Chakchouka

Name: Chakchouka
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 4 large eggs at room temperature; 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (Tunisian or Mediterranean); 1 medium yellow onion (~150 g), finely diced; 2 mild red bell peppers (~300 g), seeded and cut into 1 cm dice; 1 small red chili finely chopped OR 1 tsp Tunisian harissa paste (the more traditional choice); 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp ground cumin (kamoun) — the warm spice base; 1 tsp ground caraway (karwiya) — Tunisia's DEFINING warm spice, NOT the same as cumin despite looking similar; substitute fennel seed if unavailable; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 0.5 tsp ground coriander; 400 g can crushed tomatoes (or 4 ripe tomatoes peeled and grated); 1 tbsp tomato paste for body; 1 tsp salt + 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper + a pinch of sugar to balance acidity; 60 g feta-style cheese (Tunisian or Bulgarian-style, crumbled, optional) + fresh flat-leaf parsley + cilantro + lemon wedges + fresh baguette or Tunisian khobz tabouna to serve

Chakchouka is an iconic dish of North African cuisine, originating in Tunisia, where eggs poached in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce became the symbol of communal breakfast. The simplicity of its ingredients conceals a remarkable sensory complexity. From Tunisia, the recipe spread throughout North Africa, Israel, and the Middle East, adapting local flavors and intensities. Every family considers it their own and prepares it with slight variations.

Total time40m

Active time30m

Servings2

DifficultyEasy

Cost$

Add to my meal plan

🌿

Rich in vitamins

Fresh and healthy

❤️

Rich in protein

Filling and nutritious

⭐

Traditional recipe

Authentic taste

Ingredients 2 servings

4 large eggs at room temperature
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (Tunisian or Mediterranean)
1 medium yellow onion (~150 g), finely diced
2 mild red bell peppers (~300 g), seeded and cut into 1 cm dice
1 small red chili finely chopped OR 1 tsp Tunisian harissa paste (the more traditional choice)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin (kamoun) — the warm spice base
1 tsp ground caraway (karwiya) — Tunisia's DEFINING warm spice, NOT the same as cumin despite looking similar; substitute fennel seed if unavailable
1 tsp sweet paprika
0.5 tsp ground coriander
400 g can crushed tomatoes (or 4 ripe tomatoes peeled and grated)
1 tbsp tomato paste for body
1 tsp salt + 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper + a pinch of sugar to balance acidity
60 g feta-style cheese (Tunisian or Bulgarian-style, crumbled, optional) + fresh flat-leaf parsley + cilantro + lemon wedges + fresh baguette or Tunisian khobz tabouna to serve

How to make it

1PREP THE AROMATICS: chakchouka cooks fast — mise-en-place is non-negotiable; dice 150 g onion + 300 g red bell peppers + 1 red chili; mince 4 garlic; measure the spice quartet — cumin + caraway + paprika + coriander — into a small bowl; the caraway is what makes this Tunisian and not Israeli or Levantine shakshuka.
2WARM THE OIL: heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a heavy 24 cm skillet (cast iron is ideal — earthenware tagine is the most traditional Tunisian) over medium heat until shimmering.
3SOFFRITTO: add 150 g diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook 6–8 min until very soft and translucent — NOT browned; tunisian chakchouka wants the sweetness of slowly-sweated onions, not caramelization.
4PEPPERS + CHILI + GARLIC: add 300 g diced red bell peppers + 1 chopped red chili (or 1 tsp harissa); cook 6–8 min until peppers are softened but still bright red; add 4 minced garlic and cook 1 min until fragrant.
5BLOOM THE SPICES: add the spice mix (1 tsp cumin + 1 tsp caraway + 1 tsp paprika + 0.5 tsp coriander) directly into the hot oil-and-vegetable base; stir 30 seconds until intensely aromatic — do not burn, or the dish turns bitter.
6BUILD THE SAUCE: stir in 1 tbsp tomato paste and cook 1 min; pour in 400 g crushed tomatoes + 1 tsp salt + 0.5 tsp pepper + a pinch of sugar; simmer 8–10 min, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened — a spoon dragged through the surface should leave a clear trail that does not immediately fill back in.
7ADD EGGS: with the back of a spoon, make 4 wells in the simmering sauce; crack 1 egg into each well — keep yolks intact; sprinkle a pinch of salt over the whites and a twist of pepper over the yolks; cover the skillet with a lid and cook over medium-low heat 4–6 min, until the whites are just set but the yolks remain runny — peek through the lid; the whites should be opaque and the yolks still bright orange and trembling.
8FINISH AND SERVE: scatter 60 g crumbled feta + a generous handful of chopped parsley and cilantro over the top; bring the pan straight to the table — chakchouka is always communal, eaten from the skillet; each diner tears off a piece of fresh baguette or khobz tabouna and uses it to mop up the sauce and break into a yolk; squeeze a lemon wedge over your own portion; best within 10 minutes of cooking, while the yolks are still molten.