Like in any country, one of the best ways to familiarize yourself with Moroccan culture is through their food. And in my opinion, the best way to get to know Moroccan cuisine is by taking a cooking class.
It’s one thing to enjoy a traditional Moroccan meal, but it’s another to learn how to make it. It’s like looking under the cuisine’s hood.
Morocco is home to one of the most colorful cuisines in Africa. It’s an interesting blend of Berber, Andalusian, and Mediterranean cuisines with notable sub-Saharan and European influences. When I think of Moroccan cuisine, the first word that comes to mind is flavor (followed by tagine).
Year after year, Morocco remains one of the most visited cities in Africa, and its most popular city is Marrakech. It’s the tourist capital of the country and the best place to learn the culinary art of Moroccan cooking.
There are many cooking classes in Marrakech, so we’re here to help you find the best one. Let’s fire up that tagine!
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8 OF THE BEST COOKING CLASSES IN MARRAKECH
We partnered with our friends at Cookly to come up with this guide to the best cooking classes in Marrakech. Moroccan food is a joy to make and these eight cooking classes are currently the most popular and highly-rated classes they have in Marrakech.
We took the first class on this list – at La Maison Arabe Marrakech – which is by far the most popular. I’ll describe it in more detail below but here’s a quick comparison chart of the eight cooking classes featured in this guide.
You can click on the links to go to the cooking class booking page. All classes offer free cancellation as long as you cancel 48 hours before the start of the class.
| Name of Cooking Class | Price (USD) | Start Time | Length of Tour |
| 1. Half-day Cooking Workshop in La Maison Arabe | $60 | 10AM, 3PM | 3 hrs |
| 2. Tajine Cooking Class in Riad Jona Marrakech | $50 | 2:30PM, 5:30PM | 2.5 hrs |
| 3. Moroccan Cooking Class on a Farm by L’Atelier Faim d’Epices | $67 | 9:30AM | 6.5 hrs |
| 4. Moroccan Cooking Class With Chef Khmisa | $38 | 10AM, 2:30PM | 4 hrs |
| 5. Moroccan Fusion Class with 8 Dishes | $95 | 8:50AM | 6 hrs |
| 6. Berber Cooking Class Day Trip from Marrakech to Atlas Mountains | $88 | 9AM | 8 hrs |
| 7. Half-day Cooking Experience on Moroccan Dishes | $30 | 10AM, 4PM | 4 hrs |
| 8. Make Tasty Berber Crepes with Joy | $17 | 9:30AM, 3:30PM | 3 hrs |
1. Half-day Cooking Workshop in La Maison Arabe
As described, this was the cooking class we took. It’s held at La Maison Arabe Marrakech, a respected 5-star hotel in the medina. We’ve taken cooking classes in many cities around the world but this was the most high-tech. You’ll see what I mean later.
The class started at this salon where the chef gave us a brief introduction to Moroccan culture, Moroccan food, and the different spices and ingredients used in Moroccan cuisine.
After the primer on Moroccan culture and cuisine, the chef and his assistant served us cups of freshly brewed mint tea.
Remember what I said about this cooking class being the most high-tech class we’ve ever taken? These video screens are why.
Aside from the spotless and well-organized kitchen, what makes this class stand out are these video screens. Every cooking station is equipped with a dedicated monitor so students can easily follow what the chef is doing. How cool is that?
Here’s my better half intently watching the chef’s demo from the comfort of her station. After seeing this kitchen setup, it makes me wonder why more cooking schools don’t do this. It makes following the chef’s instructions so much easier.
The chef gave us a bread-making demo and invited a few students to come up to her station and knead the dough. My wife loves making bread so she jumped on the opportunity. There she is on the screen!
We learned to make three dishes today – zaalouk, taktuka, and chicken tagine.
Here we are prepping the fresh ingredients for zaalouk, a Moroccan salad of cooked eggplant and tomatoes.
You can’t talk about Moroccan cuisine without mentioning tagine. An emblematic symbol of Moroccan cooking, it refers to this conical cooking vessel and the dishes cooked in it. Today, we learned how to make chicken tagine.
Here are our artfully aranged plates of zaalouk and taktuka. We learned how to make those tomato roses ourselves.
Pair either side dish with khobz (traditional Moroccan bread) and you’re golden. These were delicious.
And voila! Behold our beautiful chicken tagine.
Moroccan cooking is a culinary art that’s best represented by the traditional tajine. There are many delicious dishes in Morocco but nothing is more representative of the cuisine than tagine. It’s a main dish that can be made with different types of meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, and fruit.
We had another engagement so we couldn’t stay, but students are invited to the main dining room to enjoy what they cooked after the class. Each student is also given a pre-made pastilla au lait for dessert. Thankfully, they were kind enough to pack what we cooked in takeaway boxes.
We haven’t taken any other cooking classes in Marrakech but based on popularity alone, then this class at La Maison Arabe Marrakech is the best one. We certainly enjoyed it and can happily recommend it to anyone.
This class lasts for three hours but La Maison Arabe Marrakech offers an express cooking workshop that takes just one hour. If you’re short on time, then you may want to take that one instead.
Half-day Cooking Workshop in La Maison Arabe
Schedule: Daily
Start Time: 10AM, 3PM
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: 1-9+ people
Cost: USD 60 per person
Book This Class: CLICK HERE for more information and to book
2. Tajine Cooking Class in Riad Jona Marrakech
This is another popular cooking class you can book on the Cookly platform, this time at Riad Jona Marrakech, a 4-star hotel in the southern part of the medina.
Unlike the class at La Maison Arabe Marrakech, you’ll have a choice of which dishes to make. Whether it’s zaalouk or briouates for a starter or chicken tagine, royal couscous, or seafood pastilla for your main dish, the choice is yours.
Tajine Cooking Class in Riad Jona Marrakech
Schedule: Daily
Start Time: 2:30PM, 5:30PM
Duration: 2.5 hours
Capacity: 2-6 people
Cost: USD 50 per person
Book This Class: CLICK HERE for more information and to book
3. Moroccan Cooking Class on a Farm by L’Atelier Faim d’Epices
If you have a keen interest in Moroccan spices, then this next class is for you. It’s held at Faim d’Epices, a spice farm located about a half-hour drive west of the medina.
This cooking class is held from Wednesday till Monday. You’ll cook a full Moroccan meal that includes bread, salads, a main dish, and msemen. The main dish depends on what day your class is so be sure to look at their schedule if you have a preference.
Aside from learning how to make Moroccan favorites like lamb tagine and royal couscous, you’ll be given a workshop on Moroccan spices as well.
Moroccan Cooking Class on a Farm by L’Atelier Faim d’Epices
Schedule: Wednesday-Monday
Start Time: 9:30AM
Duration: 6.5 hours
Capacity: 1-9+ people
Cost: USD 67 per adult, USD 41 per child ages 7-12
Book This Class: CLICK HERE for more information and to book
4. Moroccan Cooking Class With Chef Khmisa
If you’d like to take a class that starts with a visit to a local market, then this class may be for you. It’s helmed by Chefs Khmisa and Kawtar, two Moroccan women with a passion for Moroccan cooking and the credentials to match.
After buying your ingredients and spices from the market, you’ll be taught to make Moroccan salads, tagine, and a pastilla for dessert.
Moroccan Cooking Class With Chef Khmisa
Schedule: Daily
Start Time: 10AM, 2:30PM
Duration: 4 hours
Capacity: 1-9 people
Cost: USD 38 per adult, USD 35 per child ages 4-10
Book This Class: CLICK HERE for more information and to book
5. Moroccan Fusion Class with 8 Dishes
If cooking two or three dishes isn’t enough for you, then this cooking class may be the one for you. Headed by Edwina Golombek, you’ll start with a market visit before learning how to make eight dishes in this 6-hour class.
Moroccan Fusion Class with 8 Dishes
Schedule: Saturday-Thursday
Start Time: 8:50AM
Duration: 6 hours
Capacity: 1-6 people
Cost: USD 95 per person
Book This Class: CLICK HERE for more information and to book
6. Berber Cooking Class Day Trip from Marrakech to Atlas Mountains
If a cooking class held in the medina isn’t exciting enough for you, then how about booking one that takes you on a day trip to the beautiful Atlas Mountains?
Starting with a market visit to buy your ingredients, this Berber cooking class will take you to the Ourika Valley before proceeding to a Berber family’s home. You’ll learn how to make mint tea and Moroccan bread. You’ll be taught to cook over a traditional wood fire and even how to milk a cow!
What dishes you’ll make depends on what’s available at the market that day.
Berber Cooking Class Day Trip from Marrakech to Atlas Mountains
Schedule: Sunday-Tuesday, Thursday-Friday
Start Time: 9AM
Duration: 8 hours
Capacity: 2-6 people
Cost: USD 88 per person
Book This Class: CLICK HERE for more information and to book
7. Half-Day Cooking Experience on Moroccan Dishes
This half-day Moroccan cooking class starts with a market tour. After buying all your fresh vegetables and other ingredients, you’ll be taught to make Moroccan favorites like tagine, zaalouk, and couscous.
Half-day Cooking Experience on Moroccan Dishes
Schedule: Daily
Start Time: 10AM, 4PM
Duration: 4 hours
Capacity: 1-10 people
Cost: USD 30 per person
Book This Class: CLICK HERE for more information and to book
8. Make Tasty Berber Crepes with Joy
Msemen is one of our favorite dishes to have for breakfast in Morocco. In this class, you’ll learn how to make different types of Berber crepes from scratch.
Make Tasty Berber Crepes with Joy
Schedule: Daily
Start Time: 9:30AM, 3:30PM
Duration: 3 hours
Capacity: 1-10 people
Cost: USD 17 per person
Book This Class: CLICK HERE for more information and to book
FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE BEST MARRAKECH COOKING CLASSES
Needless to say, cooks and food lovers should seriously consider weaving a Morrocan cooking course into their itinerary. You’ll make delicious food that will rival anything you can order at restaurants in Marrakech.
Many tourists visit Marrakech for just two or three days. If you’re worried that you won’t have enough time for a cooking class, then rest assured that most classes take just a few hours so you’ll have plenty of time to explore the souks and enjoy Marrakech before or after your class.
In any case, I hope you enjoyed this article on some of the best and most popular cooking classes in Marrakech. If you have any questions about the class at La Maison Arabe Marrakech, then feel free to ask us in the comment section below.
Thanks for reading and have fun cooking traditional tajine in Marrakech!
Disclosure
This article was written in partnership with Cookly. They offered us a complimentary cooking class in exchange for an honest account of the experience. As always, all words, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article are mine and mine alone.
Some of the links in this article on cooking classes in Marrakech are affiliate links, meaning we’ll earn a small commission if you make a booking or purchase at no additional cost to you. As always, we only recommend products and services that we use ourselves. We truly appreciate your support as it helps us make more of these free food and travel guides. Thank you!
Photos from cooking classes 2-8 provided by Cookly.