Chermoula (North African Cilantro Parsley Sauce)

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Chermoula is a vibrant, earthy and aromatic North African sauce and marinade commonly used in Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian cuisines. This recipe is incredibly easy to make and quite adaptable too! Traditionally the sauce is used to flavor fish and seafood.

I think it also works really well with grilled meats, like my pistachio-crusted rack of lamb or Greek Lamb Chops.

A bowl of North African Chermoula sauce on a wooden board.

A Little Bit About Chermoula

This popular North African condiment includes a blend of fresh herbs, spices, and aromatics. The recipe roughly consists of parsley, cilantro, garlic, and preserved lemon, combined with olive oil, lemon juice, and warming spices like cumin, paprika, and coriander.

Chermoula can vary slightly by region from family to family. This is my take on the sauce and it might not pass muster with purists, but what’s great about this sauce is that you can adapt it to your tastes.

If you are a fan of herby sauces, try some of my other recipes like Mint Chimichurri (with pomegranate molasses) and Red Chimichurri. And if you want to stick with North African flavors, try my Harissa Paste recipe too!

Ingredients

This recipe is quite straightforward and odds are you probably have all the pantry and fresh ingredients you need to make it right now.

Fresh Herbs: Fresh flat-leaf parsley and fresh cilantro (also known as fresh coriander) are the basis for this sauce. I would urge you to stay away from curly parsley! It’s not great to work with and honestly doesn’t taste that great either. Flatleaf Italian parsley is key! If you only have parsley on hand, I suggest you try making my Hand chopped chimichurri. If you only have cilantro on hand, make my Cilantro Chimichurri instead.
Ground spices: What gives this sauce its earthy flavor is a combination of warm spices. You will need ground cumin, ground coriander, and smoked paprika (or sweet paprika). Chili flakes (or cayenne pepper) can also be used to give the sauce some heat, but feel free to use as much or as little as you like.
Citrus: I am using a combination of lemon zest and fresh lemon juice here. However, traditionally the recipe would use preserved lemons in combination with or instead of fresh lemons. Preserved lemons are not a common ingredient, so if you have those, feel free to use a small amount to start.

Refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this page for the full list of ingredients and quantities.

How to Make This Chermoula Sauce Recipe

Nothing could be simpler than this 2-step recipe!

A food processor filled with all the chermoula recipe ingredients.

Step 1. Load your processor. To a small food processor, add the fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, garlic cloves, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, paprika, chili flakes, a big pinch of salt and fresh cracked pepper.

A food processor showing the fine consistency of the finished chermoula sauce.

Step 2. Process. Chop or process until you have a lightly chunky sauce similar in consistency to chimichurri. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Expert Tips

Use the stems. Parsley and cilantro stems have lots of flavor, but also add body to this sauce. You can totally use them.
Don’t over-process. Chermoula should have a little bite to it. Don’t over-process and turn it into a puree!
Use whole spices. If you have whole cumin seeds and/or coriander seeds, toast them in a dry pan on medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant and grind them in a spice mill. This will add much more depth of flavor to your finished chermoula.
One flavorful sauce, different ways to use it. The sauce itself can be used as a garnish on meats and vegetables. But it can also be used as a marinade for seafood before grilling. It can even be used to dress steamed or boiled vegetables.
Grow your own! Growing parsley and cilantro is easy and very rewarding! Give it a go if you have a garden. They can even be grown in pots!

Recipe FAQs

Can I make Chermoula in advance?

Certainly, you can prepare this sauce a day before you need to use it or serve it. Store it in an air-tight container in the fridge.

What is the best way to store leftover chermoula?

In a glass airtight container in the fridge, and use within 3-4 days. Beyond that, the sauce may lose its vibrancy. If you plan to use it as a marinade, you can freeze it in an ice cube tray and transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. The cubes can then be defrosted as needed when marinating white fish, shrimp or other seafood. Use frozen sauce within 6 months.

Other Herby Sauces

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