Ingredients & pantry
What fresh herbs are used in Moroccan cooking?
- The big two
- Coriander + parsley
- Tea and salads
- Mint
- In chermoula
- Coriander, parsley, garlic
- Also seen
- Oregano, thyme, verbena
Quick answer
The three fresh herbs at the heart of Moroccan cooking are coriander (cilantro), flat-leaf parsley and mint. Coriander and parsley are used together in huge quantities — chopped into tagines, soups like harira, salads and marinades such as chermoula. Mint is the herb of tea but also appears in some salads. Others include fresh oregano and thyme (za'atar as a plant), and occasionally verbena and wormwood for infusions. Dried herbs feature too, but fresh coriander and parsley define the cuisine's green backbone.
Coriander and parsley: the green base
If Moroccan cooking has a signature fresh flavour, it's the combination of coriander (cilantro) and flat-leaf parsley, used together and often in generous handfuls. They're finely chopped and stirred into tagines, folded through soups like harira, blended into marinades, and scattered over finished dishes. This herb duo is the fresh, green counterpoint to Morocco's warm dried spices, keeping rich, slow-cooked food bright and lively.
They're the backbone of chermoula, the coriander-parsley-garlic-cumin-paprika marinade used for fish and vegetables — see what is chermoula? Many home cooks buy the two herbs tied together in a single bunch, a testament to how often they're used side by side.
Mint and the herbs of the glass
Mint is most famous as the herb of Moroccan tea — spearmint steeped with green tea and sugar into the national drink. But it's also used fresh in some salads and as a garnish. Beyond mint, a range of aromatic plants flavour infusions: fresh verbena (louisa), wormwood (chiba, used in winter tea), and various wild herbs turn up in the teapot depending on season and region. See what mint tea is made of.
This overlap between the kitchen and the tea tray is very Moroccan — the same fresh, fragrant plants that season food also perfume the drink that accompanies it.
Oregano, thyme and dried herbs
Beyond the fresh trio, Morocco uses aromatic oregano and thyme — the plant za'atar (not to be confused with the Levantine spice blend of the same name; see Moroccan za'atar). These appear fresh and dried in some meat dishes, marinades and infusions, and dried herbs are worked into smen and certain preserves. Bay leaf shows up in some braises.
For the dried-spice side of the pantry, see Moroccan spices; for the fresh produce, our ingredients guide and the market guide show what to look for.
Related questions
What is the most-used herb in Moroccan cooking?
Fresh coriander (cilantro) and flat-leaf parsley, used together, are the most-used herbs — chopped into tagines, soups, salads and marinades in generous amounts.
Do Moroccans cook with mint or just use it for tea?
Mint is mainly the herb of tea, but it also appears fresh in some salads and as a garnish. Its starring role, though, is in the teapot.
What herbs are in chermoula?
Chermoula is built on fresh coriander and parsley with garlic, cumin, paprika, lemon and oil. It's the classic marinade for fish and vegetables.
Is Moroccan za'atar an herb or a spice blend?
In Morocco, za'atar usually refers to the wild thyme/oregano plant itself, distinct from the Levantine za'atar spice blend of thyme, sumac and sesame.