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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Hi Jenn, I wonder what was my mistake as the chicken breasts I had flattened to the required thickness returned to their original size or close to it..Hence, they had to stay on the grill for more than 10′. What do you think?
We loved the taste but as u can imagine it was dry.
Thank you for your advice.
Love all of your recipees I have done before.
Josee
Hi Josee, It’s normal for them to plump up on the grill. I’m guessing they just cooked a bit too long. Next time, try pounding them just a bit thinner.
Hi Jenn, another delicious chicken recipe! Thanks so much. Can this be frozen in the marinade to thaw and BBQ in the summer? It would be a great make-ahead and so convenient for summer. Thanks in advance! 😊
Glad you like it! Sure, it would be fine to freeze the chicken in its marinade. 🙂
I made this for lunch today and we all loved it. My daughter said, “this is delicious – let me guess, this is a Jenn Segal recipe!” Served it with the suggested warm couscous salad and that was also a hit. Thank you!
All I can say is WOW! Bursting with flavor that was a real hit with our group. Super juicy and tender even with reheating leftovers. Made this in a 7 pound recipe for our friends, and they all raved. Definitely putting this in rotation. Thanks!
This chicken is delicious! After I made it my son said it needs to be my go-to recipe for grilled chicken. It was moist, tender and very flavorful! Thank you!
Hi; thinking of spatchcock a 2kg chicken to cook on the bbq. What quantity marinade would I need for this?
I’d suggest doubling it. Hope you enjoy!
I did this. Doubling the recipe and it worked fine. If you spatchcock, your chicken will rock.
My family loves this moroccan chicken. We moved last year and have yet to purchase a grill. This will be one of the first things I make when we finally get a grill.
do you recommend these ingredients for baby back ribs?
Hi Sandra, I’ve never tried it, but I think it should work. 🙂
Hi Jen – another absolutely delicious recipe – trying it on Saturday night (might even get properly dressed and put my lipstick on). I love your idea of ‘procrastibaking’ – there is definitely a lot of that going around these parts, though our flour shortage is keeping things interesting.
Please could I make a heartfelt request – could you please discourage people from using single-use freezer bags or ziploc bags for marinades. It’s just another thing to add to the great pile of non-recyclable plastic – polythene cannot be recycled and much of it ends up in the oceans. A plastic or ceramic container does the job perfectly (use a plate if you don’t have a lid) and it can be washed up and used a squillion more times.
Lots of well-known chefs encourage people to use polythene for tasks like bashing up biscuits for cheesecake and for meat/fish marinades – yes, it’s easy and saves us the 20 seconds it would have taken to wash it up, but at a much larger long-term cost.
Whenever I see it in a recipe, I write to the author and ask them to reconsider.
Thanks again for sharing all your lovely recipes.
Hi Jayne, Thanks for your input regarding the ziploc bags for marinades. For future recipes, I will provide both the option of a bag and a bowl. And hope you enjoy the chicken on Saturday (your comment about putting lipstick on made me laugh)! 🙂
I marinate all my meats in reusable containers and encourage others to do the same. The amount of plastic that we’re throwing away is choking our planet! Please think twice.
Thank you Jayne, for caring enough to comment and inform.
My husband made this for dinner tonight using chicken thighs. It was AMAZING!! The flavor was outstanding. This recipe is definitely a keeper!!
Thank You!!