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Meat, Maghreb and Middle East

Tunisian chicken makrouna

Tunisian chicken makrouna is a short pasta dish in a spicy harissa tomato sauce, serving 4, ready in 45 minutes, rated easy, at a cost of €2.30 per person. The key to success is keeping the sauce loose enough to coat the pasta and searing the chicken pieces over high heat.

Tonight, Tunisian style pasta with a spicy harissa tomato sauce, garlic, caraway and tender chicken, all topped with melted cheese.

Tunisian chicken makrouna
Total time
45 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.30
Calories per person
630 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

Tunisian chicken makrouna brings together short pasta and a tomato sauce seasoned with harissa, garlic and caraway. The diced chicken keeps things tender, while the melted cheese on top softens the heat from the harissa. It's a generous dish, somewhere between a stew and a pasta bake, with a gentle warmth that builds slowly without ever overwhelming you.

This is the kind of dish to make on a weeknight when everyone's hungry and time is short. Kids go for the pasta and melted cheese, while adults enjoy the kick of chili that you can dial up or down with more or less harissa. One pan, one pot, and a dish that brings the whole family around the same table.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken breasts 4

Pantry

  • Short pastaoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 500 g
  • Harissa 1 tbsp
  • Ground carawayoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Tomato pasteoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Onion 1

Dairy

  • Grated cheese 100 g

Allergens Gluten, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the chicken into cubes and brown it in the oil with the chopped onion. 8 min

    Sear over high heat without crowding the pan, the cubes brown instead of boiling.

  2. Add the crushed garlic, harissa, caraway and tomato paste, stir for a minute, then pour in the tomatoes.

    Cook the harissa briefly first, it turns mellower.

  3. Let the sauce simmer gently, adding a splash of water if it gets too thick. 20 min

    It should stay loose enough to coat the pasta.

  4. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water and drain it, keeping a ladle of the cooking water. 10 min

    Cook it a touch less than the package says, it will finish cooking in the sauce.

  5. Mix the pasta into the sauce, scatter the cheese on top and let it melt, covered. 3 min

    A splash of pasta water makes the sauce silky.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick short pasta with ridges or hollows, they hold the sauce better than smooth shapes.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the cheese, that's your moment to adjust the salt or stir in more harissa if you like it spicier.
  • If you need to wait before serving, keep the pasta and sauce separate until the last minute so the pasta doesn't swell too much.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken for crumbled merguez sausage for a spicier, more traditionally Tunisian version.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the chicken and stir cooked chickpeas into the sauce instead.
  • For kids sensitive to spice, serve the harissa on the side so everyone can add their own.

What to serve it with

  • A tomato and raw onion salad
  • Extra harissa on the side
  • A glass of mint tea

Storage

Makrouna keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It doesn't freeze particularly well since the pasta softens too much on thawing. Reheat in a pan or the microwave with a splash of water to loosen the sauce again.

Questions about this dish

Can I use a different spice instead of caraway?

Yes, ground cumin gives a similar result, slightly earthier. Caraway brings a faint anise note that's typical of Tunisian makrouna.

Can I make the sauce ahead of time?

Yes, the sauce can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge. Just reheat it and toss in freshly cooked pasta right before serving.

What's the best pasta shape for makrouna?

Short macaroni or elbow shaped pasta are the most common choices. What matters is picking a short shape that holds onto the sauce well.

Is the harissa too spicy for kids?

One tablespoon for 4 servings stays fairly mild. You can use less in the sauce and let everyone add their own at the table.

How long does it take to make a Tunisian chicken makrouna?

Count 45 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a Tunisian chicken makrouna?

About 630 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Tunisian chicken makrouna cost?

About €2.30 per serving, or €9.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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