Boneless skinless chicken breasts are marinated in yogurt mixed with a Moroccan-style spice mix of cumin, paprika, and cinnamon, and then simply grilled. The yogurt helps tenderize the breasts and the marinade brings life to otherwise boring boneless skinless chicken. What I love about this recipe is that with just the barest of preparation, you can have a delicious meal within minutes. The yogurt-based marinade is only mildly acidic, so you can leave the chicken in the marinade all day, while it gently tenderizes the meat while infusing it with the spices. Just put the chicken in the marinade before leaving for work in the morning, come home, heat the grill, chicken is done in less than 10 minutes. Simple. Easy! The recipe is one we adapted from a recipe in the Sacramento Bee years ago. To the original recipe we’ve added lemon juice to the yogurt and cinnamon to the spice blend. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and thoroughly coat with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator from 2 hours to overnight. Grill the chicken breasts over direct high heat a couple of minutes on one side. Then turn them over and move them to the cool side of the grill. Cover and cook for a few minutes more, until the chicken is cooked through. (The easiest way to test for doneness is with your fingertips. See The Finger Test to Check the Doneness of Meat. Or use a meat thermometer, remove the meat from the grill when the internal temperature of the chicken breast reaches 165°F.) Take care not to overcook, as chicken breasts can easily dry out.
