Chermoula – Moroccan Herb Sauce

Made with fresh herbs, garlic, and peppers, Chermoula is a Moroccan herb sauce that can be used as a relish, marinade or dip for many dishes.

Adding Flavor to Dishes

One of my tips for cooking tasty meals at home is to take basic ingredients and add a bunch of flavor with sauces, marinades or spices.

I’ve been learning more about the flavors of Mediterranean countries like Morocco, Turkey, and the Middle East lately. It’s been fascinating to learn about all the different spices they use in their meals.

Read More – Why Za’atar is one of my go to Mediterranean Spices.

Chermoula – A Zesty Herb Sauce

Fresh herbs, olive oil and a little heat create this flavor packed sauce.

Chermoula is typically used as a relish or marinade for fish or seafood dishes. However, the flavors also pair well with chicken, lamb and meat.

Case in point, I used the leftover chermoula I had as a salsa on chicken tacos last night and it was fantastic!

Spice It Up (or down)

The first time I made this recipe, I added a whole serrano pepper, seeds and all. Let me just tell you that I couldn’t even handle a teaspoon of it. However, Dan ate the same batch and poured about 3 tablespoons onto his meal and loved it.

Bottom line – adjust the spice level to your liking by adding/reducing the amount of serrano pepper you add.

This sauce will keep in the fridge for up to a month. It’s a great way to use up fresh herbs before they go bad. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top of your bowl/jar each time you take some of the sauce out to help it keep better.

Read More – Ways to Save Fresh Herbs

Chermoula – Moroccan Herb Sauce Recipe

Made with fresh herbs, garlic, and peppers. Chermoula is a Moroccan herb sauce that can be used as a relish, marinade or dip for many dishes.

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Chermoula – Moroccan Herb Sauce

Made with fresh herbs, garlic, and peppers, Chermoula is a Moroccan herb sauce that can be used as a relish, marinade or dip for many dishes. 

Course Appetizer, dip, marinade, sauce

Cuisine Mediterranean, moroccan

Keyword chermoula, fish sauce, herb sauce, marinade, mediterranean diet, sauce, spicy sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1 cup

Author Brynn at The Domestic Dietitian

Ingredients

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 cup cilantro leaves rough chop
• 1 cup parsley leaves rough chop
• 3 cloves garlic peeled, rough chop
• 1 serrano pepper seeds removed to reduce heat, rough chop
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Lightly toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small pan over the stove (about 2 minutes, just until fragrant and golden brown)
• Finely crush the toasted cumin and coriander seeds in a spice grinder or using a mortar & pestle
• Add the fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, garlic and serrano pepper to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped
• Add the crushed cumin, crushed coriander, lemon juice, paprika, and olive oil to the food processor and puree until well combined
• Sauce won’t be completely smooth, but you don’t want large chunks. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed

Notes

This recipe was inspired by Greg Malouf’s Chermoula Recipe in the book Artichoke to Za’atar