7 Moroccan Dishes to Try When Visiting

It is almost without a doubt that we can say, regardless of whether you have visited morocco, you likely will have experienced dishes inspired by their cuisine. From slow-cooked meats to hearty soups, the influence that Moroccan food, both in flavour and technique, has had over modern European recipes is far felt.

Whether you’re planning a trip to the country and sample the authentic flavours in person, or want to bring a taste of North Africa into your home, we’ve listed some of the tastiest Moroccan dishes that should not be skipped.

Bissara

Popular in Marrakech especially, this soup-style dish consists of dried, pureed broad beans and flavoured with a range of spices such as cumin and salt. Additionally, it’s common to find olive oil, lemon juice and hot red peppers added to the soup.

It is often served for breakfast in colder cities towards the north of the country, especially during the winter months, as it is both inexpensive and filling.

Tagine

Tagine is perhaps the most famed Moroccan native dish and one that is entirely inescapable when visiting. Whether being offered tagine cooking pots in the souks or being fed freshly cooked bowls of the food in restaurants, it is a staple dish in the country and rightly so.

Tagines can be cooked on a variety of heat sources, but should always be low intensity, to avoid cracking the pot.

The flavours that can come from cooking in a tagine are truly breathtaking, with dishes of tagine usually served with chunks of bread to soak up any remaining sauce. There is an infinite number of combinations for tagines, with most using either meat, poultry or seafood, along with a range of spices.

Tangia

Very similar to tagine, tangia also takes its name from the type of pot that the dish is cooked in. As opposed to the shallow, rounded dish that tagines are cooked in, the tangia is an urn-style pot, much deeper and narrower. These dishes were popular with market sellers, often used as picnic food on their day off, offering a tasty, wholesome meal.

To create a tangia, the pot is stuffed with the ingredients, such as meat or vegetables, along with the necessary flavouring ingredients, including salted butter, lemon, garlic and spices. This is then slow-cooked on hot coals, allowing the meat to become tender and flavoursome. This dish is also traditionally eaten with bread.

Maakouda

Imagine a hash brown, and then imagine something similar but a thousand times better, then you have maakouda. These deep-fried balls of goodness are made from potato along with a variety of spices to flavour them, often used as snacks or sandwich fillings and found readily in cities.

Maakouda sandwiches can be bought pennies from street sellers, making a cheap and filling snack to fuel your afternoon!

These are often served with a sauce or dip and can serve as a fantastic snack to eat while exploring the markets or sights across Morocco. They are also very easy to make at home and can be a perfect introduction to Moroccan cooking.

Kefta

Cooked in the tagine pot that Moroccans know and love, kefta is a dish that includes cherry-sized meatballs made from lamb or beef and can be cooked in a variety of ways such as grilling or barbecuing, although being cooked in a tagine is also very popular!

The meat is flavoured using the typical array of spices and is one of the quicker dishes to produce in this list as the meat is only cooked for between 40 and 50 minutes. The dish is typically finished with eggs on top and allowed to cook for a further ten minutes, served with crusty bread.

R’fissa

A communal, shared meal that is often used for families and social occasions, this tasty dish actually has Arabic roots. This is a hearty course of food and consists of lentils, chicken, fenugreek seeds along with the usual flavouring of spice.

The stew is served atop a bed of shredded crepes delivering a powerful flavour and a somewhat unique texture. Often eaten at celebrations, this dish usually sits in the middle of the table and is shared between guests.

Chebakia

If you’re a regular reader of our blog, you’ll know that we’ve already posted a super simple recipe for Moroccan chebakia. These small sesame covered cookies are particularly popular during weddings and other special occasions.

If you’re making these at home, why not get the kids involved?

Chebakia is a Moroccan take on a cookie, flavoured with spices and honey to make this an ideal exotic sweet treat! Although they can be time-consuming to make, the result is always worth it!

Let us know if you decide to make any of these fantastic Moroccan meals at home, or if you’ve tried them while visiting the country! Get in touch on Facebook or Twitter!

You can also book your Moroccan adventure right here with us, our desert experience is particularly popularly, allowing you to get out into the wild along with having time to explore the city of Marrakech.