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Ras el Hanout Grilled Chicken Salad with Sumac Dressing

5 from 4 votes
by
Last updated:

This ras el hanout grilled chicken salad is full of delicious Mediterranean spices and flavors. Its star is juicy and tender grilled chicken marinated in a Greek yogurt and homemade ras el hanout spice mix. The salad is served with a flavorful cumin, lemon and sumac dressing.

Ras el hanout grilled chicken salad with sumac dressing on a plate.

Ras el hanout ingredients and notes:

  • Ras el hanout is a complex spice blend and there are countless versions of it. The combination of spices that I use creates an earthy flavor with a little bit of citrus and a hint of sweetness.
  • You can use already ground spices or grind whole spice seeds to make the blend. (I have listed quantities for both in the recipe card below.)
  • If you don't have the spices to make ras el hanout on hand, you can use this Mediterranean seasoning for chicken instead. It works great in this salad as well. (Add 2 teaspoons of Mediterranean seasoning, 1 teaspoon mild olive oil and the chicken chunks to a bowl. Mix with a rubber spatula, cover, marinate in the fridge for 2 to 10 hours, then grill.)
Ras el hanout spices and a mortar and pestle on a table.
See ingredient amounts in the full recipe below.

Photos of the recipe process:

Ras el hanout chicken marinade being stirred in a bowl.
  1. Whisk yogurt, lemon juice, ras el hanout and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in the chicken chunks. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 10 hours.
Marinated raw chicken on skewers on a tray.
  1. Take the chicken out and lightly shake off excess marinade. (You can also use a paper towel to lightly dab off excess marinade.) Skewer the chicken and grill.
Prepared salad ingredients on a table.
  1. Finely chop fresh parsley, quarter or chop artichoke hearts, core and dice tomatoes and slice and quarter cucumber.
Lemon sumac dressing being whisked in a small bowl.
  1. Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a bowl.

Full Recipe

Ras el hanout grilled chicken salad with sumac dressing on a plate.
Author: Nicole B.

Ras el Hanout Grilled Chicken Salad with Sumac Dressing

5 from 4 votes
This ras el hanout yogurt marinated grilled chicken salad is full of delicious Mediterranean spices and flavors.
Print Version (does not include images) Pin Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Marinating Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Equipment:

  • measuring cups and spoons
  • spice grinder or mortar and pestle (if using spice seeds)
  • citrus juicer
  • knife and cutting board
  • mixing bowl
  • whisk
  • rubber spatula
  • paper towels
  • digital meat thermometer (recommended)

Ingredients:
  

For the ras el hanout spice blend (makes about 2 tablespoons):*
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds (or 1 teaspoon ground cardamom)
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds (or ½ teaspoon ground coriander)
  • ½ teaspoon whole cloves (or ⅜ teaspoon ground clove)
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (or ¾ teaspoon ground fennel seeds)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or ¾ teaspoon ground cumin)
  • 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (or ¾ teaspoon ground fenugreek)
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns (or 1 teaspoon ground black pepper)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the chicken:
  • ½ cup plain, whole milk Greek yogurt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ras el hanout
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
  • 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized cubes
For the salad:
  • 2 cups salad greens
  • 4 artichoke hearts, drained (you can use plain from a can or marinated from a jar)
  • ½ cucumber, sliced and quartered
  • 12 kalamata olives
  • 1 large or 2 medium-sized tomatoes, diced
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley (you need about ⅓ of a bunch of flat leaf parsley for that)
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
For the dressing:
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons ground sumac
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon table salt

Method:
 

For the ras el hanout spice blend:
  1. If you're using spice seeds, grind all seeds in a spice grinder or in a mortar with a pestle, then mix in the cinnamon. If you're using ground spices, mix all spices together.
For the chicken:
  1. Whisk yogurt, ras el hanout, salt and lemon juice together in a bowl. Mix in the chicken, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 10 hours.
  2. Shake excess marinade off the chicken or dab the chicken lightly with a paper towel to remove excess marinade. 
  3. Grill the chicken until its internal temperature registers 165 degrees F. (about 10 minutes.) Set aside to cool a bit.
For the salad:
  1. Assemble the salad: start with the salad greens, then add artichoke hearts, cucumber, olives and tomato. Sprinkle feta and parsley on top, then add the chicken.
For the dressing:
  1. Whisk all ingredients together, then spoon the dressing onto the salad. Serve immediately.**

Recipe notes:

*You can use a store-bought ras el hanout spice blend instead of making your own. As always, I recommend to go to a dedicated spice shop to ensure freshness and quality.
**The sumac will settle to the bottom, so be sure to spoon the dressing on the salad immediately after whisking it together.
Did you make this recipe?Please consider leaving a review- THANK YOU!

Nutrition (estimate only):

Calories: 519kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean, North African

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