Grilled Moroccan Chicken
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This Moroccan chicken gets its bold flavor from a quick North African–style marinade—and it’s as easy as it is family-friendly.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
First posted on this site in 2012, this grilled Moroccan chicken is one of my longtime favorites. The marinade is inspired by ras el hanout, a North African spice blend with more than a dozen spices—think cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, cardamom, allspice, fenugreek, and more. It’s a family favorite (even the kids love it), and it couldn’t be easier to make. Best of all, there’s hardly any clean-up. I like to serve it with couscous, especially my warm couscous salad with apricot vinaigrette.
“I’m back to make this recipe for a 3rd time because it is so easy and delicious!”
What You’ll Need To Make Grilled Moroccan Chicken
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or tenderloins): Lean, quick-cooking, and the perfect blank canvas for soaking up the marinade’s flavor.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Helps carry the flavors of the spices, keeps the chicken moist, and encourages a nice char on the grill.
- Salt and sugar: Salt seasons the chicken all the way through; sugar adds balance and helps the exterior caramelize just a bit.
- Garlic: Adds a punch of savory, aromatic flavor that complements the warm spices.
- Paprika, cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon & cayenne pepper: A mix inspired by ras el hanout—a North African spice blend—bringing warmth, depth, and a little kick.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Pound the chicken. Pound the chicken breasts to an even 1/2-inch thickness. This tenderizes the meat and helps it cook evenly—otherwise the thin end can dry out while you wait for the thicker end to finish.
Step 2: Make the marinade. In a bowl or a large zip-top bag, combine the olive oil, spices, salt, garlic, and sugar. If using a bag, seal it and gently smoosh it around until everything’s evenly mixed.
Step 3: Marinate. Add the chicken to the bag with the marinade, press out the air, and seal. Massage the marinade into the chicken until it’s evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours, or overnight for the best flavor.
Step 4: Grill. When you’re ready to cook, preheat the grill to high—you want it very hot to get those beautiful grill marks and a bit of char in the short cooking time. Grill the chicken for just a few minutes per side, until perfectly tender and cooked through (the internal temperature should reach 165°F).
More Easy Chicken Recipes with Big Flavor
Grilled Moroccan Chicken
Ingredients
- 1½ to 1¾ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (or chicken tenderloins)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, 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-in (13-mm) 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 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcook.
Nutrition Information
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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All the recipes I have tried here are fantastic but this Morrocan Chicken is my absolute favourite hands down (thus far). Being a lifelong thigh lover, this gave me new appreciation for chicken breasts. Since I already have my spices out I double or triple spice mixture so it’s ready to go at a moments notice since its in heavy rotation here. Perfection !!! Bravo Jen !
Will this be too spicy to serve to my children?
Many people have commented that their kids have enjoyed it and didn’t find it too spicy. If you want to play it safe though, you could skip the cayenne pepper :).
I serve it to my 4 and 8-year-old, and both love it. I do omit the cayenne though. It’s delicious!
We have enjoyed this recipe immensely all summer long. What a hit! Especially with the carrot slaw on the side- soooo very delicious. But now it is November, and I’m wondering if anyone has baked this chicken. Maybe 350 for 45-50 mins?
I know you’ve asked about baking, but I just wanted to mention that it works beautifully on the stove in a grill pan (I have no bbq). Our family loves this recipe so much!
Sooooo easy! I left out the cinnamon because my BF can’t stand it. Still delish!
Made this last minute and used chicken thighs and marinated for one hour and the baked the chicken …,it was so tasty! The whole family devoured it and loved it and wished there was more. Can’t wait to try more recipes. A hit!
Oh had to omit the paprika as we didn’t have any but it turned out delicious and it was not spicy for my 5 year old
This dish has all of our favorite flavors and was so easy to make. Even the left overs were devoured the next day.
I’m excited to try this recipe and wondered whether it freezes well as I’d like to bring it to a convalescing relative in a few weeks. Has anyone had experience freezing/reheating this chicken, or any tips regarding the best way to do so? Thank you!
Although I didn’t get around to freezing this chicken, I have to say it was such a hit with my family, including the 4 and 8-year-olds, which is no easy task. Thanks for the awesome recipe, which was lovely with the carrot salad as a side dish for my husband and me.
This sounds good. I love Moroccan spices. I will try substituting stevia for sugar or maybe a drop of honey or agave. We need to try to get processed sugar out of our recipes if it is not absolutely necessary.
This is absolutely delicious but beware…it’s very spicy.
This was the first recipe from your website that I used. It is perfection. The spices, garlic, and oil meld so well together and the result is what my husband has called “restaurant quality chicken.” I serve it with a couscous salad with cucumber, tomatoes, onion, chickpeas, and feta cheese, tossed with fresh lime juice and olive oil. Delicious!