Recipe
🥙 LUNCH
Masgouf
Butterflied river fish marinated and slow-grilled over open flame, Iraq's national dish and the pride of Baghdad.
Iraqi · medium · serves 4
prep 30 min · cook 60 min
~551 cal · 76g protein · 7g carbs · 22g fat · 2g fiber · 3g sugars · 5g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Masgouf is the national dish of Iraq, an ancient method of cooking freshwater fish that back to Mesopotamia. Along the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad, restaurants have long grilled it over open fires, and it remains the centrepiece of gatherings and celebrations.
A large river fish, traditionally carp, is split open flat, marinated in olive oil, salt, and or turmeric, then propped upright beside a wood fire to slow-roast by radiant heat before being laid over the embers to finish. Laid out as a spread of the smoky flesh with grilled tomato, onion, and flatbread, it is a communal feast, eaten with the hands.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally gluten-, dairy-, egg-, nut- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
3 lb large whole fish (carp or similar), butterflied
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp or turmeric
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tomatoes and onions, to grill
to taste salt
Instructions
1
Butterfly the fish open flat and marinate in the oil, tamarind, garlic, and salt.
2
Grill slowly, skin-side down, beside or over a wood fire, letting the flesh cook gently and take on smoke.
✎ Chef’s note
Cook it low and slow with plenty of smoke, skin-side down, so the flesh stays moist and picks up the signature smoky flavour.
3
Grill the tomatoes and onions alongside until soft and charred.
4
Serve the smoky fish on a platter with the grilled vegetables and flatbread.
Iraqi Tigris-side tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Baghdad. Masgouf is cooked standing up. The carp is split down the back, salted, staked on a frame around a wood fire with the open side to the flames for close to an hour, then laid flat on the embers to finish. The riverside strip at Abu Nuwas is where Baghdadis go for it.
🗺️
Iraq. Sourness here comes from three directions at once: tamarind in some stews, dried lime in others, and pomegranate or verjuice elsewhere, often against the sweetness of dates. Masgouf is the Tigris tradition, carp split flat, propped upright around a fire of apricot or orange wood so it cooks by radiant heat, then laid over the coals at the end.
🌍
Asia. Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, and its food spans the delicate seasonality of Japanese washoku, the chili-fired curries of India and Thailand, and the wheat-and-lamb traditions of Central Asia. Rice, noodles, soy, and fermentation recur across its regions, while ancient spice routes and religious traditions shaped distinct grammars of flavor. Whether from a street-cart wok or a monastery kitchen, eating is deeply communal and ritual-rich.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Iraq
Iraqi DolmaVine leaves and vegetables stuffed with tomato-and-pomegranate rice, packed tight and steamed until sweet-sour and tender.
Kahi with GeymarFlaky layered pastry baked crisp, soaked in syrup, and topped with rich clotted geymar cream.
KleichaSpiced pastry spirals filled with date paste and cardamom, Iraq's national cookie, made for every celebration.
Browse all Iraq recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Grill or barbecue.
Storing it: Best straight off the heat. Leftovers keep 2 to 3 days refrigerated and reheat well in a hot oven rather than the microwave.
Make it a Iraq meal
Iraqi ChaiDrink
KleichaDessert
Iraqi DolmaDinner
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Frequently asked questions
What is Masgouf?
Butterflied river fish marinated and slow-grilled over open flame, Iraq's national dish and the pride of Baghdad.
Where does Masgouf come from?
Masgouf is a Iraqi dish from Baghdad, Iraq.
Can Masgouf be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Masgouf recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Masgouf safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Masgouf take to make?
About 90 minutes total (30 minutes prep, 60 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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