A plate of grilled Moroccan chicken

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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:

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 (1 1/2 lbs)

Moroccan Chicken Recipe

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.

grilled-moroccan-chicken

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).

grilled-moroccan-chicken-1

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).

Moroccan Chicken Recipe-6

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.

grilled-moroccan-chicken-2

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.

Moroccan Chicken Recipe-10

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).

Moroccan Chicken Recipe-11
Moroccan Chicken Recipe-12

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

4.94 from 30 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Moroccan Grilled Chicken
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. Tzatziki sauce brings this chicken to a whole new level, so go ahead and make the tzatziki recipe P.S. Keep in mind, you must marinate at least 4 hours or overnight before grilling your chicken.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 6 -8

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

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.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: Moroccan Chicken
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

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4.94 from 30 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Yana P
    February 28, 2019

    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?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 28, 2019

      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!

      Reply

  • Alena
    September 24, 2018

    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!!!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 24, 2018

      I love this! Thank you so much for sharing such an awesome review with us!

      Reply

  • Eva Awrey
    July 8, 2018

    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!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 8, 2018

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!

      Reply

  • Han
    May 5, 2018

    Hi Natasha,

    How many pound of chicken do you used for this recipe? Chicken breast is vary greatly in size now a day 😀

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 5, 2018

      Hi Han, it is about 1 1/2 lbs. Up to 2 lbs would still work.

      Reply

      • Han
        May 7, 2018

        Thank you

        Reply

        • Natasha's Kitchen
          May 7, 2018

          My pleasure Han!

          Reply

  • CMH
    December 12, 2017

    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. 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 12, 2017

      I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for following and sharing your encouraging comments!

      Reply

  • Lauren
    December 10, 2017

    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!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 11, 2017

      You’re welcome Lauren! I’m glad to hear how much you love the recipe. Thanks for sharing your excellent review! 🙂

      Reply

  • Greg Pavich
    June 24, 2017

    Another great recipe! Loved it.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      June 25, 2017

      YES, I’m happy to hear that Greg! Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply

  • Irene
    May 15, 2017

    Hi! Would a vitamix be ok to use instead of a food processor ?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 15, 2017

      Irene, Vitamix will work just fine using pulse setting.

      Reply

  • Vince in Vietnam
    May 4, 2017

    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.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      May 4, 2017

      My pleasure Vince! I’m happy to hear your family enjoys the recipe as much as mine does!

      Reply

    • Deb Judisch
      July 10, 2021

      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?

      Reply

  • Lea
    August 9, 2016

    Going to try cooking it via cast iron . The chicken is currently marinating. Hopefully it turns out awesome. It sure smells delicious.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 9, 2016

      I would love to hear how the recipe turns out 😄.

      Reply

  • Ellie
    June 27, 2016

    Can this marinade be used with beef, as well?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      June 27, 2016

      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 🙂

      Reply

  • Diana
    June 15, 2016

    Can these be made into shishkabob ?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      June 15, 2016

      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.

      Reply

      • Diana
        June 17, 2016

        That was the plan thank you!

        Reply

  • Elizabeth
    August 24, 2015

    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?

    Reply

  • Madeeha
    May 21, 2015

    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?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 21, 2015

      Good ingredients are just as is. It’s not a creamy marinade. Enjoy! 🙂

      Reply

      • Randy
        April 22, 2017

        how can i turn it into a creamy moroccan sauce to cover the grilled chicken?

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          April 22, 2017

          Hi Randy, I don’t have anything like that. I normally serve these with tzatziki sauce which matches the flavor profile here really well!

          Reply

  • Lindsay
    March 10, 2015

    ohh, so delicious!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 10, 2015

      Thanks Lindsay 🙂

      Reply

  • eleanor
    December 11, 2014

    Hey, do you think it would be ok to cook this in a smoker? and if so what kind of wood…..

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 11, 2014

      I don’t really have any experience with smokers so I can’t really advise on that. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.

      Reply

  • Bushra
    November 16, 2014

    my family loved it! thanks!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 16, 2014

      That makes me happy. Thanks so much for the great review! 🙂

      Reply

  • brian wilding
    September 14, 2014

    Your recipe states parsley, but it is NOT on the ingredient list???? I bought everything EXCEPT the parsely!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 14, 2014

      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.

      Reply

  • Pam
    August 28, 2014

    Beyond awesome! I made this yesterday for friends large group and everyone raved about it! The Tzatziki sauce was amazing with it!!! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 28, 2014

      I just love it with the sauce too. I’m so happy you liked it 🙂

      Reply

  • Julia
    June 8, 2014

    Natasha,
    Random question…
    I was wondering what size ramekins you have? The glass ones… And are they Pyrex ramekins? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      June 9, 2014

      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 🙂

      Reply

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