute 5 rating – try that too – my husband and I loved it. Both great weeknight meals.
I thought this was fairly good! Disclaimer, I did dice chicken thigh and added the spices near to the end of the cooking process. My only issue was it was quite bitter on its own, (before I added it to veggies and couscous) which I think might be due to excess cumin or 2 teaspoons paprika. I would recommend cutting down the cumin to 1/2 a teaspoon and the paprika to 1 teaspoon, but overall good job!
This is amazing!! I added a 1/4 tsp cardamom to the mix, which is a minor tweak… But this will def be a saved recipe!
Hi Jenn!
Was wondering if this recipe could be frozen after being made? Would it hold up ok? This is one of my husband and my favorite recipes and I am trying to cook and freeze some meals for after we have our baby next month.
Thanks!
Sarah
Hi Sarah, I haven’t frozen them myself, but I think you could. Also, a number of readers have commented that they’ve frozen the raw chicken in the marinade which would also save a few steps. Hope that helps and congrats on your upcoming arrival!! 🙂
We pound out the chicken add the marinade and freeze, then thaw overnight and cook up on the BBQ with no issues! We also like to use this marinade on pork tenderloin. Grab a 4 pack of tenderloin from Costco, do two of them up in this marinade and two in the marinade from Jen’s best grilled chicken breast recipe (lemon, garlic and herbs) and you have 4 easy suppers ready to go. The hardest part is remembering to put them in the fridge the night before to defrost, lol. Then come supper time, 20 minutes on the BBQ, let it rest for a few minutes, and you have the best pork tenderloin!
This was absolutely delicious! I paired it with the apricot couscous and it was fabulous – thank you! LMRM
This turned out so delicious!! I Love all the flavors, thank you.
My husband loves this recipe! We have made it over and over again, It is a favorite in our houes! Thank you, I never hesitate to recommend your recipes to friends and family, always a winner!
This is my favorite go-to recipe that my family loves and is impressive enough for guests. We visited Morocco in 2018 and it reminds us of our time spent there. It is also great served room temp for a picnic dinner at the Hollywood Bowl.
This chicken turned out perfectly. Wasn’t able to grill it on the bbq but cooked it in a cast iron pan on the stove. Will definitely be making it again!