Moroccan cooking class in Essaouira: Learn tagine and couscous

Share stories and recipes over homemade dishes in a warm Essaouira kitchen

A two-hour cooking class in Essaouira where you prepare iconic Moroccan dishes (tagine, couscous, rfissa, and a starter) under the guidance of a fluent Moroccan chef, then sit down to eat what you've made. The class includes mint tea with homemade pastries, bottled water, and printed recipes. Children from age two are welcome.

The experience

You'll work through every step of preparing two or three Moroccan dishes, starting with ingredient prep and moving into the techniques that define the cuisine. Your guide (fluent in English, French, Arabic, and Berber) walks you through the spices that make Moroccan food distinctive: ras el hanout, saffron, cumin, cinnamon, and preserved lemon. You'll learn how to slow-cook a tagine, steam couscous to the right texture, and layer flavors the way a traditional kitchen does. The menu changes, so you might prepare chicken tagine with candied lemon and olives, or fish tagine with chermoula and vegetables, paired with a salad like zaalouk or shlada machwiya.

While the dishes simmer, you'll sit with traditional Moroccan mint tea and homemade pastries, and your guide will explain the rituals and hospitality that surround this tea in Moroccan culture. The class happens in a traditional home, not a commercial kitchen, so the setting itself is part of what you're learning. Everything uses fresh, local ingredients chosen with care. The guide emphasizes cleanliness and a mindful approach to what goes into the food.

At the end, you gather around the table in the warm atmosphere of the home and eat the dishes you've prepared together. You leave with printed recipes for everything you made, so you can recreate the meals at home.

What’s included

• All ingredients and cooking equipment.
• bottled water.
• traditional Moroccan mint tea with homemade pastries.
• printed recipes for every dish you prepare.
• the full meal you cook together.
• instruction in English, French, Arabic, or Berber from a Moroccan cooking expert.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 11:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (18 to 69 years) · Senior (70 and older) · Youth (16 to 17 years) · Child (5 to 15 years) · Infant (2 to 4 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Stroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Essaouira Cooking Class

Is this one for you?The class runs two hours and involves hands-on cooking from start to finish, so you're on your feet and actively preparing food the whole time, not watching a demonstration. If you want to learn by doing and don't mind a kitchen environment, this suits you. If you prefer to observe or need to sit throughout, look for a different format.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, French and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (16 to 17 years); Child (5 to 15 years); Infant (2 to 4 years).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What Moroccan dishes will I actually cook during the class?

You'll prepare iconic dishes like tagine (chicken with candied lemon and olives, or with prunes and almonds), couscous with seasonal vegetables or meat, and rfissa with chicken and lentils. You'll also make a starter (either a fresh or cooked salad like zaalouk or shlada machwiya), and learn to prepare Moroccan mint tea. The exact menu varies, so your guide will confirm which dishes you'll make when you book.

How long does the class run, and what happens during it?

The class lasts two hours. You'll spend the first part preparing ingredients and learning techniques: cutting, seasoning, and mastering the spices and slow-cooking methods that define Moroccan cooking. While your dishes cook, you'll relax with mint tea and pastries and learn about the rituals behind them. The class ends with you eating the food you've made together in the home.

What's included, and do I need to bring anything?

The class includes all ingredients, bottled water, mint tea with homemade pastries, printed recipes for every dish you make, and the meal itself. You don't need to bring anything. Just come ready to cook and eat.

Where exactly does the class take place?

The class happens in a traditional Moroccan home in Essaouira, not a commercial cooking school. Public transportation options are available nearby if you need them to get there.