Moroccan cooking class in Essaouira city
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Essaouira, Morocco
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Forgo Essaouira’s many tourist traps and try your hand at making traditional Moroccan dishes in a local’s home. Choose your menu from a long list of starters, mains, and desserts, then chop, season, and cook alongside your host before sitting down to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
- Experience Moroccan hospitality first hand on this cooking class in Essaouira
- Work at your own pace with the kitchen reserved just for you
- Learn how mint tea is poured and served while your tagine cooks
- Take the recipes with you to cook the dishes again at home.
Sample Menu
Main
Chicken tagine with candied lemon and olives
Slowly simmered with fragrant spices, this dish combines the tenderness of chicken with the tangy flavor of candied lemon and olives.
Main
Chicken tagine with prunes and almonds
Slowly simmered with sweet spices like Ras El Hanout, this dish combines the tenderness of chicken with the sweetness of prunes and the crunch of almonds.
Starter
Zaalouk: grilled eggplant puree
A delicious Moroccan salad with grilled eggplant and simmered tomatoes, with garlic, cumin, paprika and olive oil.
Starter
Shlada machwiya: Moroccan tomato and roasted pepper salad
A tasty Moroccan salad of roasted peppers and tomatoes, seasoned with garlic, cumin, paprika and a drizzle of olive oil.
Starter
Carrots and courgettes with chermoula
A vegetable salad delicately cooked then coated with a chermoula based on garlic, coriander, parsley, cumin, paprika and olive oil.
Main
Couscous
Prepared with light steamed semolina, with seasonal vegetables, meat or chicken, a rich and scented dish with spices.
Main
Rfissa
Prepared with chicken simmered with lentils, onions and spices, Rfissa is served on a bed of crumbled msemen and tasty sauce.
Main
Fish tagine with vegetables
The fish, marinated with chermoula with herbs, garlic and spices, simmers slowly with vegetables: potatoes, carrots, peppers, tomatoes.
Main
Vegetarian tagine
A tasty Moroccan dish of seasonal vegetables and spices: cumin, turmeric, ginger and fresh herbs.
Dessert
Msemen
Famous Moroccan flaky patty, prepared by hand and tasted nature, with honey or salty fillings.
What's Included
- Coffee and/or TeaParticipants learn how to make Moroccan mint tea
- Bottled water
- Meals
- WiFi
- All recipes will be provided to participants.
- Private transportation
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Avenue Princesse Lalla AminaAv. Princesse Lalla Amina, Essaouira, Morocco
Meet next to the Pharmacie de la plage, avenue Princesse Lalla Amina, Essaouira
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
PaulHehir
This was a super experience from start to finish. We were greeted by Kadija and her friendly assistant at her home in Essaoura, close to the promenade. Kadijas directions were accurate and most helpful.
We immediately got started, preparing a chicken tajine and a vegetarian tagine. Kadija explains every step and allowed photos and videos. The ingredients were really fresh and the spices were amazing. We also prepared a Moroccan salad.
When the tajines were cooked we retired to the living room and enjoyed a full Moroccan dinner. Water, Salad, Tajine, rice, homemade bread, Moroccan pastries, tea, and dessert.
Kadija also gave us pastries to bring home. We enjoyed conversation on culture, religion, family and current topics.
We felt so comfortable with Kadija and her house is very clean. Overall everything was super and the hospitality was a credit to Morocco!!
We strongly recommend this experience. Do it, you won't regret it.
Reviews
5.0
based on 66 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Catriona_O, Jun 2026
We had a wonderful experience with Khadija & her husband. Was only myself & my husband which made it even more more intimate. We had an incredibly warm welcome into their beautiful home and learned a lot about Moroccon cooking in general and specifically learned how to cook vegetable & kofta tagines. And as an incredible bonus, Khadija taught us how to make harcha bread as I'd asked about some tips for cooking it. We had a great time and spent some time chatting whilst enjoying the food we had cooked. Cannot recommend this enough. It was a fantastic evening. Thank you again.
Marisol_Z, Apr 2026
What a wonderful time we had with this wonderful couple. We joined in to make 2 tagines and a salad. We had such great conversation and so much insight into the cuisine and culture.
PaulHehir, Mar 2026
This was a super experience from start to finish. We were greeted by Kadija and her friendly assistant at her home in Essaoura, close to the promenade. Kadijas directions were accurate and most helpful.
We immediately got started, preparing a chicken tajine and a vegetarian tagine. Kadija explains every step and allowed photos and videos. The ingredients were really fresh and the spices were amazing. We also prepared a Moroccan salad.
When the tajines were cooked we retired to the living room and enjoyed a full Moroccan dinner. Water, Salad, Tajine, rice, homemade bread, Moroccan pastries, tea, and dessert.
Kadija also gave us pastries to bring home. We enjoyed conversation on culture, religion, family and current topics.
We felt so comfortable with Kadija and her house is very clean. Overall everything was super and the hospitality was a credit to Morocco!!
We strongly recommend this experience. Do it, you won't regret it.
Shane_M, Dec 2025
I’ve been coming to Morocco for several years for work, and over time I’ve completely fallen in love with the food. I had always wanted to take a cooking class, especially because I’ve struggled to recreate Moroccan dishes back home in the U.S. I chose this class because it felt more intimate and personal than many of the larger cooking schools in the Medina, and it absolutely was. We communicated in advance via WhatsApp about which dishes we wanted to prepare, which made the experience feel customized from the start. The location was easy to find, just a short walk from the Medina and not far from the beach.
Khadija and Mohammed welcomed us into their apartment, which is filled with books and warmth. Khadija speaks excellent English, and we immediately felt at home as we shared tea before beginning to cook together. She had us actively involved in preparing two tagines and a Moroccan salad, carefully explaining the spices, ingredients, and the process that brings Moroccan cooking to life. The chicken tagine and kefta tagine we made together were absolutely divine.
Afterward, we shared the meal in their living room while talking about a wide range of fascinating topics. The food was incredible, but the conversation and connection made the experience truly special. Khadija and Mohammed are wonderful human beings, and I genuinely feel that I left with new friends I will stay in touch with for years to come. I cannot recommend this experience highly enough.
Tom_E, Jul 2025
We had a wonderful experience with Khadija - she was a patient and generous teacher, and we made some beautiful food together. Thank you!
emilie_h, May 2026
If I had one word to describe this experience, it would be: authentic. Khadija welcomed us like her own family. She explained to us how to make tagines and some traditional Moroccan salads. She also provided the recipes for our prepared dishes as well as others. The entire activity was filled with interesting discussions. Her big heart is evident through the many gifts that delighted our taste buds (tea, cakes, seasonal fruits). She was attentive and understanding throughout. I highly recommend the activity; it was a highlight for my friend and me, both for the delicious cuisine and for her and her very endearing husband.
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Nancy_H, Jun 2025
It’s a rich experience at both the culinary and human levels.
Recommend without hesitation.
We prepared the typical Moroccan meal from starter to dessert. Radija accompanied us with great kindness. We were able to eat what we had prepared, in the company of our guests. We learned a lot from Morocco. We thank them for their kindness and hospitality.
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Response from Host, Jun 2025
Merci beaucoup Nancy pour votre confiance et votre gentillesse. A très bientôt !
Annick_D, Jan 2025
Une très belle expérience chez Khadija notre hôte qui nous a accueilli à bras ouverts à son domicile.Nous nous sommes sentis comme à la maison et avons pû partager le repas préparé autour d'une magnifique table .et discuter longuement avec Khadija,un bel échange de culture.
Quant à la préparation du repas pour lequel nous avons eu le choix, Khadija a su nous expliquer et nous faire participer à toutes les étapes. Une très belle surprise quant à l'utilisation des épices ,une explosion de couleurs ,de senteurs et de saveurs. Quelques étapes surprenantes pour un résultat succulent. Une immersion à ne pas rater .Merci Khadija.Bonne continuation
Emmanuelle_B, Dec 2024
Première expérience très réussie ! Nous avons été très bien reçus et nous avons pris un immense plaisir à cuisiner des plats typiques marocains. Les explications de très grandes qualités, et la dégustation un vrai régal !! Nous sommes allés acheté les épices pour préparer ces plats pour nos amis de retour en France. Nous recommandons sans hésiter cette Cooking class
Petra_K, Nov 2024
Es wurden unsere Essenswünsche berücksichtigt. Es wurde in sehr privatem Rahmen gekocht & gegessen. Es war sehr gut vorbereitet und pünktlich!
Lisa_C, Sep 2024
Avec ma soeur, nous avons adoré le cours de cuisine !! Khadija est une excellente professeur de cuisine et hôtesse. Nous sommes ravies d’avoir appris à réaliser des plats typiques et dans une ambiance conviviale et chaleureuse. Un incroyable moment de partage !!
Nous recommandons à tous de venir faire un cours de cuisine avec Khadija si vous êtes de passage à Essaouira.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Merci Lisa ! C'était un plaisir de partager ces moments avec vous deux !
A une prochaine fois !
Likely to Sell Out
From $53.15
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Moroccan cooking class in Essaouira city
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