Moroccan Brochettes & Grills
Morocco's Charcoal Grill Culture
The smell of grilling meat over charcoal is one of the defining aromas of a Moroccan medina. Brochettes (skewers) are everywhere, from humble street carts to festive family gatherings, and grilling is both everyday food and celebration ritual.
Moroccan grills are simple but expert: a long charcoal brazier, metal skewers and a practiced hand fanning the coals. The focus is on quality meat, a good marinade and the smoky char that only live fire delivers.
Lamb, Beef and Chicken Brochettes
Classic brochettes feature cubes of lamb or beef, often interspersed with a piece of fat to keep them juicy, threaded onto skewers and grilled fast over hot coals. Lamb is especially prized for its flavor.
Chicken brochettes, marinated in chermoula or a blend of paprika, cumin, garlic and lemon, are equally popular and slightly lighter. All are seasoned simply so the smoke and the meat carry the dish, served with bread to slide the meat off the skewer.
Kefta and Merguez
Kefta brochettes, made of seasoned ground beef or lamb molded onto skewers, are a grill staple, juicy from the onion and herbs in the mix. They cook quickly and are beloved for their bold, spiced flavor.
Merguez, a spicy red sausage of lamb or beef seasoned with harissa, cumin and paprika, is another grill favorite. Its fiery, fatty richness makes it a perfect partner to plain bread and a fresh tomato-onion salad.
Boulfaf and Grilled Offal
Boulfaf is a celebrated grilled dish of lamb liver, traditionally wrapped in caul fat (the lacy membrane) and skewered, then grilled until the fat crisps and bastes the liver. It is especially associated with Eid al-Adha.
Other grilled offal, including heart and kidney, also appears at street stalls. Seasoned with cumin, salt and chili, these skewers are an acquired but deeply traditional taste that many Moroccans adore.
How Brochettes Are Served
Brochettes are typically served in batches with rounds of bread, small bowls of ground cumin and salt for dipping, harissa or hot sauce, and a fresh chopped salad of tomato and onion. Diners pull the meat off the skewer with bread.
At grill houses you often order by the skewer or by weight at the butcher counter, then have your meat grilled to order. The communal, hands-on style of eating makes a brochette meal social and unhurried.
Grills for Celebrations
Grilling reaches its peak at Eid al-Adha, when families slaughter a sheep and grill fresh boulfaf, brochettes and chops over open fires. The fresh, just-butchered meat needs little seasoning and is a high point of the festival.
Beyond Eid, weddings, picnics and weekend outings all center on the grill. The charcoal brazier brings people together, and a steady supply of skewers, bread and tea defines the relaxed pleasure of a Moroccan grill feast.
| Skewer | Meat | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lamb brochettes | Cubed lamb with fat | Most prized for flavor |
| Chicken brochettes | Marinated chicken | Lighter, chermoula-based |
| Kefta brochettes | Spiced ground meat | Juicy, herb-rich |
| Merguez | Spicy lamb or beef sausage | Fiery, harissa-spiced |
| Boulfaf | Lamb liver in caul fat | Eid al-Adha specialty |
Types of Moroccan grilled skewers
FAQ
What are Moroccan brochettes?
Moroccan brochettes are charcoal-grilled meat skewers, made from lamb, beef, chicken or spiced ground kefta. They are marinated in cumin, paprika and herbs and served with bread, salad and a dip of cumin-salt.
What is boulfaf?
Boulfaf is grilled lamb liver wrapped in caul fat and skewered, traditionally eaten at Eid al-Adha when the sheep is freshly slaughtered. The crisping fat bastes the liver, and it is seasoned simply with cumin and salt.
What is the difference between kefta and merguez?
Kefta is spiced ground meat molded onto skewers and grilled, while merguez is a spicy sausage of lamb or beef seasoned with harissa and packed in casing. Both are grill staples but merguez is hotter and sausage-shaped.
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