Moroccan Comfort Food Recipes

Any traditional steamed couscous dish qualifies as Moroccan comfort food, but this one is especially good. Steamed couscous is piled high with stewed meat and vegetables. You can omit the meat if you prefer to prepare a vegetarian couscous. 

Zesty stewed lentils with or without meat are Moroccan comfort food at its best. Serve them as a side dish or entrée. This vegetarian version also can be made with meat (khlea (khlii).

Saucy and just spicy enough, these stewed white beans are extremely satisfying whether eaten with a spoon or scooped up the traditional way with crusty khobz.

This zesty lentil, tomato, and chickpea soup recipe yield a delicious, hearty harira which can be served as a light supper. Although it's especially popular in ​Ramadan, Moroccans enjoy it year-round and even serve it at breakfast.

Cracked wheat (dchicha dyal zraa') is used to make this easy, satisfying Moroccan soup. The recipe yields a somewhat peppery broth; reduce the ginger and pepper slightly for a milder soup. 

Kalinti (also called karane or karantika, and garantita in Algeria) is a flan- or quiche-like dish made from chickpea flour and eggs. It's popular in the north of Morocco, where it's sold by the slice as a street food.

The word bocadillo is Spanish, but Moroccans also use it to describe a hoagie-style sandwich which is sold as a street food and widely available in sandwich shops. This version features a popular combination of tuna, olives, onions, and boiled potatoes.

Merguez sausage is both a convenience and comfort food which many families serve with eggs. Here, this simple dish is elevated by adding some onion, tomatoes, and olives along with the meat.

Moroccan meatball tagine is a classic family dish that's good enough to serve to familiar guests. Well-seasoned meatballs are cooked in a spicy tomato sauce. Eggs are an optional but classic addition. Use a traditional tagine or a deep, wide skillet with a lid.

Sliced liver is marinated with cumin and paprika and then cooked with a generous quantity of fried or caramelized onions. Make the dish spicier by adding cayenne pepper, and serve on a bed of mashed potatoes (puré de batata) for a satisfying, homestyle meal.

Grilled meats are mostly enjoyed as simple, casual meals with khobz or batbout, Moroccan salad of roasted pepper and tomatoes, and steaming hot Moroccan mint tea. This recipe for marinated lamb or beef kebabs is very popular.

Seffa is a famous Moroccan dish which features a mound of steamed vermicelli or couscous sweetened with raisins, butter, and confectioners' sugar. Ground fried almonds are a traditional garnish. In this recipe, a savory, saffron-infused preparation of meat or chicken is buried within the seffa, transforming it from a dessert course into a main dish.

Tagines are slow-cooked stews traditionally prepared in clay or ceramic tagines. Although practically any tagine qualifies as comfort food, meat, and dried fruit tagines are especially satisfying with their blend of sweet and spicy flavors. This version with dried apricots can be made with lamb, beef or even chicken.

Although rfissa is often prepared as a special occasion dish, it also qualifies as comfort food at its best. A fragrant and flavorful chicken and lentil stew are seasoned with saffron, ginger, ras el hanout and fenugreek contribute to its unique flavor.

Mrouzia—sometimes spelled m'rouzia—is a sweet and spicy Moroccan tagine traditionally prepared in the days following Eid Al Adha, or Eid Al Kabirr. Lamb is most popular at this time, but beef or goat meat can also be used. Even when served outside of Eid, the dish tends to be enjoyed with much sentiment.

Chicken with preserved lemons and olives is a very popular family dish which is also often offered to guests. Marinating the chicken for a few hours or overnight is optional. This version of the recipe explains traditional preparation when cooking in an authentic tagine but links to similar recipes for conventional stovetop and slow-roasting methods.

This is an easy, delicious way to prepare slabs of lamb spareribs. The meat is coated with a butter, herb, and spice mixture, and then slow-roasted in the oven to buttery tenderness. Optional basting with honey adds sticky, finger-licking sweetness. Serve the spareribs with salt and cumin for dipping. 

This simple family meal is easily prepared with large pieces of lamb in a pressure cooker. Both the lamb and the accompanying steamed vegetables are served plain with salt and cumin on the side for dipping. Steamed sheep's head is another traditional dish enjoyed by many Moroccans.

Variety meats may not top the list of comfort foods in the West, but many Moroccans appreciate the traditional flavors and textures of this dish as a homestyle treat.

This simple, traditional dish made with khlea (dried, preserved meat) and pan-fried eggs is popular for breakfast, but many families serve it at other times of the day. It's a quick, last-minute lunch or easy evening meal.

Dried fava beans (ful in Arabic), garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil are used to make a tangy Moroccan dip called bessara. Serve bessara as a vegetarian main dish or offer it as a side. If you like, it can be thinned and eaten as a soup.

A number of Moroccan salads are, in fact, dips. This zesty cooked salad of eggplant and tomato is one homey, satisfying example. Although it's often offered as a side, it can suffice as a vegetarian main dish when served with crusty Moroccan bread.

This spicy vegetarian carrot and chickpea tagine is quite versatile and very satisfying. Although tagines are traditionally served with Moroccan bread for scooping everything up like a dip, this dish works quite well over a bed of rice or couscous.

Both a street food and a comfort food, sfenj are Moroccan doughnuts made by deep frying a sticky, unsweetened yeast dough. Serve them warm, either plain or dusted with sugar, for breakfast or tea time.

Beghrir ​is tender Moroccan pancakes made from semolina. Yeast in the crepe-like batter causes hundreds of bubbles to form and break on the surface of each pancake as it cooks. This gives beghrir its unique texture and appearance. They're usually served dipped in a bubbling hot syrup of butter and honey.

This square-shaped version of rghaif (a type of dough which is shaped and pan fried) is an example of comfort breakfast or tea time fare in Morocco. Although they can be eaten plain, many Moroccans like them best with a traditional coating of hot syrup made from butter and honey.

This traditional dessert is at the top of many comfort food lists. Crispy warqa pastry is layered with sweetened fried almonds and a custard sauce (crème anglaise) scented with orange flower water to make a wonderful meal finale or snack.