Grilled Moroccan Chicken
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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)
You May Also Like
- Grilled Chicken with Lemon, Garlic & Herbs
- Grilled Chicken Fajitas
- Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken
- Grilled Middle Eastern Chicken Kebabs
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
This was absolutely delicious! I served it with the carrot slaw with cranberry recipe, also was very good. Will be making this again and again.
If I changed the sea salt to kosher salt would this be considered a kosher dish to serve at a seder??
Hi Robin, I believe almost all salts are kosher; you can tell for sure if it’s marked with a circled K or U on the label. And, yes, this dish would be kosher. You might also check out Chicken Marbella – I grew up having this dish every year for Passover. https://www.onceuponachef.com/2010/10/chicken-marbella.html
I made these and the chicken kebabs over Christmas vacation for the first time (fun getting the grill hot enough when it’s 20 degrees outside) and everyone loved them. The consensus though was that they liked the Moroccan Chicken best and if I could do the kebabs that way. So I did and they were really good.
I made basmati rice with garlic, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and turmeric in it to go with the chicken. It made a great side for the chicken.
I have made this several times with chicken breasts and we love it. So yesterday I made the spice and olive oil marinade and rubbed it under and over the skin of a whole chicken. After marinating for about an houir-90 min, I roasted it on my vertical roaster. Oh, my, it was fantastic! And imagine if I’d let it marinate several hours! The chicken was flavorful and moist and the skin, crispy. Divine!!!
Great idea, Marlene…I think I will try that!
This is my family’s favorite grilled chicken recipe. So easy and what great flavors!
I baked some tilapia with this seasoning and really enjoyed it. Thanks for posting!
Amazing! My whole family loved this, including my 6 year daughter who likes her food as plain as she can get it, nothing “spicy” as she puts it. Highly recommended, everyone wants it again!
I tried this recipe, would NOT change a thing. I also tried it with shrimp, delicious!! There is no need to buy any kind of barbeque sauce anymore-}:>)
We loved this marinade. I served it with tomato, corn and avocado quinoa salad.
I love this seasoning and usually make an extra seasoning packet to save for next time. I just tried this mix on baked haddock fillets and it was delicious!