Tools & utensils
The Mijmar: Cooking Over Charcoal, Moroccan Style
Before gas reached every kitchen, Moroccan food was cooked over charcoal in a mijmar, the portable brazier that still perfumes courtyards and rooftops today. Low and steady, it braises a clay tagine to perfection; stoked hotter and fitted with a grill, it sears brochettes and kefta. Learning to manage its coals unlocks a flavour that a hob simply cannot give.
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- Tools & utensils
- Updated
- 19 July 2026
At a glance
- The mijmar is a portable clay or metal charcoal brazier, sometimes called a kanoun.
- It excels at gentle heat for slow tagine braising, and at fierce heat for grilling.
- Managing the coals — how many, how spread — is how you control the temperature.
- Only ever use it outdoors or in full ventilation; charcoal produces deadly carbon monoxide.
What a mijmar does best
A mijmar holds a bed of glowing charcoal beneath a grate or a resting ring for a pot. For tagines, a modest scatter of coals gives the slow, all-around, gentle heat that clay loves, which is exactly the environment tagines were invented for; the result is meltingly tender meat and a rounded, faintly smoky depth. For grilling, a fuller, hotter bed under a metal grate chars brochettes, merguez and kefta quickly.
The same brazier therefore covers two very different jobs depending on how you build and manage the fire. Many Moroccan cooks keep the mijmar for weekend and celebration cooking, when there is time to tend coals, and use gas for weekday speed.
Lighting and managing the coals
Good charcoal cooking is all about the fire. Build it well and let it settle before you cook.
- Light cleanly: use a chimney starter or natural firelighters, not chemical fluid that taints food.
- Wait for ash: cook once the coals glow and are dusted grey, not while flames leap.
- Fewer coals for tagines: a thin, gentle bed for slow braising under clay.
- More coals for grilling: a deeper, hotter bed under a grate for searing brochettes.
- Move, do not smother: rake coals to one side to make hot and cool zones.
Safety, clay versus metal, and care
The one non-negotiable rule is ventilation: burning charcoal releases carbon monoxide, which is odourless and can be fatal indoors. Use a mijmar only outside or in a fully open, well-ventilated space, keep it clear of anything flammable, and let coals burn out or be doused safely. Never bring a lit brazier into a closed room to keep warm.
Clay braziers give a gentle, traditional heat and are prized for tagines but are fragile and crack if knocked or shocked; metal ones are tougher, heat faster and travel better. Between uses, empty the ash, keep the brazier dry, and check clay for cracks. Pair a mijmar with a clay tagine or metal skewers — see the skewers guide — and the stove-type guide for why charcoal suits clay.
Frequently asked questions
What is a mijmar?
A mijmar is a portable Moroccan brazier, made of clay or metal, that holds burning charcoal for cooking. Also called a kanoun, it is used to braise tagines over gentle heat and to grill brochettes and kefta over a hotter bed of coals.
Can you use a mijmar indoors?
No. Burning charcoal releases carbon monoxide, an odourless and potentially fatal gas, so a mijmar must be used only outdoors or in a fully ventilated open space. Never light or keep a charcoal brazier in a closed room.
How do you cook a tagine on a mijmar?
Light the charcoal, let it burn down to grey-dusted embers, and use only a thin, gentle bed of coals so the clay heats slowly and evenly. Set the tagine above the coals and braise low and slow, adding a few coals if it needs more time.
Is a clay or metal brazier better?
Clay gives a gentle, traditional heat ideal for tagines but is fragile and can crack; metal heats faster, is tougher and travels better, suiting grilling and outdoor use. Choose clay for slow braising and metal for durability and higher-heat cooking.