My grilled Moroccan chicken thigh skewers are simple to make and loaded with flavor! And they're versatile enough to enjoy in every season. Throw them on the grill outdoors or make them on a grill pan indoors with my pro tips for consistent results every single time.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my grilled pork tenderloin kabobs, too!
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
Quick and Easy - There are only four steps in this recipe and you don't need any fancy kitchen equipment! So it's absolutely beginner friendly.
Tender Texture + Great Flavor - Cooking these chicken thigh kabobs over high heat give a nice char and crust on the outside with juicy tender texture on the inside. And the marinade adds both moisture and flavor so you'll taste earthiness, smokiness, a little sweetness, and bright citrus notes.
👉🏾 I'm a big fan of using Moroccan spices in my recipes: lamb smash tacos, Moroccan tagine in a slow cooker, Moroccan lamb chili, sheet pan Moroccan chicken thighs!
Featured Reader Review
★★★★★
"This won me over when I saw the spice rub had a mixture of cinnamon and coriander. Not only are these skewers flavorful, the spice rub can be used on other proteins like beef and pork. I highly advise!"
-Marta
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs are easy to work with and have a fat content that makes them more tender than chicken breast.
Moroccan Spice Blend of cinnamon, cumin, chili powder, coriander, black pepper, and kosher salt adds so much flavor with spices you probably already have in your pantry! I recommend using the best quality ground versions of these spices as you can get.
Olive Oil adds a slight fruitiness and is a nice, light oil that is traditionally used in Moroccan cooking so it works well with the flavor profile of this dish.
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Citrus - I use lemon in this recipe but you can also use orange or even grapefruit with similar results. Lime will work, too but be slightly more tart.
Fresh Mint - This is my favorite finishing touch but is optional.
How to Grill Chicken Thigh Skewers
Step One: Cut the chicken meat into chunks.
Step Two: Mix together the oil, spices, brown sugar, and lemon juice to create the marinade.
Pro Tip #1
Use kitchen shears to make quicker work of cutting up the chicken!
Pro Tip #2
Cutting the chicken into roughly equal pieces is key to even cooking. When thinking about how to cut chicken thigh for skewers, remember that smaller chunks will cook more quickly and larger chunks will take longer.
Step Three: Coat the chicken in the marinade then cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Step Four: Thread the chicken onto skewers and cook on heated grill or grill pan. The chicken thigh kebab cooking time is roughly 6-8 minutes per side.
Make it a Meal!
Prep Your Sides: To make this salad more substantial, pair it with an easy animal or plant-based protein like my honey mustard chicken or lemon pepper shrimp. You can throw the salad together while the protein cooks and have dinner in no time!
How to Use Leftovers: Pack up the extra chicken pieces to toss onto salads or use for the protein in power bowls later in the week. I recommend pairing with a grain like yellow rice or jollof rice and quick and easy vegetables like garlic butter green beans or crispy brussels sprouts.
Pro Tip #3
If using a grill pan, you may need to move the skewers during cooking so that the meat on the ends fully cooks.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make this chicken up to two days in advance as long as it's stored properly. And you can prep the marinade up to four days ahead of time.
To store the grilled skewers, place them in an airtight container within two hours of cooking and transfer to the refrigerator. They'll keep for up to four days. You can also remove the chicken from the sticks before storing for convenience.
How to Serve
Moroccan grilled chicken skewers are great served over rice or quinoa with grilled or roasted vegetables or even a light salad like my Mediterranean chopped cucumber salad. I love them with yellow rice or homemade jollof rice, especially!
Don't forget to garnish your kebabs with some chopped fresh mint for a nice lil pop of cooling flavor that complements the smoky meat so well. They're so juicy, they don't need a sauce.
For veggie sides, try my crispy roasted brussels sprouts or brown butter green beans. And if you're serving these at a backyard BBQ, you must add my Texas baked beans and southern potato salad to the mix.
More Favorite Grilling Recipes
I must point out that this is grilled chicken Moroccan style but not necessarily an authentic Moroccan chicken recipe--but I hope you'll enjoy it soon and very soon. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Grilled Moroccan Chicken Thigh Skewers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 lemon for juice
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- fresh mint optional garnish
Instructions
- Using a knife or kitchen shears, cut the chicken into pieces about 1 ½ inch thick. Try to cut the chicken uniformly so that the skewers will cook evenly.3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Mix up olive oil, lemon juice, brown sugar, chili powder, coriander, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, and cinnamon until combined into a marinade.½ cup olive oil, 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon coriander, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Coat chicken pieces in marinade, cover, and place in refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes (up to eight hours). Meanwhile, chop the mint leaves and set aside.fresh mint
- Heat a grill pan on the stove top over medium high flame OR preheat your grill to about 400 degrees. (This is typically between the medium and high settings on a gas grill using indirect heat.)
- Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers and cook for about 6-8 minutes per side or until cooked through. See recipe notes on checking for doneness. Serve with chopped mint.
Tammy says
This recipe was delicious and also very easy. The marinade can be used for a variety of foods! Great depth of flavor
Jazzmine Woodard says
Thanks for your feedback, Tammy! So glad to hear you enjoyed.
Katrina Adams says
I can’t wait to try this recipe!! Perfect for Summer grilling and chilling!!
Armelle Dee says
This is the perfect reason to fired up the grill! I love recipe that are so full of flavors!
Donna Cooper says
Made them along with a side salad nice and refreshing meal
Jazz says
I'm so glad you enjoyed these, Donna! Thanks for sharing your feedback.
Ashley says
I can definitely use this to make some Moroccan-Spiced mushrooms! Yum 😊.
Kaluhi says
Such a beautiful, flavourful rub!!
Mila says
Girl! The spices in this!! I can't wait to make this. I've been looking for a reason to fire up the grill.
Chenée says
I can't wait to try these for grilling this season! The spice blend is already making me hungry!
Erika | Black Girls Who Brunch says
I LOVE this spice combination! I will have to try this on some chicken thighs of course 🙂
Jazz says
I’ve made it with thighs, too and it’s perfect!
Stefani says
This is a great addition to any cookout or weekday meal. The best part, you're don't have to be at the grill for hours!
Immaculate Ruému says
What a brilliant combination of spice blends! Looks so lush and the aroma must be divine.
Tamara says
These flavors are AMAZING! Skewers are such a fun addition to any meal. Can't wait to make these again, they were a huge hit!
Andrea says
I love cinnamon in savory dishes! Cant wait to try.
Renia says
These look perfect for summer.
Marta says
This won me over when I saw the spice rub had a mixture of cinnamon and coriander. Not only are these skewers flavorful, the spice rub can be used on other proteins like beef and pork. I highly advise!