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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Will the chicken be as tender if I buy chicken cutlets rather than pounding the chicken myself?
My wonderful food writer friend sent me this recipe and we looooved it. Served with rice and asparagus. Started rather late, so it only marinated for 90 minutes. No problem! So, so good.
So good, in fact, today I mixed up an extra-large batch of the marinade and have four chicken leg quarters marinating in the fridge for tonight’s dinner. I have no doubt it’ll be delicious.
AND, (let me repeat myself), so good, in fact, I just ordered the cookbook. Thanks!
🙂 Thanks for your support with the cookbook!
This came together quickly and easily. The taste was great! Will definitely cook this again. Thanks Jenn! Another ‘what to cook for dinner?!’ crisis averted.
Excellent. Used chicken thighs and threw red peppers on grill at same time. Also loved the couscous recipe….a keeper.
Is it okay to marinate for longer than 24 hrs? I was planning to cook this for dinner tonight, but plans unexpectedly changed. Now I’m wondering if I can make this tomorrow or the next day. The chicken was bought the day before and should still be good. Thoughts?
Sure, Michelle, that should be fine. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you! We had it the next night and it was great!
I made this for my picky 10 year old son who prefers real food and not sandwiches in his school lunches. I have been making him grilled chicken breasts lately. I wanted to try this recipe so he wouldn’t get bored of the rub I was using. My son liked this marinade very much. Lunch tins came back empty two days in a row. In order to reduce plastic waste I purchased thin sliced chicken breasts (no flattening the chicken required) and I marinated the chicken overnight in a glass food container with a snap seal lid. Shaking occasionally.
Absolutely delicious! My husband is Moroccan and he loved it!!
Can the chicken be pan or oven cooked? Thank you
Sure, Patsy — I’d broil it. Set your rack about 4 inches from the heat source and broil for the same amount of time specified for the grill (flipping once). Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
YUM!
This is one of the best ways to prepare grilled chicken. The flavors are amazing and it couldn’t be any easier. Guest always ask me for the recipe. Serve with some crusty bread and a big salad. It can’t get any easier than that. One of my favorite grilling recipes.
Fabulous flavors and once the spices have been blended, it pretty easy to marinade and cook! We make this chicken and use it in so many ways. We even found it is incredibly tasty in Banh Mi Sandwiches. Thank you Jenn for sharing this recipe with all of us!