Grilled Moroccan Chicken Recipe
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Moroccan chicken is tender, succulent, and full of exotic flavor. It’s an easy recipe that can be prepped in advance, making it the perfect dish for company.
This is yet another great recipe from the same gal (my cousin Alla from WA) who shared her tzatziki sauce recipe with us. Alla invited us over for dinner while we were visiting Seattle this past weekend and she served this chicken. We were mighty impressed.
By the way, that tzatziki sauce brings this chicken to a whole new level, so if you’re making the grilled Moroccan chicken, go ahead and stock up for the tzatziki recipe (you’ll thank me later; it’s Nice!).
If you want to bake this chicken, one of my readers shared that she baked at 375F for 35 minutes (covered) and for another 5 minutes uncovered and it worked well.
Ingredients for Moroccan Chicken:
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (1 1/2 lbs)
How to Make Grilled Moroccan Chicken:
1. Put all ingredients into food processor except for the cilantro, parsley and chicken. Pulse the marinade 5-7 times times to mince the garlic.

2. Next, add in cilantro and parsley and pulse it a few more times. Pulse until your cilantro and parsley look chopped (your chicken will look prettier if you don’t puree it. Hey now, prettiness counts, especially when you’re serving something for company).

3. Slice the chicken in half lengthwise to make make 8 thinner chicken breast pieces. (I added a picture, just incase someone’s like, “what’s lengthwise?” and then proceeded to cut it in half down the middle :-O). Transfer chicken breast into a large ziploc bag (or bowl).

4. Pour marinade over chicken and smoosh/toss-it-in-the-air-like-you-just-don’t-care, to evenly coat the chicken. Let it sit at least 4 hours or over night.

5. Grill the chicken on medium heat just until cooked through. Note: If you want to bake this chicken, one of my readers shared that she baked at 375F for 35 minutes (covered) and for another 5 minutes uncovered and it worked well.

6. Make the tzatziki sauce (Seriously. Please!) and keep in mind the tzatziki sauce is best if made at least an hour in advance, preferable refrigerated overnight).


Another great tip from my Cousin Alla: Double this recipe and divide it in half. Grill one portion and place the other half in a large gallon-sized ziplock bag. Remove excess air from the bag, then lay it flat in the freezer for another night (note: it defrosts quicker when you freeze it flat vs bunched together).
When you decide to grill the marinaded chicken just transfer from the freezer to the fridge and it will marinade as it defrosts. Don’t you love shortcuts?
Grilled Moroccan Chicken Recipe

Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/8 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 Tbsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 bunch fresh parsley
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Put all ingredients into food processor except for the cilantro , parsley and chicken. Pulse the marinade 5-7 times times to mince the garlic.
- Next, add in cilantro and parsley and pulse it a few more times. Pulse until your cilantro and parsley look chopped (your chicken will look prettier if you don't puree it. Hey now, prettiness counts, especially when you're serving something for company).
- Slice the chicken in half lengthwise to make make 8 thinner chicken breast pieces. Transfer chicken breast into a large ziploc bag (or bowl).
- Pour marinade over chicken and smoosh/toss to evenly coat the chicken. Let it sit at least 4 hours or over night.
- Grill the chicken on medium heat just until cooked through.
Notes
Double this recipe and divide it in half. Grill one portion and place the other half in a large gallon-sized ziplock bag. Remove excess air from the bag, then lay it flat in the freezer for another night (note: it defrosts quicker when you freeze it flat vs bunched together). When you decide to grill the marinaded chicken just transfer from the freezer to the fridge and it will marinade as it defrosts.
Hi Natasha. I’ve been wanting to try grilling lamb – chops, kebabs, anything really. Would this marinade work well with lamb? Definitely going to try the Moroccan chicken and tzatziki sauce!
Hi Michelle! I have not made this with lamb but yes, I think it would go well.
Made this chicken dish last night with the tzatziki sauce it was an extreme hit. Flavors are amazing. Also made a pickled cucumber salad.Definitely a keeper.
That sounds like the perfect dinner, Thomas! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Do I have to use the cilantro ?
I don’t like it …Thanks 🙂
Hi Charlene you can omit it from the recipe and use more parsley instead
I don’t have a grill, but I’m going to try doing this on the stove top. And I will try this tonight! This recipe could not have come at a better time for me! Thank you so much for all of your fabulous recipes.
Sounds like a good plan, Vincent. Please share with us how it goes!
Not rating the recipe, I’m rating your public page. I signed up for Natasha’s kitchen. I have no interest in the public page.
I understand I can easily click to access your link but why the extra step? I’ll probably unsubscribe and search your site when I’m looking for a recipe.
Where is the video for the grilled Moroccan chicken???????????????
We don’t have a video for that one yet.
Hi Mary Lou,
Even without the video, this recipe is easy to make and just awesome to taste. 🙂
It has become another family favorite at our house.
This is absolutely the best marinade I’ve ever made!!! Now it’s my go to weekly! This is the best
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that with me!
Grilled the Moroccan chicken and vegetables tonight. In the interest of time and space, I grilled the chicken over my charcoal grill and instead of skewers, I spread the marinade vegetables over a grill sheet on my gas grill. Super tasty recipe! My 12 year old son loved the chicken, my 11 year old daughter ate two impressive portions, and my 8 year old daughter, who doesn’t much care for meat, asked for some of the chicken. My wife thought the flavoring was tasty. Would definitely recommend and make again.
That’s a great idea! Thank you for sharing that with me, Dennis! I’m so glad you enjoyed this!
Made this chicken over the weekend! So Delicious !!! Also made the grilled vegetables and Tzatziki sauce following Natasha’s recipe! All came out just super, very flavorful and tasty! Thank you for amazing recipes.
So awesome! So happy to know that you loved all the recipes that you tried last weekend. Thanks for your good feedback!
Hi Natasha,
We have tried many of your amazing recipes and have enjoyed them very much. This recipe was amazing! I really enjoyed it and wished I had made more. Thank you, it has made these days of quarantining easier.
I’m glad that you loved all the recipes that you tried. Thank you for your great review and feedback!
looks delicious wanna make it…
I hope you try it soon, Anu!
Hi Natasha! Thanks for your site all the great recipes. I want to try to make this chicken into kabobs and add the morrocan veggies to it, the veggies on your site. Do you think it’ll work out? So it would be a chicken and veggie kabob. Have you ever tried it?
Hi Yana! these would work fine as shish kabobs. If you make them that way, they pair really well with these vegetable skewers and of course the tzatziki sauce goes well with both. I hope that helps!
This is a new favorite! We made this chicken for a big family party and it was a hit! After the party my husband says, “did you hear all those compliments about the chicken?”
I used chicken thighs and made them into kabobs. The flavor of this chicken is so good! Thank you for another winning recipe!!!!
I love this! Thank you so much for sharing such an awesome review with us!
Delicious! A refreshing change from what I usually do to chicken. I first made this in February when my grill was under a foot of snow. Instead of baking it I cooked it on my grill pan on the stove. It turned out perfectly,juicy and flavorful. I thought you’d like to know that option for cooking it and suppose a tabletop grill would also be an alternative. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Hi Natasha,
How many pound of chicken do you used for this recipe? Chicken breast is vary greatly in size now a day 😀
Hi Han, it is about 1 1/2 lbs. Up to 2 lbs would still work.
Thank you
My pleasure Han!
I just have to say that EVERY recipe I have made from your blog has been outstanding. I have made so many recipes from food blogs that look beautiful but the flavor falls flat…we find ourselves making Natasha’s Kitchen recipes multiple times a week. Can’t get enough! Thanks for your hard work. 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for following and sharing your encouraging comments!
This was SOOOO good. Maybe the best chicken I have ever made. I had bone-in thighs and only had 2 hours to marinade. Delish! Can’t wait to try it with boneless thighs, tenders, or boneless breast as written with proper marinade time. This will be a go-to recipe for our family. Thank you!
You’re welcome Lauren! I’m glad to hear how much you love the recipe. Thanks for sharing your excellent review! 🙂
Another great recipe! Loved it.
YES, I’m happy to hear that Greg! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi! Would a vitamix be ok to use instead of a food processor ?
Irene, Vitamix will work just fine using pulse setting.
Made this for my family tonight and they LOVED it! I followed the directions for the oven (375 for 35min covered and then 5min uncovered). I also used roasting tray to elevate the chicken a little. Wow…. it was juicy and the flavor was great. I just wonder how amazing it would be if I marinated this all day and cooked it in the evening. Thanks for posting this recipe.
My pleasure Vince! I’m happy to hear your family enjoys the recipe as much as mine does!
Hey, Vince…I don’t know if you noticed that in the recipe it does say that you can marinate from 4 hours to overnight? I thought maybe you were asking if it would be OK to marinate all day or if you were commenting?
Going to try cooking it via cast iron . The chicken is currently marinating. Hopefully it turns out awesome. It sure smells delicious.
I would love to hear how the recipe turns out 😄.
Can this marinade be used with beef, as well?
Hi Ellie, I haven’t tested this for beef – I’m not sure if the lemon juice and long marinating will toughen the beef. If you test it out, let me know how you like it 🙂
Can these be made into shishkabob ?
Hi Diana, these would work fine as shish kabobs. If you make them that way, they pair really well with these vegetable skewers and of course the tzatziki sauce goes well with both.
That was the plan thank you!
I found this recipe awhile ago and have been wanting to make it. I see that you gave instructions for baking, which I may end up doing, but I was also wondering if you ever tried it with bone-in chicken pieces. I assume it would work…
Also, do you have favorite side dishes you’ve served with it?
Hi Elizabeth, bone-in chicken can take considerably longer to bake and I haven’t tested it, so for bone-in chicken I recommend baking until the chicken’s thickest part reads 165˚F.
I serve this with the moroccan veggie skewers and mashed potatoes and then I make the tzatziki sauce to go with the chicken and veggies. It’s a wonderful Moroccan/Greek inspired meal 🙂
Tzatziki: https://natashaskitchen.com/2013/10/10/tzatziki-sauce-recipe/
Veggie Skewers: https://natashaskitchen.com/2013/10/15/grilled-moroccan-vegetable-skewers/
Mashed Potatoes: https://natashaskitchen.com/2012/11/20/garlic-and-chive-mashed-potatoes/
Hi, first of all the recipe looks delicious and I shall be trying it over the weekend. One quick question: After adding all the ingredients in the food processor to grind gives a liquidy sauce – how does it become flowy? are we adding yogurt or something to it? or the ingredients are just as is?
Good ingredients are just as is. It’s not a creamy marinade. Enjoy! 🙂
how can i turn it into a creamy moroccan sauce to cover the grilled chicken?
Hi Randy, I don’t have anything like that. I normally serve these with tzatziki sauce which matches the flavor profile here really well!
ohh, so delicious!
Thanks Lindsay 🙂
Hey, do you think it would be ok to cook this in a smoker? and if so what kind of wood…..
I don’t really have any experience with smokers so I can’t really advise on that. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.
my family loved it! thanks!!!
That makes me happy. Thanks so much for the great review! 🙂
Your recipe states parsley, but it is NOT on the ingredient list???? I bought everything EXCEPT the parsely!
Hi Brian, The parsley is both at the top, in the instructions and in the print friendly recipe. For some reason in the list at the top of the post it was in smaller font but it was there (I fixed the font to be the same; wordpress does funny things sometimes), it’s listed just before the cilantro. You can omit the parsley and it will still work, but it does add more flavor.
Beyond awesome! I made this yesterday for friends large group and everyone raved about it! The Tzatziki sauce was amazing with it!!! Thank you!
I just love it with the sauce too. I’m so happy you liked it 🙂
Natasha,
Random question…
I was wondering what size ramekins you have? The glass ones… And are they Pyrex ramekins? Thanks!
Sorry I took forever to reply. I purchased the little glass ones at Cost Plus World Market and they don’t have a brand on them. The little wooden ones are from there too 🙂
Natasha, just wanted to thank you for this recipe… My daughter and I like chicken, and we are always looking for good healthy ways to cook. She will be coming to visit next week, and I’m inspire to make Grilled Moroccan chicken, this recipe will soon become one of my family favorite… Welcome to my kitchen Natasha 🙂 blessings to you!
Thank you so much Perla; it’s good to be a visitor in your kitchen 🙂 I love your name; it reminds me of my late friend, Pearl. 🙂
Just about to try this recipe! I was wondering what would 4 chicken breasts be in terms of kilos?
Oh good question. Hmm.. I think it’s about 1 to 1.25 kg.
Update! Just came back from dinner and it was a HIT! Even my best friend who isn’t much of a meat eater (raised vegetarian) loved it and wanted the recipe! Definitely amazing when grilled!
I’m so glad it turned out awesome for you!!! 🙂 Thanks for reporting back. Happy New Years!
I marinated this the other night with the intention of grilling it with friends for Christmas Eve, but my family got the flu, so we ended up cancelling our plans. I was out of foil and baked it uncovered for myself and it turned out dry. (I also had traded the four chicken breasts for quite a few chicken tenders, so perhaps I could have made a double batch of seasoning.) I loved the seasoning though, so I made ANOTHER batch that we’ll grill this time on our make-up Christmas Eve get together tonight! 🙂 I’m sure tonight it’ll be much better!
Moral of the story: Flu shots are definitely something you should consider getting, and definitely do not cook this uncovered on 375 if you need to bake it or you might have some dry chicken!
Thank you for another great recipe, Natasha! 🙂
Yes, I imagine cooking it uncovered would produce a very dry chicken. I’m glad you gave it another shot 🙂 I hope you all feel better soon!!
Making this today! What did you serve with it? I was thinking about making mashed potatoes….
I’ve served it with rice and mashed potatoes. Both are great options!
Natasha, if I was to half the recipe, would I half the marinade too? Thanks.
You could do it either way. If you have leftover marinade, use it for veggies 🙂
Natasha, I also wanted to ask how it would come out if we baked the chicken , and saw Natasha G’s post. Do you know about how long would it have to be in the oven for? Having company this weekend and want to serve it with the tzatziki sauce! And a few other dishes as well 🙂
I havent tried baking it so it’s hard to say exactly. I’d check on it after 15 minutes for doneness. It looks like she cooked it under foil, but I don’t know if the color would still be that pretty golden brown if you bake it under foil. You might take the foil off at the end and put it under the broiler a couple minutes? Sorry that’s not more concrete.
I just made it tonight, baked in the oven. I baked at 375F for 35 minutes (covered) and for another 5 minutes uncovered. It looked similar to the picture, minus the grill marks – tasted moist and really good 🙂
Awesome!! Thank you for sharing that. I was way off with my 15 minutes (I err on the side of caution I guess). lol Seriously, thanks for sharing!! 🙂
OH MY!!! this chicken was devine, we LOVE it!! and grilled i think its the best method, my husband is a pro a grilling and it came out soo nice and moist and very flaverfull, and i also did the vegies and the sause with it and let me tell you i couldnt stop untill we finished all the vegies!!
thank you again for this post!!! ur awesome!!
Sounds like you did an entire Moroccan menu! That’s the best way to do it! I’m so happy you all enjoyed it 🙂
First off, thank you for all your wonderful recipes:) I made this chicken last night & I had to bake it cause grill was unavailable @ the time.. Let me tell you, it turned out great!! I baked it @ 375 covered with foil.. It was super juicy & the flavor was amazing.. Thank you again for all you do & Blessings to your family!
Oh that’s awesome! I’m going to try your method once our grill goes into hibernation for the winter 😉
Natasha, that looks super delishes! Do you think it would still be good if I baked it in the oven? (we dont have a grill =( )
I haven’t tried baking it, but I think it would work. I haven’t tested it so I’m not sure what temp or time to recommend.
Love Moroccan flavors! I used to make Moroccan leg of lamb all the time. With cinnamon cous-cous on the side. This chicken looks so good!
I’ve never actually cooked lamb before. Do you have a good recipe for it on your blog? Cinnamon couscous sounds wonderful.
Natasha…you are a life savier :)))) thank you so much for this great recipe
You are so welcome. I hope you love it!
I love this! I love all Moroccan recipes! I love cousin Alla invasion of Natasha’s kitchen. Pinned!
Ha ha! Yes, definitely! Thanks so much for pinning 🙂
Hi Natasha, do you by any chance have the recipe for the Olive Garden bread sticks?
No yet but that would be a good experiment!
Tzatziki sauce is in the fridge and the chicken is marinating…. Can’t wait to try it! I have a question: Our grill needs to be replaced since it’s is not heating as it should….do you think if I bake in the oven it will be fine?
P.S. Thanks for the great amazing recipes!!!
It should be fine in the oven, let me know how it turns out :).
Tried the Tzatziki sauce and it was delicious!! Shared the recipe with
my old Van Pool family… they loved it. I hope when you visited Seattle
that our weather was sunny and no rain (we did have a beautiful summer:))
I’m glad you loved the recipe. It was a great weather for the entire trip. Although it rained the day before we arrived and on the day we left :).
Sounds wonderful, can’t wait to give it a try!
Let me know how it turns out :).
Looks delish on my to do list asap haha thanks for posting and thanx for ur cousin for sharing it!!!
You are so welcome Alana :).
This is great! Thanks for sharing! What did your cousin serve as a side dish? I envision pita bread going good with this chicken and tzatziki sauce 🙂
She served grilled vegetable skewers (recipe to follow) :).
This looks delicious!
Thank you Norma, it really was delicious :).