similar to chimichurri, chermoula sauce is packed with garlic & punchy fresh herbs (like cilantro, parsley, mint), but it also has a hint of warmth from spices common in north african & middle eastern cooking (cumin & coriander ftw!). it’s traditionally served over grilled fish…but i’m pretty sure once you have it you’ll want to put it on everythaaang.
pin this chermoula sauce recipe for later!!!
an easy 5-minute chermoula recipe
don’t even say it! i know exactly what you’re thinking!
“wtf is chermoula?!?!”
right?!
i mean, i don’t blame you at all – it’s certainly the thought that went through my mind the first time i heard of it.
the easiest way to describe it? chermoula is basically moroccan chimichurri.
what is chermoula sauce?
similar to chimichurri, chermoula (pronounced “sher-moolah”) is packed with garlic & punchy fresh herbs (hello cilantro, parsley, mint), but it also has a hint of warmth from spices common in north african & middle eastern cooking (cumin & coriander ftw!). it’s traditionally served over grilled fish, but i’m pretty sure once you have it you’ll want to put it on everythaaang.
i fell in love with chermoula when i was working as a server at a lake resort in college. chef kept it on our menu all summer long & it wasn’t long before i feel head over heels for it. it adds a suckerpunch of bright & punchy freshness to whatever you put it on. plus, since it pretty much goes with anything, it’s another great all-purpose sauce to keep in your arsenal!
chermoula ingredients
pin this chermoula sauce recipe for later!!!
this chermoula sauce is really easy to whip up, once you’ve got all of your ingredients on hand. aside from some fresh herbs, you just need some spices that you probably already have in your spice rack – nothing crazy here!
- cilantro
- parsley
- mint
- lemon
- garlic
- olive oil
- ground coriander
- ground cumin
- smoked paprika
- & a pinch of crushed red pepper flake (optional, but i love it!)
add all of the ingredients to a food processor with a splash of water & pulse to combine. easy as that!
pin this chermoula sauce recipe for later!!!
how to use chermoula sauce
turn to chermoula whenever you want to add a good pop of brightness & freshness to whatever you’re grilling. i’d challenge you to give it a try whenever you’re tempted to make pesto or chimichurri (for the zillionth time…).
a few ideas that’ll never do you dirty:
- drizzled overtop grilled fish or shrimp (that’s how it’s traditionally used in north african cuisine!)
- grilled chicken
- grilled pork chops
- tossed into your favorite summery salad
- slathered on a grilled burger or turkey burger (???)
my personal favorite way to put this chermoula sauce recipe to use is to let it do double duty at dinnertime. use it as a marinade for some juicy chicken thighs & as an easy dressing for a quinoa salad. grill the chicken over medium-high heat until charred & serve alongside the chermoula quinoa salad (with add-ins like bell pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, chickpeas & golden raisins). so healthy. so good. 
pin this chermoula sauce recipe for later!!!
other recipes you’ll love!
- pwwb summer sauce {easy creamy vegan chimichurri}
- 7 go-to grill marinade recipes
- shawarma marinade {another great grill marinade with middle eastern spices!}
- grilled chicken shawarma hummus bowls {perfect for meal prep!}
- learn more about grilling basics: grilling 101
- all pwwb grilled recipes
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chermoula sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: sauces & condiments
- Method: no-cook
- Cuisine: Moroccan
Description
Similar to chimichurri, chermoula is packed with garlic & punchy fresh herbs (like cilantro, parsley, mint), but it also has a hint of warmth from spices common in North African & Middle Eastern cooking (cumin & coriander ftw!). It’s traditionally served over grilled fish…but I’m pretty sure once you have it you’ll want to put it on everythaaang.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds meat or veggies of choice
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup water
- 2 cups packed cilantro leaves
- 1 cup packed parsley leaves
- ¼ cup packed mint leaves
- 1 large lemon, zested & juiced
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- optional: pinch crushed red chili flake
Instructions
- Blend the chermoula sauce: Add all listed ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Blend to combine, just until very fine pieces of the fresh herbs remain. Use immediately, or transfer to a jar or airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Marinate: Pour the chermoula sauce marinade over your meat or veggies of choice. Marinate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
- Grill as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chermoula doubles as a really great salad dressing: I know we’re talking all about grilling marinades here, but drizzling chermoula all over a big, fresh summery salad will NEVER do you wrong. Pinky promise.
- Meal prep tip: Chermoula sauce holds up really freaking well, aka it’s the perfect thing to meal prep at the beginning of the week & proceed to put on everythaaang throughout the week. In fact, storing it in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator really helps the flavors meld together even more! You can’t go wrong with a jar of chermoula sauce in your fridge!
Keywords: chermoula, chermoula sauce, chermoula sauce recipe
don’t forget to pin this chermoula recipe for later!!!
I actually never ask substitution questions buuuuut I feel like the best part of these types of marinades it how fresh it tastes. I know I could *technically* skip the mint, but I don’t wanna…would you vote skip or add some dried mint? I feel like this is the kind of marinade that is sunshine on a rainy (quarantine) day and want to do it up!