Let’s face it, half the time grilled chicken is boring. Since I’ve never been one for bland flavors, I usually don’t grill chicken unless I use a marinade. It just makes sure the meat stays moist and flavorful. Although it’s such a simple step, don’t leave it out because you get majorly awesome results with marinades.
To begin, let’s just say I was in a Marrakesh mood when I came up with this recipe. I had been daydreaming about memories of trips to Morocco, all the vibrant colors, and mouthwatering smells. Since a plane ticket is out of my budget, I needed to channel that nostalgia into some food or I was going to be so antsy! Being strapped for time and ingredients (I really need to go food shopping), I decided to use flavors of Morocco to inspire a grilled chicken breast. These spices are great – warm cinnamon, earthy turmeric, savory paprika, tart lemon, smokey cumin, and delicious garlic with underlying sugary sweetness. It’s the sweet exotic savoriness that I was craving. The citrus keeps the chicken so moist on the grill and smells insanely good on the grill. Your house is going to fill with lemony cinnamon paprika and everyone will get into a Marrakesh mood. It tends to rain every time I make this recipe, so I cook it using a counter top panini grill…however, it would taste so great on a legit grill! Mm mm, yes!
**I used freshly ground cumin seeds in the marinade, but feel free to buy pre-ground cumin. That’s what I usually use, but I ran out.**
- 4 chicken breasts
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
