Best Grilled Moroccan Spiced Chicken Breasts Stuffed With Couscous And Pine Nuts Recipes

GRILLED MOROCCAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pound thicker parts of a chicken breasts with the flat side of a meat mallet to even out their thickness.
• In a medium mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, turmeric and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper (about 3/4 - 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper).
• Place chicken in a gallon size resealable bag. Pour marinade over chicken and seal bag while pressing out excess air.
• Rub marinade over chicken breasts (and make sure marinade goes between chicken breasts). Transfer to refrigerator and allow to marinate at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
• Preheat a grill over medium-high heat to about 425 degrees.
• Grill chicken until center registers 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer, about 4 minutes per side for 6 oz chicken breasts.
• Transfer to plate then cover and keep warm and let rest about 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve warm.

GRILLED MOROCCAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of wax or parchment paper and, using a meat mallet, pound to an even ½-inch thickness. (Skip this step if substituting chicken tenderloins.)
• Mix all ingredients except chicken together in a small bowl or measuring cup. Place pounded chicken breasts inside a 1 gallon zip-lock bag. Add marinade to the bag, press air out and seal shut. Massage marinade into the breasts until evenly coated. Place the bag in a bowl in the refrigerator (to protect against leakage), and let the chicken marinate for 5-6 hours.
• Clean grill and preheat to high. Place chicken breasts on grill, spooning marinade over top. Grill, covered, for 2-3 minutes per side. Do not overcook.

GRILLED MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH CURRIED COUSCOUS

Steps:

• For harissa:
• Toast caraway, coriander, and cumin seeds in medium skillet over medium heat until slightly darker in color, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Grind cooled spices and dried crushed red pepper in mortar with pestle or spice grinder to fine powder. Add oil and garlic; grind to smooth paste. Stir in paprika and salt. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• For chicken and dressing:
• Whisk 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon harissa, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and lime peel in small bowl. Rub mixture over all sides of chicken pieces. Place chicken in 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Cover and marinate overnight.
• Whisk remaining 1/2 cup oil, 3 tablespoons lime juice, and pinch of sugar in medium bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. (Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Preheat barbecue (medium-low heat). Grill chicken until cooked through, turning and repositioning occasionally for even cooking, about 45 minutes total. Let stand at room temperature.
• For couscous:
• Bring chicken broth and curry powder to boil in heavy small saucepan. Stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork and transfer to platter. Place chicken atop couscous. Serve, passing dressing and remaining harissa alongside.

GRILLED MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH COUSCOUS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• In small bowl, place couscous; set aside.
• In 1-quart saucepan, heat broth, butter, coriander, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the turmeric to boiling.
• Pour hot broth over couscous, stir well and cover with foil. Let stand 5 minutes to allow liquid to be absorbed. Uncover and fluff couscous with fork. Stir in lemon peel, lemon juice, cranberries, pine nuts and pepper sauce; set aside.
• Meanwhile, place 1 chicken breast on work surface. Notice it has a thick end and a thin end. To create a pocket for the stuffing, insert long, thin knife (a boning knife is ideal) into middle of thick end, parallel to work surface. Slide knife in until it reaches middle of chicken. Move knife up and down within the chicken to form a pocket. You want to have a smaller opening where knife entered the chicken and a larger pocket within the chicken to stuff with couscous mixture. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
• Spray grill rack with cooking spray or brush with oil. Heat coals or gas grill for medium heat. (Check the temperature of the coals by placing your hand, palm side down, near but not touching the cooking grill rack. If you can keep your hand there for two seconds [one-thousand one, one-thousand two], the temperature is high; three seconds is medium-high; four seconds is medium; five seconds is low.)
• Use one hand to hold chicken with thick end up. With other hand, stuff 1/4 cup of the couscous into pocket. Repeat with remaining chicken. Brush chicken with oil.
• In small bowl, mix 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and the pepper. Sprinkle mixture evenly over chicken breasts.
• Grill chicken covered 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until juice of chicken is no longer pink when center of thickest part is cut (170°F) and stuffing is hot. To serve, slice each breast and layer on plate so stuffing is visible.

SKILLET CHICKEN AND PEARL COUSCOUS WITH MOROCCAN SPICES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the chicken thighs, lime juice, olive oil, garlic and cumin. Season well with salt and pepper and stir together until the chicken is well coated in the marinade; set aside at room temperature for 25 to 30 minutes.
• In a deep, 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven with a lid, heat the grapeseed or canola oil over medium-high. When it shimmers, lift the chicken out of the marinade, allowing any excess liquid to drip back into the bowl, then add the chicken to the skillet, skin-side down. Working in batches, if necessary, to avoid crowding the pan, cook until the chicken is well browned on both sides, about 6 minutes per side. Remove and set aside on a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium, add the leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping up any brown bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the harissa paste, turmeric and cinnamon, and cook until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Season well with salt.
• Add the couscous to the pan and stir until well coated in the spiced leek oil. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and add the chicken back to the pan, skin-side up, along with any accumulated juices. Cover and simmer until the couscous is al dente and the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. If you're lucky, some of the couscous may slightly stick to the bottom of the pan, creating well-seasoned crispy bites.
• Remove from the heat and remove the lid. Scatter with the herbs, if using, and the lime zest, then serve from the pan.

MOROCCAN-SPICED CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• First, make the yogurt sauce: Combine 1 cup of the yogurt, 1 teaspoon of the garlic, the lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste in a small bowl. Mix well, and chill until ready to use.
• Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1/3 cup yogurt, remaining 1 tablespoon garlic, chicken, panko, egg, parsley, olive oil, sugar, paprika, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly, until incorporated. Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons, form meatballs about 1 1/2-inches in diameter, then place them on a plate or sheet pan until ready to use.
• In a large skillet, heat 1/8-inch olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the meatballs in batches, flipping occasionally, until browned all over and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. (If the meatballs begin browning too quickly or the oil begins smoking, lower the heat.) Transfer the cooked meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate.
• To serve, spread the yogurt sauce in an even layer on a flat platter. Arrange the meatballs on top, and top with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and the pine nuts, if using. Serve hot.

MOROCCAN STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Put the couscous and spice mix in a small heatproof bowl and pour over 50ml hot water. Cover and set aside for 5 mins. Fluff the grains up with a fork, then stir in the apricots, pine nuts and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Make a large slit down one side of each chicken breast to form a pocket. Stuff the couscous mixture inside, then sit the chicken in a small roasting tin. Brush over the oil and roast for 20 mins until cooked through. Serve with roasted baby new potatoes and a crisp green salad.