Authentic Moroccan Shrimp Recipe: A Flavorful Journey to North Africa

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Spiced shrimp and gloriously rich flavors create an extraordinary dish perfect for entertaining or a quick weeknight meal.

Here's how to bring the exotic tastes of Morocco to your table with this simple yet elegant recipe.

Moroccan Style Shrimp with Couscous

These Moroccan style shrimp are simple to make and so huge on flavor! With fluffy couscous it becomes the ultimate fast weeknight delight. Tasting it was like getting transported to Morocco! The shrimp were so succulent and the couscous was so fluffy.

Ingredients:

For the Shrimp:

  • 1 dash olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Ras el hanout spice blend
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 pinch truffle salt
  • 1.5 pounds jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 1 dash Sriracha
  • 1 whole lemon zested and juiced
  • 2 tablespoons citrus cognac regular cognac or white wine would work too

For the Couscous:

  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ras el hanout spice blend
  • 1 box plain cousous 5 ounce size

Instructions:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat.
  2. Add the spices to the pan to let them "bloom" for about 30 seconds. They will open up and become so fragrant.
  3. Add the shrimp to the pan and let them cook for a couple of minutes to start to become pink and cooked through.
  4. After the couple of minutes, add the Sriracha, lemon zest and juice to the pan and stir it in.
  5. Lastly, pour in the cognac. Let the shrimp simmer in the cognac for a minute or two to let the alcohol cook off, then take the pan off of the heat.
  6. While the shrimp cook, prepare the couscous. Bring the chicken stock to a low boil in a small pot.
  7. Once it is boiling add the dill, Ras el hanout and couscous. Stir it together, cover the pot and then take the pot off of the heat.
  8. Let the couscous sit for 5 minutes to cook and become tender. When it's done, fluff it up with the fork.
  9. Scoop the couscous into pretty individual bowls or family style in a tagine. Scoop a generous portion of the shrimp on top. Be sure to get all of that lovely sauce with the shrimp too!
  10. Serve immediately and enjoy!

The centerpiece of any Moroccan dish is the spice blend. I used a traditional blend of Ras El Hanout, along with extra coriander, turmeric and smoked paprika.

Ras El Hanout is like a Moroccan curry.

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I cooked the shrimp in the spice blend, then added lemon juice, lemon zest, Sriracha and cognac. I gave the cognac a couple of minutes in the pan to let the alcohol cook off, and the Moroccan style shrimp was ready!

While the shrimp cooked, I prepared the couscous. Couscous is so traditional in Moroccan cooking and it cooks so quickly. I spiced it up with more of that amazing Ras el hangout. It only took 5 minutes to make!

The Moroccan style shrimp was ready to serve! I scooped the couscous into my pretty tagine and poured the shrimp with its glorious sauce on top of it. I loved serving family style like this.

These Moroccan style shrimp are simple to make and so huge on flavor! With fluffy couscous it becomes the ultimate fast weeknight delight.

Nutrition Facts:

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Moroccan Style Shrimp Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

  • Calories 294
  • Calories from Fat 16
  • % Daily Value*
  • Fat 1.8g3%
  • Saturated Fat 0.5g3%
  • Cholesterol 221mg74%
  • Sodium 555mg24%
  • Potassium 303mg9%
  • Carbohydrates 35g12%
  • Fiber 2.7g11%
  • Sugar 0.5g1%
  • Protein 29.6g59%
  • Calcium 50mg5%
  • Iron 4.1mg23%
  • * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Spicy Moroccan shrimp tagine recipe

Moroccan Shrimp with Tomato Sauce

Often called shrimp al pip-pil, this northern favorite can be either spicy in the sense of piquant, with plenty of cayenne pepper, or spicy in the sense of heavily seasoned, with garlic, cumin, sweet paprika, and a pinch of cayenne pepper, plus plenty of fresh cilantro and parsley. This recipe is the latter, though you can add firepower as desired.

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz of shrimp (peeled)
  • 5 medium tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley
  • 1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 tbsp of tomato paste
  • 1/2 tbsp of crushed garlic
  • 1 tsp of cumin
  • 1/4 tsp of paprika
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 1/4 tsp of pepper

Instructions:

  1. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds. Grate the inside of the tomatoes and discard the skin.
  2. On medium heat, cook the tomato puree, tomato paste, parsley, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, and all the spices for 15 minutes. Stir the sauce from time to time.
  3. On a baking plate, place the shrimp, drizzle some olive oil, and cover with the tomato sauce.
  4. Preheat your oven at 400 degrees and bake the shrimp for 15-20 minutes or until done.

Note: To grate tomatoes, halve the tomatoes crosswise. Place a small strainer over a bowl. Seed the tomatoes by running a finger through the cavity and into the strainer in order to catch all of the juices. Cup a tomato half in the palm of your hand and grate on a box grater, working so that the skin gradually flattens back as the soft flesh of the tomato comes away. All that should be left is the skin.

Middle Eastern Spiced Shrimp and Couscous Recipe

This Middle Eastern spiced shrimp and couscous recipe is the perfect idea for a quick lunch or weeknight dinner. The shrimp are cooked with the warm flavors of cumin, allspice and paprika. The couscous has fresh pops of flavor from lemon, parsley, tomatoes, pine nuts and currants.

Ingredients:

  • Shrimp
  • Couscous
  • Cumin
  • Allspice
  • Paprika
  • Lemon
  • Parsley
  • Tomatoes
  • Pine nuts
  • Currants

Instructions:

  1. To get started, toast the pine nuts (pignoli, pinoli) in a dry skillet that has been warmed over medium heat. Toss the pine nuts until they are lightly brown and fragrant.
  2. In large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Add shallots and cook 2 to 3 minutes being cautious not to burn. Add garlic, cook one minute until fragrant.
  3. Add stock to couscous and bring to a boil then turn off heat. Stir then cover. Keep covered for 10 minutes.
  4. In a skillet over medium heat, add pine nuts (pignoli). Do not add any oil to the skillet. Toast pine nuts until fragrant and lightly browned. Add to couscous.
  5. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, currants, parsley and tomatoes to couscous. Fluff couscous with fork and cover with lid while cooking shrimp. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Preheat skillet over medium-high heat on stove or on grill with olive oil, ghee, clarified butter or vegetable oil. Add frozen shrimp to pan and cook 3-4 minutes on each side until fully cooked. Note: if using Red Argentinian shrimp, they will appear cooked even with raw. Shrimp are finished cooking when internal temperature reaches 140°F on an instant read thermometer. Remove shrimp from pan just prior to them being finished cooking and set aside.
  7. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to skillet and add cumin, allspice and paprika. Cook spices for 30 seconds then add shrimp back to skillet. Add 1 tablespoon butter and stir until melted and shrimp are thoroughly cooked.

Moroccan Shrimp with Pomegranate Molasses

Spiced shrimp and gloriously rich red pomegranate sauce make even the most regular of parties glam!

Read also: Men's Moroccan Fashion

Shrimp as appetizers is kind of the perfect food. It's usually one to two bites, you can flavor it a million different ways, and it can be served hot or not.

Ingredients:

  • Shrimp
  • Cumin
  • Coriander
  • Cinnamon
  • Salt
  • Olive oil
  • Arugula
  • Lemon juice
  • Pomegranate juice
  • Sugar

Instructions:

  1. In a pot over high heat, stir together pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice until sugar dissolves. Boil until liquid thickens and is reduced to 1 cup, about 45 min.
  2. Meanwhile, toss shrimp with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt and olive oil and stir to coat.
  3. In a bowl, toss arugula with extra lemon juice and olive oil if desired. Place on a platter.
  4. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook 2 min per side until pink and opaque; place on top of arugula.

Pomegranate molasses is a hidden treasure. In it's simplest form it is just reduced pomegranate juice. I use it for steak and poultry sauces, vinaigrette, drizzling on roasted vegetables and swizzling into mixed drinks. It adds a bright, tangy and rich sweet flavor.

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tags: #Moroccan