Street food in Marrakech's Medina is some of the best in the world. It's also the thing most travelers worry about. The good news: with a few common-sense rules, you can eat adventurously and stay healthy throughout your trip.
Rule one: follow the crowds. High turnover means fresh food. A stall that serves 200 bowls of harira per day is infinitely safer than a quiet restaurant reheating yesterday's tagine. The busiest stalls in Jemaa el-Fna, the ones packed with Moroccan families, are your best bet.
Rule two: watch the cooking. If you can see your food being freshly cooked at high heat, it's almost certainly safe. Grilled meats, freshly fried msemen, bubbling tagines, all fine. Be more cautious with pre-made salads, room-temperature sauces, and anything that's been sitting in the sun.
Rule three: drink smart. Tap water in Marrakech is treated but has different mineral content than you're used to. Stick to bottled water (5 MAD for 1.5L, and check the seal is intact). Fresh orange juice from the Jemaa el-Fna stalls is generally safe because it's made to order, but skip juices that have been sitting in pitchers.
The best street food picks: Harira (lentil-tomato soup) is the safest street food, since it's been simmering for hours. Msemen and baghrir (semolina pancakes) are cooked fresh on a griddle right in front of you. Grilled meat skewers from the evening stalls in Jemaa el-Fna are cooked to order over charcoal.
For sit-down meals inside the Medina, look for restaurants one or two streets back from the main tourist routes. Places on Derb Dabachi and near the Mouassine fountain offer excellent food at local prices. A good tagine lunch with bread and tea should cost 40-60 MAD.
If you do get sick (and occasional traveler's stomach is normal), pharmacies in the Medina are excellent and well-stocked. Pharmacists speak French and often English, and can recommend appropriate medication without a prescription for common issues. Stay hydrated and give your stomach a day of simple foods (bread, rice, bananas).
One final tip: Moroccan food is cooked with generous spices but is rarely very spicy-hot. If something tastes off or smells wrong, trust your instincts and move on. There are hundreds of excellent food stalls, so there is no need to take risks with a questionable one.