Moroccan Spiced Chicken Breasts

Moroccan Spiced Chicken Breasts

This recipe is my new favorite way of preparing chicken breasts. Preparing the marinade takes no time at all, and the chicken cooks quickly. It turns out that the smoky, peppery taste is almost exactly like the chicken I make for my Chicken Makhani (Butter Chicken), with a lot less fuss. I’ll have to try making Chicken Makhani with the leftovers from this recipe.

If you prefer to not have tons of leftovers, halve the recipe below. The batch I made fed three adults and left enough to prepare two bentos, not to mention the makings of another night’s dinner.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup greek yogurt (regular yogurt is fine, too)
  • 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground cayenne
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Method

  1. Mix the yogurt, cilantro, olive oil, garlic, paprika, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
  2. Trim the chicken breasts of any excess fat and score them deeply with a sharp knife. This will help the marinade flavor the chicken all the way through.
  3. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl one at a time, and turn to coat them thoroughly with the marinade.
  4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 6 to 10 hours. (This batch was left in the fridge overnight.)
  5. Heat a large pan on medium heat, and add one or two chicken breasts, being careful to not crowd the pan. Cook for 4-6 minutes on each side, until cooked through. In my case, I found it helpful to turn the head down a little and cook the chicken with the cover on. Try not to overcook the chicken.

Serves 8.
Adapted from: Simply Recipes’ Moroccan Spiced Grilled Chicken Breasts.

One thought on “Moroccan Spiced Chicken Breasts

  1. Pingback: Bento: Moroccan Spiced Chicken | Way of the Pepper

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *