Classic Chermoula Marinade

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Chermoula is Morocco's iconic green herb marinade, a bright and aromatic paste of fresh cilantro, parsley, garlic, lemon, and warm spices. It perfumes everything it touches — fish, chicken, lamb, or roasted vegetables — with a punchy North African character. Make a batch at the start of the week to use as a marinade, a finishing sauce, or a spooned-over condiment.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 95 kcalCalories
• 9 gFat
• 1.2 gSaturated Fat
• 2 gCarbs
• 0.6 gFiber
• 0.4 gSugar
• 0.6 gProtein
• 310 mgSodium
• 85 mgPotassium
• 28 mgCalcium
• 0.9 mgIron
• 9 mgVitamin C
• 470 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the herb base

• 1 large bunch fresh cilantro (about 2 cups packed leaves and tender stems)
• 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 1 1/2 cups packed leaves)
• 6 medium garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 small shallot, roughly chopped (about 2 tablespoons)

For the marinade

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons), plus 1 teaspoon finely grated zest
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Pinch of saffron threads, crumbled (optional)

Directions

1. Rinse the cilantro and parsley under cold water, shake off the excess, and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Pick the leaves and tender stems off the thicker woody stems and discard the tough lower stems.
2. Place the prepped herbs, garlic, and shallot in a food processor and pulse several times until roughly chopped, scraping down the sides once with a spatula.
3. Add the lemon zest, sweet paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt, cayenne, and saffron (if using) to the processor. Pulse 8 to 10 times to distribute the spices evenly through the herbs.
4. Pour in the fresh lemon juice and olive oil and process, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed, until the mixture forms a coarse, pourable paste — about 30 seconds total. You want it textured, not puréed smooth.
5. Taste the chermoula and adjust with more salt, lemon juice, or cayenne until the balance is bright, herbaceous, and gently warming.
6. Use immediately to coat fish, chicken, lamb, shrimp, or vegetables, massaging it well into the flesh, or transfer to a glass jar, press a thin layer of olive oil over the surface, seal, and refrigerate.
7. Marinate proteins for 30 minutes at room temperature or 2 to 8 hours in the refrigerator before cooking. Any extra chermoula keeps, refrigerated and oil-sealed, for up to 5 days.

Cook’s Notes

• For a thinner, spoonable sauce (great drizzled over grilled fish), add 2 to 3 more tablespoons of olive oil or a splash of warm water at the end.
• Toast 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds in a dry skillet and grind them just before adding for a deeper, smoky layer that mimics traditional hand-grinding in a mortar.
• Chermoula is most aromatic on delicate proteins — try it on whole roasted snapper, grilled sardines, or butterflied sardines, which are classic along the Moroccan coast.
• A pinch of preserved lemon rind (finely minced) stirred in at the end adds a salty-citrus note that complements grilled lamb or chicken thighs beautifully.
• Always cover the surface of stored chermoula with a thin film of olive oil — this protects the color and keeps the herbs vibrant for several days.

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