About This Dish
Spicy, brick-red lamb sausages seasoned with harissa, cumin, and paprika that are a North African culinary icon. In Morocco, merguez are grilled over charcoal at street stalls and served in bread sandwiches or alongside couscous and tagines. The distinctive red color comes from a generous amount of paprika and harissa in the meat mixture. Making merguez at home is a tradition in many families, especially before holidays when large batches are prepared. The sausages are thinner than European varieties and are meant to be cooked quickly over high heat until the casing snaps and the juicy, spicy interior is revealed.
Ingredients
- 500 g Ground lamb
- 2 tbsp Harissa paste
- 2 tsp Paprika
- 2 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Ground coriander
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Fennel seeds
- 1.5 tsp Salt
- for 12 sausages Lamb casings (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Mix ground lamb with all spices and garlic thoroughly.
- 2
If using casings, stuff the mixture. Otherwise, form into long, thin sausage shapes.
- 3
Grill over high heat for 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through.
- 4
Serve in bread with harissa and salad.
Tips & Tricks
- Lamb fat is essential — do not use lean meat.
- If you skip the casings, shape into logs and grill carefully.
- Merguez can also be pan-fried or added to tagines and couscous.