Kefta Mkaouara — Tunisian Spiced Meatballs in Tomato with Poached Eggs

Name: Kefta Mkaouara — Tunisian Spiced Meatballs in Tomato with Poached Eggs
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Tunisian
Ingredients: 454 g ground beef (90/10); 1 piece small onion; 2 clove garlic; 0.25 cup flat-leaf parsley; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; 0.5 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp fine sea salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 piece medium onion; 2 clove garlic; 400 g crushed tomatoes; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 0.5 tsp harissa paste; 120 ml water; 1 tsp ground cumin; 0.5 tsp sugar; 4 piece large eggs; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp fresh parsley

Hearty Tunisian kefta (spiced ground beef) simmered in a fragrant tomato sauce, finished with eggs poached in the sauce — a high-protein, training-friendly one-pan main.

1 hr

start to finish

25 min

hands on

Some skill

difficulty

servings

4 servings

Ingredients

For the tomato sauce

1 tbsp olive oil
1 piece medium onionfinely chopped
2 clove garlicminced
400 g crushed tomatoesabout 14 oz can
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp harissa pasteor 1/2–1 tsp harissa powder or 1/4–1/2 tsp chili flakes to taste
120 ml wateror low-sodium stock
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp sugaroptional, to balance acidity

For finishing

4 piece large eggs
1 tbsp lemon juicefresh
2 tbsp fresh parsleychopped (or cilantro)

Contains egg. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Roughly, per serving

380 kcal35g protein10g carbs24g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

Put the ground beef in a large bowl and add grated onion, minced garlic, chopped parsley, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
Mix gently with your hands or a fork until just combined—do not overwork the meat.
Form the mixture into 12 even meatballs (about 40–45 g / 1.5 oz each).
Cover and refrigerate the meatballs to firm up while you prepare the sauce.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Working in batches so you don't crowd the pan, brown the meatballs on all sides until they develop a good crust (they do not need to be cooked through).
Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate and lower the heat to medium.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet and sauté the chopped onion until translucent.
Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant.
Stir in the tomato paste, harissa, 1 teaspoon ground cumin and smoked paprika; cook briefly to deepen the flavor.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and 1/2 cup water (or stock), stir to combine, and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
Return the browned meatballs to the sauce, spoon sauce over them, and simmer uncovered so they finish cooking and the flavors meld.
Make four shallow wells in the sauce and crack one egg into each well.
Cover the skillet and poach the eggs in the simmering sauce until the whites are set and yolks reach your preferred doneness.
Stir in lemon juice, sprinkle with chopped parsley, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve hot—kefta and eggs are traditional with couscous, crusty bread, or a simple salad.

Worth knowing

If you prefer less fat, swap ground beef for 90/10 or a mix of beef and turkey; reduce browning time to avoid drying out.
You can bake the meatballs at 400°F (200°C) for 12–15 minutes instead of browning in a pan; finish them in the sauce.
Make a larger batch of meatballs and refrigerate or freeze cooked meatballs for quick high-protein meals during the week.
Adjust harissa to control heat — Tunisian harissa is central to the flavor; start small if you're unsure.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

Gluten-freeDairy-freeHigh proteinMeal prep

More Tunisian cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Tunisian cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be gluten-free and dairy-free as listed.