Chermoula Recipe — Moroccan Marinade for BBQ | The Rub Kitchen
Chermoula is the most versatile marinade in North African cuisine — a flavour bomb of fresh herbs, spices, and lemon that works excellently with fish, seafood, chicken, and lamb. Where chimichurri is South America's herb sauce, chermoula is North Africa's: fresh green, aromatic, and deeply flavoured. And just like chimichurri, it's ready in 5 minutes.
What is chermoula?
Chermoula (also: charmoula or chermoulla) is a Moroccan marinade and sauce based on coriander, parsley, garlic, cumin, paprika, lemon, and olive oil. It is used as a marinade for fish and seafood — its classic application — but also as a flavouring for grilled chicken, lamb, and vegetables. In Morocco, it is used both before and after grilling: as a marinade and as a sauce at the table.
Chermoula — basic recipe
For approximately 150 ml (enough for 4 servings of fish or 500g chicken):
- 1 large bunch fresh coriander — only the leaves and thin stems
- ½ bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp cumin (ground)
- 1 tsp paprika (sweet or smoked)
- ½ tsp turmeric
- Juice of 1 lemon + zest of ½ lemon
- 80 ml olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: ½ tsp chilli flakes or cayenne pepper for heat
- Optional: 1 tbsp red wine vinegar for extra acidity
Method: roughly blend everything in a blender or finely chop with a knife. Chermoula doesn't need to be smooth — a more rustic texture is authentic. Taste and adjust with lemon, salt, or paprika.
Storage tip: keeps for 3–5 days covered in the refrigerator. Cover the surface with a thin layer of extra olive oil to prevent oxidation.
Marinating times
- Fish (fillet or whole) — 30 minutes to 2 hours. No longer — lemon 'cooks' fish with prolonged contact.
- Shrimp and squid — maximum 30 minutes
- Chicken thighs or wings — 2–6 hours, preferably overnight
- Lamb (chops, shoulder) — 4–8 hours
- Vegetables — 30 minutes is enough
On the BBQ
- Shake off excess chermoula before grilling — the herbs burn quickly at high heat
- Grill fish over direct heat, 3–4 minutes per side — use a fish basket to prevent it from breaking
- Start chicken indirectly, finish directly for crispy skin
- Serve extra chermoula as a sauce at the table alongside the grilled meat
Variations
- Red chermoula — more paprika and tomato paste, less coriander. Typical of the eastern regions of Morocco.
- Parsley only — for those who don't like coriander: replace entirely with parsley. Less aromatic but still excellent.
- With ras el hanout — add 1 tsp ras el hanout for a more complex, warmer spice profile.
- Grilled chermoula — grill half a lemon and use the juice from the grilled lemon — gives a smoky-caramelised acidity.
Where to buy the ingredients in the Netherlands?
Most ingredients for chermoula are readily available at major supermarkets. A few special ingredients are easier to find at specific stores:
- Fresh coriander — AH, Jumbo, Lidl, and any Turkish or Moroccan supermarket. Moroccan supermarkets sell large bunches for a fraction of the supermarket price.
- Smoked paprika (pimentón ahumado) — AH XL, Jumbo, toko, or online. The Spanish variant in a tin (La Chinata) is superior to average supermarket paprika.
- Ras el hanout (for the variant) — Moroccan supermarket, toko, or online. Mixed qualities — buy from a Moroccan shop for the best freshness.
- Good olive oil — AH XL, Ekoplaza, Turkish delicatessens, or online. An extra virgin with a fruity profile works better than neutral olive oil.