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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I’ve never left a review in my life, and I pride myself on being a damn good cook….so….this recipe is soo full of flavor (I cooked in iron skillet) and amazing because the ingredients are common and readily on hand. Paired this with Persian cucumber salad, basmati rice and naan. Amazing amazing. Cheers
Jenn, this is by far a FABULOUS recipe that my family never tires of and is requested almost WEEKLY by my daughter. Things that I changed are just minor, like not using all the salt (we are watching the sodium) using chicken tenders instead of breasts and I don’t have a grill, so I just pan fry until dark golden brown in my Le Creuset no stick skillet then finish in the oven. The aroma from the spices while cooking is EUPHORIC….REALLY!!!! It is truly HEAVENLY. … And served with Warm Couscous Salad with Apricot Vinaigrette, another WINNER from your website, and fresh steamed green beans or salad, it is an OUTSTANDING meal I am sure everyone would truly enjoy!! Big THANKS and TEN STARS to you, Jenn!!!
I have made this a few times. It is more intensely flavored than the Middle Eastern Chicken Kebob recipe. It is very good and avoids the boring chicken situation at summer BBQs. I serve with the rice pilaf recipe from this site and I have had leftovers in a naan sandwich with yogurt and plain shredded cabbage.
This recipe will become a new family favorite for many years to come. This is one of the most favorable chicken dishes I have ever had. I make the recipe as stated. It is so easy to make two batches for lunches and it goes well on salads.
Made this yummy dish today for supper. EASY & very, very flavourful. My hubby thought it was delicious as did I. The spices really work nicely together. Not spicy for our family. I added the cayenne & my kids 2 & 6 ate it no problem. This was a perfect accompaniment to your cous cous salad with apricot. Such an easy weeknight meal that tastes awesome!!!
One more thing….I was apprehensive while making marinade that it wasn’t going to be enough/flavour wasn’t going to be strong enough but it was perfect!!!
Perfect – loved this. Followed the recipe and had tasty chicken. Served with Moroccan-style roasted veggies. Yummy!
Amazing and super easy! I simplified by making the marinade and letting my chicken breast thaw in the marinade and simply baked in the oven for an hour. Flavourful, moist, and great in our lunches the next day. This ones is a keeper at our house. Thank You Jen.
Love this recipe! Comes together quick and is very flavourful. I made this up at the cottage this summer for a big crowd with your basmati pilaf and roasted veggies on the BBQ and it was a huge hit. Lots of compliments from the adults and all the kiddos (even the notoriously picky ones!). Thank you again Jen for being my go-to girl for recipes every.time.now! You have never steered me wrong!
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for your great blog, I’m having great success with the recipes I have so far tried. Some while ago I had an op which damaged part of my brain causing random memory loss. After enjoying cooking for many years I just couldn’t make things work out but the clear and easy way you present your web site helps me tremendously. Thank you so much I’m starting to feel much more confident now.
Made this yesterday and while it tasted fine both me and my husband were desperately thirsty a few hours later and had a very restless night. We are used to spicy food so not sure why this would be