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Moroccan · Maghrebi

Chermoula

Vegetarian

شرمولة · sharmūla

A vivid Moroccan green marinade and sauce of coriander and parsley pounded with garlic, cumin, paprika, lemon and olive oil — above all for fish.

Chermoula is a Moroccan sauce from Morocco, ready in about 15 minutes and made with coriander leaves and parsley. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
0 min
Total
15 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
119

Ingredients

6 servings of 35 g

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Chop the coriander and parsley (opens in a new tab) finely by hand.

    A food processor is quicker but bruises the herbs; pulse briefly if using one.

    Fresh herbs being chopped
    How it looks · Photo: RDNE Stock project on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Pound the garlic (opens in a new tab) with the salt to a paste, then mix in the cumin, paprika (opens in a new tab) and cayenne.

    Spices being ground in a mortar and pestle
    How it looks · Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Combine the herbs and spice paste in a bowl and stir in the lemon juice (opens in a new tab), olive oil (opens in a new tab) and preserved lemon (opens in a new tab), if using.

  4. Step 4

    Use half to marinate fish for 30 minutes to 2 hours and keep the rest for serving.

    • 1 min

    Food safety: Keep marinating fish in the fridge, and don't serve marinade that has touched raw fish.

    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Morocco · Well documentedAlso common in Algerian, Tunisian and Libyan cooking.Also popular in Algeria, TunisiaMore food from Morocco
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Sauces · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method
Raw, Marinated / cured
Taste
herby, citrusy, garlicky, earthy
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead
Cook more with
Coriander leaves · Parsley · Garlic · Ground cumin · Paprika · Cayenne / chilli powder
Techniques
Marinating · Curing

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

119 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 35 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 2%
  • Carbohydrate 8%
  • Fat 90%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy119 kcal341 kcal
Protein0.7 g1.9 g
Carbohydrate2.4 g6.8 g
Net carbohydrate1.7 g4.7 g
Sugars0.4 g1.2 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre0.7 g2.1 g
Fat12.4 g35.6 g
Saturated fat1.7 g4.9 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium397 mg1134 mg
Salt equivalent1 g2.8 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
111 mg
Calcium
23 mg
Iron
1 mg
Magnesium
9 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
65 µg
Vitamin C
13 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
15 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: preserved lemon.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • A pinch of saffron or a little chopped preserved lemon gives a more festive chermoula for fish tagine.

Common mistakes

  • Marinating fish for many hours — the lemon starts to 'cook' and soften the flesh.

Serve with

  • Marinate sardines, sea bream or prawns before grilling, or for a fish tagine with potatoes and tomatoes.
  • Spoon over roast vegetables, chicken or grilled lamb.

Storage

  • Refrigerate, covered with a film of oil, for up to 3 days.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 3

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

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