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, You have a wonderful blog with fantastic recipes! The Moroccan chicken looks delicious and will be making it soon. I have often been told that letting chicken sit in ‘salted’ marinade can dry it out. Do you think I can get good results by leaving the salt out of the marinade and salting the chicken right before grilling? Would appreciate your thoughts on this on going ‘salt’ debate.
Hi Sindia, Thank you! I assure you, the salt won’t dry it out at all; definitely add it to the marinade for maximum flavor 🙂
This chicken is so delicious. The chicken came out so tender and flavorful. It is listed as an “Easy weeknight” dish under the menu tab. However, I think it is a great menu for guests, anytime.. I love that the carrot salad can be made ahead of time and the couscous comes together quickly. All my guests have loved it.
Yet another way to serve chicken breasts, uniquely different. It used all of our favorite spices. The directions w/pix are always very helpful, even to a seasoned cook like myself.
Actually, they aren’t enough stars to go around for most of the recipes I’ve tried this year. Thank you.
So nice, Judith. Thank you!
loved this recipe i cubed my chicken and made kabobs. i used peppers onions and mango’s it was a hit! thanks for the recipe
Great blend of favors and very tender but way too salty. I would suggest cutting the salt in half.
I have tried quite a few Moroccan style chicken recipes lately, and that’s definitely the best marinade. My husband absolutely loved the chicken, while he was somewhat skeptical about some other recipes. I followed the instructions for making the marinade to the letter except that I added 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Thank you!
Hi Jenn,
This recipe looks really simple and sounds absolutely delicious. I am a beginner in the kitchen. My question is if I had to put the chicken fillets in the oven, how long would I have to cook it for without it drying out?
Thanks
Hi Jivika, Preheat the broiler and set a rack about 5 inches from the top heating element, then broil 7-8 minutes per side.
This recipe was hit! My kids love it too! I only left out the cayenne because my kids are pretty sensitive to spicy food.
I made couscous using all the same spices (except cayenne) to one cup of couscous that I cooked in chicken broth and a tablespoon of butter. I just cut the spices in half, and added them them to the chicken broth before adding the couscous. That was delicious too!
Excellent recipe! I used chicken thighs (bones out and skins off) and added a couple of tablespoons of low fat youghurt to the marinade, then cooked them on the BBQ. Tasted amazing…
The first time I made this dish I found the marinade a little too sweet so the next time I added extra garlic and cayenne and enjoyed the results.