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, 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.