15 Mind-Blowing Moroccan Foods You Need To Try In Morocco

These were my top 15 Moroccan foods that blew me away my first time in Morocco! Plus I even included some of my top Moroccan desserts to try!

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

Top 15 Moroccan Foods You Need To Try

A lot of popular foods in Morocco are actually a general category rather than a specific dish (like tajine and couscous). So you can have many different varieties of classic Moroccan dishes.

What this means for you, is that just because you try a dish once, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it again. In facts, it’s the opposite.

You want to try Moroccan foods as many times as you can, because no two will be the same (well unless they’re from the same restaurant!).

P.S. I did two cooking classes, like this one in Marrakech, while in Morocco and highly recommend it if you’re interested in learning more about classic Moroccan dishes and the secrets to all the best flavours.

an overhead view of a white plate filled with traditional moroccan foods to try. Sitting on a bed of couscou, there are two short, narrow, and deep red merguez saausages, a pile of prunes, beef, green lentils, som chicken and dried apricots hidden underneath some chickpeas. It's on a black patterned table settings, there's a fork and knife placed on a folded napkin next to the plate and near the top of the photo is a glass of hot mint tea

1. Tajine

Let’s start with one of the most obvious classic Moroccan dishes: tajine.

Tajine is the best example of a category for Moroccan foods. Tajine isn’t one dish, but rather just describes the cooking vessel.

A tajine is a terracotta pot with a cone shaped lid. It’s as if you said cast iron to describe a dish… So you can cooked anything you want inside a tajine.

Tagine dishes are often slow cooked chickens or stews, with some of the most soft and tender meats.

But there are three popular types of tajines I recommend seeking out: honey chicken, chicken with preserved lemon, and Berber tajine.

a vertical image. The background is out of focus, it's and outdoor restaurant, the sun is starting to peak in where it isn't covered. On the table in front of the camera sits a large terra cotta tagine. It's a burnt orange colour, but very basic. It's still covered so you don't know what's inside.

Honey chicken is a delicious blend of savoury and sweet as it uses honey but also classic Moroccan spices like cinnamon!

Chicken with preserved lemon is another unique dish. Preserved lemon is a staple in Moroccan households, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s a lemon that’s been preserved (with A LOT of salt by the way!).

Chicken with preserved lemon is cooked with this lemon, adding a beautiful brightness and acidity to the dish.

Berber tagine is another popular dish in Morocco. It’s often served with either lamb or chicken with vegetables on top.

two tagine plates on a red table cloth in a local home in Morocco. You can tell the lids you removed only seconds before because there is so much steam coming off of the dishes. In the dish on the left is a beautiful patterned vegetables, all different colours from red, yellow, orange and green. The tagine on the right has chicken with preserved lemon. It has a rich yellow colour, but the meat is so tender you can see that it's already fallen off the bones.

2. Couscous – Traditional Moroccan Food

Although you might think you are simply getting the grain, couscous describes a full meal in Morocco.

When you order couscous, it actually comes with vegetables and meat (often chicken or lamb).

The proper way to serve couscous is with the couscous on the bottom, the meat in the middle covered by all the vegetables in a tower on top.

The broth that was used to cook the vegetables and meat is then poured on the couscous for added flavours.

Fun fact: Although it’s often categorized as a grain, couscous is actually a pasta. It’s a rolled semolina flour with water.

vertical image. a table at a restaurant. A purple table is blurred out in the background with two chairs.

The foreground has a couscous meal and a glass filled with hot mint tea. The couscous is mostly covered by a pyramid of vegetables, from squash to zucchini and a piece of lettuce on top.

3. Mint Tea (Nana)

Even if you’ve had Moroccan mint tea before, it’s ten times better in Morocco!

Moroccan mint tea is actually a green tea blend. It’s Moroccan mint paired with gunpowder green tea (a green tea from China). It’s then served with more fresh Moroccan mint tea leaves in your glass and sugar can be added to taste.

Traditionally, adding sugar was a statement over adding sweetness. Sugar was a sign of wealth, so the more sugar you added, the wealthier you were.

But today you can add as much, or as little as you want for taste!

P.S. You might be interested in: Marrakech travel planner with a Moroccan food checklist!

a woman's hand is holding a small glass of moroccan mint tea, you can still see the fresh mint leaf floating in the tea, which is a yellow brew. Behind the tea is a blurred moroccan scene of a stream of water with gardens on either side, leading to a pavillion in the distance. The water is so still that you can see the reflections of the trees and the pavillion. Its a sunny day, casting a yellow hue on the photo.

Moroccan mint tea is often served as a welcome drink to guests, so it’s popular to serve when you arrive at your hotel for check-in!

Otherwise you can still order it at cafes or restaurants throughout Morocco.

The most authentic way to enjoy mint tea is to pour it out from the teapot from as high as possible!

Where to try it in Marrakech: My favourite Moroccan mint tea was actually at Cafe Majorelle (inside the Jardins Majorelle) because our waiter poured it for us and it was the highest I’d seen in Morocco!

the best mint tea pour in marrakech at the marjorelles cafe. a man is holding train with two cups in one hand, extended below his waist. Then high above his head is his second hand hold the teapot pouring tea into the cups. You can count the droplets of tea as it falls into the cups, and you still see the steam leaving the hot tea

4. Argan Oil

There are two types of argan oil – cosmetic and culinary. You’re interested in culinary argan oil (although Morocco will try to sell you on the benefits of cosmetic argan oil ad nauseam!)!

Culinary argan oil is like olive oil but instead of coming from pressing olives, it’s from grinding the kernels of the fruit of the argan tree. It also has a nutty taste rather than an olive taste!

But similar to olive oil, it’s rich enough in flavours that it can be enjoyed on its’ own, either as a dressing on salad (or couscous), or as a dip for bread.

It can also be used as an ingredient in cooking, and is used in other traditional Moroccan food!

a large straw bawl is in the middle of the frame. It's filled with smaller straw bowls with colorful rims, from purple to pink and yellow. Each one is filled with a kernal from an argan tree at different stages. Thre are whole perfect looking shiny kernels, wrinkly shells, and then roasted pits. There's also a bottle of argan oil in the large straw bowl

5. Amlou – Best Food In Morocco!

Simply put, Amlou is an almond spread.

It’s often described as Morocco’s Nutella, but feels more like a natural, sweetened, almond butter.

Amlou is a spread that’s a mix of almonds, argan oil, and honey. It’s served as a spread with jams and honey for breakfast.

Whatever you want to call it, it’s delicious.

Three blue and white patterned plates on a tables. The farthest plate is an orange yellow jelly with seeds in it. The second below it has the bottom half of the plate cut off, it looks like honey is on the plate. The last plate is amlou, it looks like natural almond butter, the colour of nut butter with little tiny bits of almond in it. It also has a shine to it, probably from the oils — *Top: fig jam, right: amlou, bottom: honey*

6. Moroccan Honey

Now I know you’ve probably had honey before, but have you had Moroccan honey?

Honey always tastes different based on where it’s from because the flowers the bees pollinate differ based on location.

So your hometown honey will most likely taste different than Moroccan honey (unless you have the same flowers!).

On top of that, Moroccan honey can come in many unique flavours, like orange blossom and cinnamon honey.

Try Moroccan honey at breakfast with different Moroccan breads (more on those in a bit!).

four jars of honey sit on a shelf, each one is a deep rich dark golden colour.

Below, are table cards with what each honey are.

The first jar has yellow strips in it, it's ginger honey. The second has more orangy strips, orange honey. The last two just look like regular honey but the labels says the third is cinnamon honey and the last one is lemon honey.

7. Merguez

I always thought merguez was from Italy, like Italian sausage. But, it’s actually from North Africa. So it should have been no surprise that it’s very popular in Morocco.

Merguez is a thin, spiced sausage, typically made with lamb, beef, or both. It’s a deep red colour because of the harissa spices mixed with the meat.

For someone who doesn’t eat pork, this was a breath of fresh air! I’m never able to eat any sausages when I travel! P.S. read my tips on travelling as a picky eater!

Where to try it in Marrakech: Terrasse Bakchich has a rooftop patio and serves traditional Moroccan food, including Merguez tajine!

a completely filled place of Moroccan cuisine. You can see cooked dried apricots, couscous, a beef merguez, chickpeas, chicken and lentils. Behind the plate is a beautifully crafted decor tagine. It's a black and white geometric Moroccan pattern

8. Fresh Local Fish (Essaouria – Coastal)

Morocco is along the coast, catering to the development of many fishing villages.

So if you’re going to the coast in Morocco (like Essaouria), you have to try try some fish.

Local fish includes sardines, mackerel, hake, whiting, sole, pandora, sea bream.

But if you’re staying in land, you can still get some Moroccan fish. We actually had a mackerel salad cooked for us by a Berber chef in the middle of the Atlas mountains.

close up of a freshly made salad. Lining the edges are orange slices and pieces of lettuce. There are piles of veggies like green peppers, greenonions, cucumbers, and tomatoes around the side, in the middle is a pile of sweet corn, and on top is cooked mackerel

9. Pastilla / B’stilla

Pastilla was my favourite new find in Morocco, It was unlike anything I’d eaten before.

You’ve probably had sweet pies before, and you might have even tried meat pies before.

But b’stilla is a mix of savoury and sweet pie all mixed in one (and it’s absolutely DELICIOUS!).

B’stilla is a meat or seafood pie that combines classic Ras El Hanout spices with the sweetness from dates and flakey pastry dough to keep it all together.

I was surprised when I saw both cinnamon and powdered sugar sprinkled on top!

Where to try it in Marrakech? I LOVED the B’stilla at Café Guerrab near Jemaa el-Fnaa.

A b'stilla on a plate. a circular stuffed filo pastry , there;s an argyle pattern made with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Below the pastry are fresh mint leaves.

10. Briouat / Briwat

Like tajine and couscous, briouat is an umbrella term for a sweet or savoury puff pastry in Morocco.

It can be either a cylindrical or triangle shape, and can be filled with anything from meat, to seafood and fish, and even cheese!

In fact, my favourite briouat in Marrakech was cheese filled from Café Guerrab near Jemaa el-Fnaa.

P.S. Easily know what food to try while you’re in Morocco, and keep track of the dishes you’ve already tried, with my Marrakech Morocco travel planner with a complete Moroccan food checklist!

Four Briouat on an ever green plate with a black ceramic cup in the middle filled with spicy mayo. The Briouat are four fried dough triangles

11. Zaalouk – Traditional Moroccan Food

Zaalouk is an eggplant side dish or a starter in Morocco. It’s essentially Moroccan baba ganoush.

It’s grilled and fried eggplant mixed tomatoes and spices to create an eggplant purée spread.

P.S. even if you doesn’t typically like eggplants because of their skin and texture, you should still try Zaalouk. It’s cooked down so much that you hardly notice the texture of the eggplant, and the spices take over!

two plates with a blue flower in the middle of each with a salad in the middle of the blue flower. On the left is a cucumber strip salad, and on the right is zaalouk. An eggplant spread

12. Khobz (Moroccan Bread)

Khobz is a traditional Moroccan style bread. And you might be wondering why I’m recommending bread as one of the best Moroccan foods to try…

Well at first you think it’s just bread, but there’s something about it that has you coming back for more.

The dough is light and soft, it’s not too sweet, and it’s addictive.

It’s often served as a side for tagine to help scoop everything up.

I had when I went on an organized hike in the high atlas mountains. The tour included a traditional Berber lunch in the valley. They served Khobz that was actually cooked by our guides grandmother!

But you can find this bread served as a side in Marrakech as well!

a loaf of moroccan bread khobz sit in a brown bread basket lined with napkins. The basket sits on a moroccan blanket, with yellow, red, purple, and orange vertical stripes

13. Semolina Pancales / Baghrir

This was my breakfast of choice every morning at the Club Med La Palmerie.

Semolina pancakes get their name from the semolina flour that’s used to make them.

You can always tell it’s a semolina pancake from its unique thousand holes on one side of the pancake. These are created by letting the pancake cook only on one side instead of flipping it halfway.

It’s also not a very sweet pancake, in fact, the flavours aren’t very strong at all. This is the vessel to pair other Moroccan spreads like amlou and honey.

Semelina-(Behghir) moroccan foods to try a typical breakfast. A plate is filled with traditional moroccan breads. The one on top is Semelina (Behghir). It looks like a traditional pancake but with a lot of tiny holes

14. Msemen

Another option for traditional Moroccan food for breakfast is msemen.

Msemen is known as a Moroccan crêpe that’s ver recognizable by its square shape. To me it was less like a crepe, as it’s thin pieces of dough folded over and pan-fried offered a chewier texture.

It’s also not overly sweet either, making it the perfect pairing to Moroccan breakfast spreads as well.

Book a local street food tour of Marrakech to try traditional Moroccan food, including Msemen!

Two msemen sit on a blue and white floral patterned plate. They are folded over to create triangles. If unfolded they would be a square. The dough is nicely cooked, a soft yellow, with a few brown spots throughout the bottom

15. Dates & Walnuts (Preferably Together!)

Both dates and walnuts are native to Morocco. In fact, Medjool dates is one of the most popular varieties of dates, and they happen to be from Morocco.

But you have to try Medjool dates and Moroccan walnuts together. I never realized what a good pairing walnuts and dates were until my Berber guide offered me this mix during our hike thourgh the Atlas mountains.

The bitterness of the walnuts are offset by the sweetness of the dates.

You don’t have to go to a restaurant to try this combination, just pick up some walnuts and dates when shopping at a market in Morocco, and mix them together!

outside of a shop is a two level bench with straw wide baskets, each are filled with walnuts or almonds

Honourable Mention: Harira

Personally, this wasn’t my favourite traditional Moroccan food, but I’m leaving it up to the fact that I only tried it from one place (which was my hotel)… so I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt!

Harira is a Moroccan soup that’s traditionally served on Ramadan to break the fast in the evenings.

You can find it at most of the touristy restaurants in the heart of Marrakech. But you might have to wait until dinner to try it because it might not be ready yet for lunch (which was our issue!).

So the one I was left trying reminded me a tad too much of Campbells tomato soup with the addition of cilantro and celery… and I don’t think this is what it’s supposed to taste like!

an overhead horizontal photo of a bowl of tomato soup with noodles. Next to the bowl is a rose shape dough ball with sesame seeds on the outside and a glazed honey look. Underneath the bowl is a napkin and a blue and white patterned table

Bonus! The Best Desserts To Try In Morocco

Moroccan desserts get their own section because there are a lot of them. I’m barely even scratching the surface, but these were some of my favourites!

The best thing to do is to order the plate of Moroccan desserts at a restaurant when you see it. This will be a variety of the most popular desserts in Morocco.

Related: A First Timer’s Guide To The Markets of Marrakech

a vertical photo of a table at the el kebir restaurant. There's a plate filled with different delicious moroccan desserts, with moroccan mint tea behind it, a salt and pepper shaker and toulal moroccan wine

Chebakia

Chebakia was my all time favourite Moroccan dessert and I only had it once in Morocco. That’s because it’s traditionally served on Ramadan or for special celebrations (it’s actually served with harira soup!).

Strips of dough are glazed in honey and orange blossom water and shaped to look like a beautiful rose.

It’s sweet, it’s crispy, it’s somehow so juicy that it melts in your mouth!

Where to find it in Marrakech? Kafe Merstan serves Chabakia with their harira!

a plate filled with two pieces of chicken pastilla and a chebakia. The pastilla looks like a covered pie with chicking filling. The chebakia is a rose shape dough ball glazed with honey and sesame seeds. In the background is a pastel moroccan building with trees and tables.

Ghriba

Ghriba is Morocco’s take on an almond cookie. It’s characterized by its’ cracked top with a light layer of powdered sugar.

And this is a Moroccan dessert so it’s not simply almond flavoured, but also aromatized with orange blossom. The ones that I tried were actually stronger in orange blossom than almond.

Kaab el Ghazal

Kaab El Ghazal, or gazelle horns, are also very easily recognizable. This was the most popular dessert we had in Morocco. It was served on every dessert platter and even with mint tea.

They’re dough filled with almond paste in the shape of a crescent moon, or gazelle horns! And as always, they’re aromatized with orange blossom.

a display of delicious moroccan desserts on a tray take up the entire photo. It has 7 columns of desserts with 4 to 7 in the row, depending on the size of the dessert.

Milk Pastilla / Ktefa

You can order chicken pastilla is for dinner and milk pastilla is for dessert!

Milk Pastilla is a layered dessert of very thin crispy pastry known as warqa, fried pieces of almonds, and custard (or thickened milk).

Where to try it in Marrakech: Mabrouka Rooftop & Sky Bar offers an amazing view with most Moroccan classics, including a milk pastilla for dessert!

a white plate with a piece of Ktefa (milk pastilla) in the middle. It looks like a piece of pie but it's thin crispy pastry layers with a cream filling. You can see crispy fried almond pieces on top with powdered sugar

Sfenj or Chfnj

Sfenj is my Moroccan Kryptonite. It was the only thing my friends dad recommend I try in Morocco (he’s from Casablanca). It was also featured on the Marrakech episode of Somebody Feed Phil.

I looked EVERYWHERE for Sfenj, from Marrakech, to Essaouria, to the High Atlas Mountains! And I still have yet to try one!

From what I understand, it’s an unsweetened doughnut.

But according to my tour guides in Morocco, it’s really a morning specialty or a late afternoon snack. Which could have been why we couldn’t find it.

a display of a selection of moroccan desserts. In the middle is chebakia - a rose shaped dessert, encircling those are gazelle horns, then there are square crackers, a circle cracker and more gazelle horns around the edge

What I found odd was that there wasn’t even a hint of a sign Sfenj shop.

If somebody knows where to find them, please share in the comments below!

Apparently this Moroccan street food tour takes you to try Chfng in Marrakech, among other Moroccan delicacies!

Honourable Mention Dessert: Tiramisu à Amlou

Tiramisu à Amlou is obviously a Moroccan take on the Italian dessert. Don’t tell the Italians, but I like this version even better than the original.

Amlou was added to the bottom of their tiramisu, adding a nutty note to the dessert.

I had it at the Terrace Grill at Heure Bleue Palais hotel in Essaouria. Unfortunately, I don’t know if it’s always on the menu.

tiramisu-a-amlou-moroccan-desserts-to-try. A glass bowl with a white mousse inside and cocoa powder on top. There's a spoon size hole in the bowl, and a spoon is on top of the bowl with the contents. You can see the cream mousse and amlou underneath

Where To Eat in Marrakech – Restaurant Suggestions

I stayed at the Club Med La Palmerie so ate most of my Moroccan meals at the hotel. They did a good job offering all the classic Moroccan dishes, including desserts. But I do recommend eating at their restaurant, El Kebir, over their buffet.

I did enjoy more traditional Moroccan food for lunch at Café Guerrab and would highly recommend it (if not for their rooftop views alone!).

We did pass by Cafés des Épices in Marrakech which had a Moroccan breakfast option and a lot of traditional Moroccan desserts to try.

Foundouk Gargaa also offers a unique terrace in the trees, a shop, and a more modern take on some of the classic Moroccan dishes.

a top marrakech things to do: eat lunch on a rooftop in the medina. There's a table for four set up against a rooftop barrier. There are moroccan printed pillows for comfort. Behind the barrier, you can see other rooftops of marrakech and finally, the mountains in the distance.

Picky Eater? Give Moroccan Foods A Chance!

I found that Morocco was one of the easiest places I’ve ever eaten as a picky eater.

I generally hate both cilantro and cinnamon (along with the similar spices like nutmeg and cardamom), which are both very popular in most classic Moroccan dishes.

But I was shocked by how much I liked everything. The way they know how to blend spices without overpowering any flavours is incredible.

a blue and white mini tagine filled with dates. The cover of the tagine is resting on the bowl, on a bit of an angle. The tagine is on a glass top coffee table, so you can see the reflection of the room on the table There's a moroccan lantern and a doorway. Across the table is out of focus, a couch with evergreen pillows and the same coffee table

And as it turns out, they’re actually using a different variety of cinnamon than we are used to in North America (which I might like it better).

It’s also very easy to eat as a vegetarian in Morocco. Although they do have a lot of meat dishes, they also cook with a lot of lentils, chickpeas and vegetables.

With that in mind, it was also very easy to actually get a balanced meal on vacation for once.

Book a Traditional Moroccan Food Tour in Marrakech

If you’re interested in learning more about the secrets behind Moroccan cuisine, book a tour with a local guide.

You can either book a cooking class (what I did), or a food tour through Marrakech.

a vertical image showing the inside of a moroccan house with a cooking class taking place. There's no solid roof, but bamboo sheets with small holes to let light in. A long table is set up on the first floor in a courtyard of the house. People are standing around, all wearing the same pink apron. The chefts stand on the left side of the table, giving instructions. Ingredients were already laid out in front, including spice bowls and a bowl of raw vegetables. Cutting boards are also placed in front of each particiapnt

In Marrakech, this is the most popular cooking class, where you pick up ingredients at the market and then learn how to cook with them.

If cooking isn’t your style, you can also book this walking food tour through Marrakech, taking you to local spots for popular Moroccan foods.

Plan Your Perfect Trip To Morocco

Here’s some information to help plan your trip to Morocco!

P.S. Make planning a trip to Morocco even easier with my printable Marrakech travel planner on Etsy!

My Amazon Morocco Travel Essentials

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two moroccan tea pots sit on a large silver tray. Behind the teapots is the set of an arabian night. There are pillow on the floor for people to sit and small tables. There are red and green lights to set the scene and there's a stage in the distance. Palm trees hang above in the dusk sky.

Book A Place To Stay In Marrakech

I stayed at the Club Med Marrakech La Palmeraie, and it was exactly what I was looking for – a mix of touring and relaxing without any of the stress that typical comes with travel.

But a more typical place to stay in Marrakech is in a Riad, a hotel with an open air courtyard in the middle. Sometimes there’s a pool, while other times it’s a lounge area.

Riad NayaNour has a few features that I appreciate compared to other Riads in Marrakech. For starters, the room and the courtyard pool are larger than most Riads I’ve looked at. Plus there’s also a rooftop for you to relax in the sun! If you’re a Booking.com Genius Level 2 member, you’ll also get breakfast included with your stay! See room rates and availability!

Riad Lyla is another good option in Marrakech, and it’s even more budget friendly! It offers a wonderful pool and rooftop for guests to enjoy and your booking even has a delicious breakfast included! See room rates and availability.

Or see more Riad and accommodation options on Booking.com.

an example of a riad hotel in Essaouira Morocco. Looking at the inner couryard form the second floor of a riad. There is a railing leading your eye to the right, there are doors a bit further inside the outdoor corridor. These outdoor corridors, with railings, go all the way around an inner courtyard, and up several stories - although you can't see how many. In the middle is a beautiful garden, you can only see the tops of some shorter palm trees, and the trunk of another one that the top is halfway cut off it's so tall.

Simple Marrakech Travel Guide

Check out my digital and printable travel guide for first timers to Marrakech Morocco.

Use it digitally on your phone to check off top attractions as you do them. Or print it out in one of three size formates, 8.5 x 11, 5.5 x 8.5, or 2.75 x 4.25 for a packable mini travel planner!

vertical image with text on top: ultimate travel guide: Marrakech Morocco. Underneath is a hand holding up a 4.25 x 5.5 size pocket travel planner. You can see the cover page which has the silhouette of a Moroccan crescent moon doorway. In the background is traditional moroccan architecture in reddish, sand, and light pink hues.

8 Pages included:

Cover Page
Morocco at a Glance: with tips and quick information about Morocco
Marrakech at a Glance: with tips and advice for traveling to Marrakech
Marrakech Top Things To Do Checklist: don’t miss a top thing to do in Marrakech by checking off activities as you do them!
Moroccan food to try checklist
Moroccan souvenirs to buy in Marrakech
Common Moroccan phrases in Arabic and French
Packing list for Morocco

See it on Etsy >>

Last update on 2024-11-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API