Promise me you’ll make this.
Wait. Let me qualify that. Do you love amazingly flavorful grilled chicken with herbs and spices that make your mouth water? If your answer to that is, “Yes,” then promise me you’ll make this. It is some of the most delicious savory chicken you will ever eat. When my kids ask what we’re having for dinner, and they find out that we are having Moroccan Chicken, they fist pump and cheer. Yeah, it’s that good. Now mind you, my kids are good eaters and have a nicely developed taste palate for their age. I appreciate it every day we sit down to a deliciously prepared meal and they eat it with us and enjoy it. It wasn’t always that way. I could write a book about that journey and the title would be, “Perseverance,” but I’d rather write about this instead.
If you take a look at the ingredients and imagine the flavors that each of them bring to the table, you will just begin to imagine how good this marinade might be. And it’s so easy! Just chop up some herbs and garlic, throw them in a food processor with some olive oil and spices…then this magical mixture bathes the chicken for just 30 minutes before you grill it. There’s no overnight or four hour marinating here. Just 30 minutes does the trick. Here’s another bonus…it works amazingly well on thick chicken breasts. Normally, we filet chicken breasts so that they cook faster and because I generally don’t like thick chicken. I hate it when the ratio of chicken to bread on a sandwich or chicken to spices or chicken to breading is off. You generally end up with dry flavorless chicken in the middle.
But that is not an issue with this recipe. The meat stays juicy and tender and there’s plenty of flavor to go ’round. It’s perfect served on a bed of Moroccan Couscous. The toasted nuts and sweet cherries in the couscous complement the garlic, herb and spice flavors of the chicken beautifully.
So promise me you’ll make this.
Then, promise to come back and tell me how happy you are that you did!
Moroccan Chicken
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions, white part only
- 1/4 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons paprika, I used smoked
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except chicken in a food processor and process until smooth.
- Place chicken breasts into a Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over all.
- Close the bag and rub the marinade into the chicken breasts insuring all surfaces have been covered with the mixture.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your grill to medium hot.
- Grill chicken breasts 5-7 minutes on each side or until done. I use an instant read thermometer to insure chicken has reached a safe 165 degrees. Be careful not to overcook or your chicken will be dry and that would be a shame because this recipe makes the juiciest chicken.
Notes
Recipe Source from Mirj on Food.com The Merchant Baker © Copyright 2014
Nancy in San Diego
Saturday 28th of February 2015
So tonight I made the Moroccan Chicken - the marinade smells sooo good while you're making it. Then I decided to put the chicken breasts in the pressure cooker instead of on the grill. It was wonderful!! I served the "juice" in a small pitcher so as people cut the breasts they added the marinade. It was killer! My 84 year old mother and 86 year old father-in-law asked if they could put the juice on their potatoes! Heavenly.
Ramona
Sunday 1st of March 2015
I swear the marinade is magic! I don't have a pressure cooker, but I've heard cooking meat in one makes it incredibly juicy and tender. It also looks like you get more "juice" from cooking that way. When we grill, we get whatever residual juices the meat releases after cooking, and then we scrape up every last bit to put on our meat, rice, couscous etc. as if it were gold :)
ami@naivecookcooks
Thursday 6th of November 2014
Love love this chicken and the flavors going on here!! I am starving just looking at this meal!
Ramona
Friday 7th of November 2014
You must must try it! It is truly a mouthwatering dish!