Why It Works
- Chermoula clings to the sardines, coating them with bold, bright flavor that holds up through high-heat grilling.
- High-heat grilling quickly crisps the fish’s skin while preserving its moisture on the interior.
Few dishes capture the essence of Moroccan coastal cooking quite like grilled sardines seasoned with chermoula. In seaside cities like Safi and Essaouira, the scent of sizzling fish over charcoal fills the air, wafting through market stalls and neighborhood courtyards. Sardines are not just abundant along Morocco’s Atlantic coast—they’re foundational. They’re plentiful and affordable, and their firm flesh and robust flavor stand up beautifully to bold marinades and high-heat cooking, making them both a practical and beloved ingredient in everyday Moroccan home kitchens.
At the heart of this preparation is chermoula, a fragrant, oil-based marinade made with cilantro, parsley, garlic, lemon, cumin, and paprika. In Morocco, chermoula isn’t a single, fixed formula so much as a genre: one cook might lean into citrus, another into garlic, and another into cumin. But the combination is always vibrant and balanced. It’s bright, herb-forward, with a warm undercurrent of spice, and enough acidity to balance the natural richness of the sardines. The oil-based marinade clings to the fish rather than sliding off, so the sardines come off the grill deeply seasoned.
The grilling technique matters just as much as seasoning. Grilling sardines over a ripping-hot fire is the traditional and most rewarding method used by Moroccan street vendors and home cooks. The high heat crisps the skin in seconds, coaxing out smoky, charred notes while sealing in moisture. The result is a delicately briny interior that stays tender and succulent, wrapped in crisp skin with bits of blackened chermoula clinging to the edges. To make prep even easier, ask your seafood market to clean and butterfly the fish for you. Most are happy to oblige.
If you’ve never grilled sardines before, it helps to know that their small size and thin skin make them ideally suited for this kind of fast, intense heat. A grill basket keeps them intact and makes flipping easier. But if a grill isn’t available, roasting in a hot oven also works surprisingly well. Either way, the goal is the same: a fish that’s cooked through but still juicy, its flavor amped up by the tangy, garlicky marinade.
Sardines can also be a great sustainable seafood choice if you shop carefully. They’re also high in omega-3s and generally low in mercury. And in a world of expensive, overfished options, sardines are refreshingly affordable. This dish proves that a weeknight dinner can be quick, good for you, and profoundly delicious without relying on luxury ingredients.
In Morocco, grilled sardines like these are often served with simple sides such as bread for scooping, lemon wedges for squeezing, perhaps a tomato and cucumber salad, or a plate of roasted peppers. The dish is rustic and meant to be eaten with your fingers, shared, and savored. It’s casual food with serious flavor that brings people together around the table, or even just the grill.
This Smoky Moroccan Dish Is All You Need for an Effortless Summer Feast
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5 tablespoons (75 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the grill
1 cup (18 g) cilantro leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
1 cup (18 g) flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon harissa (optional)
1 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
1 1/4 pounds fresh sardines, cleaned, butterflied, and deboned (see notes)
Lemon wedges, for serving
In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, cumin, harissa (if using), and salt until well combined. In a separate small bowl, set aside et 1/4 cup chermoula for serving.
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Add sardines to large bowl and gently toss to coat in marinade.
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On a large plate, lay 1 sardine flat, skin-side down. Spread 1 or 2 teaspoons of marinade on top (enough to cover the surface of the fish), then place another sardine on top, skin-side up, to form a sardine “sandwich.” Repeat with remaining sardines and marinade. Cover plate loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours before grilling.
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For a Charcoal Grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled 3/4 with charcoal briquettes (4 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over bottom of grill grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
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For a Gas Grill: Turn all burners to high; cover; and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.
Lightly oil a grill basket to prevent sticking. Arrange prepared sardines in grill basket. Grill, flipping once, until skin is crisp and lightly charred and flesh is cooked through but still moist, 2 to 4 minutes per side, depending on size.
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For an Oven: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°F (220°F). Arrange stuffed sardines in an even layer on a parchment paper–lined sheet tray and bake until cooked through and skin is crisp, 10 to 14 minutes.
Transfer cooked sardines to a serving platter. Drizzle reserved 1/4 cup chermoula on top, and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
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Special Equipment
Gas or charcoal grill, 4 quarts charcoal briquettes if using charcoal grill, clamping grill basket
Make-Ahead and Storage
These sardines are best eaten right away, but leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
