Moroccan Spiced Grilled Chicken

4

June 10, 2010 by Dana

When the nice weather hits, I am always in the mood for something from the grill.  I have already shared a few bbq recipes (click here if you missed them)… and here’s one more for you to try this summer:  Moroccan Spiced Grilled Chicken from Simply Recipes.

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts

This mildly spicy recipe is super easy, but does take some level of thinking ahead.  Make sure to marinate the chicken for at least four hours (longer is fine).  This will ensure that the chicken does not dry out on the grill.

Directions

1.  Mix the marinade ingredients (yogurt, coriander, olive oil, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper) together in a medium sized bowl.

2.  Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and thoroughly coat with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator from 4 to 24 hours.

3.  Heat your grill on high heat.  Grill the chicken breasts until cooked through. Take care not to overcook, as chicken breasts can easily dry out.

The flavor of the chicken is great.  It is just spicy enough without being overpowering.  Our chicken was a little dry because it was on the grill too long (the rooftop grills don’t always stay hot because of the wind, so we tend to overcompensate by leaving the meat on too long), but I can see that the recipe definitely has potential.  To stick with the Moroccan theme, I served the chicken with some zucchini and tomatoes that I had also thrown on the grill.  I also added a side of quinoa, which is South American, but hey, who’s counting? ;)