Chakchouka, a vegetarian recipe from Tunisia

Name: Chakchouka
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Tunisia
Ingredients: 3 red peppers, sliced; 2 onions, sliced; 1 courgette, finely diced (optional); 4 garlic cloves, chopped; 800 g chopped tomatoes; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 1 tsp ras el hanout; 1 pinch of chilli (optional); 6 eggs; Fresh coriander; Salt and pepper; Pita or baguette, to serve

Chakchouka

Local name: شكشوكة

Peppers, tomatoes and onions simmered with cumin and ras el hanout, with eggs poached straight in the sauce. Made for mopping up with bread.

Published on 20 October 2025·Updated on 25 September 2026

#eggs#peppers#tomatoes#cumin#brunch

Method

Soften the onions in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the peppers and courgette and cook over high heat for 10 minutes, stirring.
Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, ras el hanout and chilli. Stir for 1 minute.
Pour in the tomatoes and season. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Make 6 small wells in the sauce with a spoon and crack an egg into each.
Cover and cook gently for 6 to 8 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks still runny.
Scatter with coriander and serve straight from the pan, with bread for dipping.

A Tunisian staple, chakchouka travelled across the Maghreb and on into the Middle East. You will see it spelled several ways depending on where you eat it — chakchouka, shakshuka, shakshouka — and it is the same dish every time: peppers and tomatoes cooked down slowly, then eggs set in the sauce.

What changes from one table to the next is the seasoning. Across the Maghreb, cumin and ras el hanout lead, sometimes sharpened with a little harissa. In the Levant, it leans towards paprika and sweet pepper, and feta or labneh arrives at the moment of serving. The base itself does not move.

For a vegan version, swap the eggs for cubes of firm tofu browned in a pan, or crumble a plant-based feta over the sauce at the end.

The techniques this recipe uses

Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.
Reduce
Uncovered, water leaves and flavour concentrates. It is done when the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Frequently asked questions

My eggs come out over- or undercooked. How do I get them right?

Reduce the sauce uncovered first: if it is too loose, the eggs sink and the whites spread. Make proper wells, drop an egg into each, then cover and keep the heat low. From six minutes on, watch closely; the whites should be opaque and the yolks still soft to the touch.

How do I make a vegan chakchouka?

Leave out the eggs and finish with cubes of firm tofu, or crumble a plant-based feta over the hot sauce. Tofu is much better browned in a pan first, otherwise it stays bland among the peppers.

Why is my sauce still watery?

Peppers and courgette release a lot of liquid. Cook them over high heat, stirring, as the method says, then simmer the tomatoes uncovered: evaporation is what concentrates the sauce. Covering the pan at that stage is the usual mistake.

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Chakchouka

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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