Set the Tone for Worldly Tastes in Every Kitchen
Fricassé: Tunisian Fried Tuna Sandwich Recipe
Traditional Tunisian Fricassé with Tuna, Potato & Harissa
Tunisian fricassé is one of Tunisia’s most iconic street foods — soft fried bread rolls stuffed with spicy tuna, potatoes, olives, eggs, and harissa.
The bread is slightly chewy inside with a golden fried crust, while the filling combines creamy potatoes, salty olives, rich tuna, and the unmistakable heat of harissa. Every bite is hearty, spicy, and deeply satisfying.
Sold in bakeries, markets, and street stalls across Tunisia, fricassé is the kind of food that feels rustic, bold, and full of character.
What Is It?
Fricassé is a Tunisian fried bread sandwich traditionally filled with tuna, potatoes, eggs, olives, harissa, and sometimes capers.
Unlike baked sandwich rolls, the dough is deep-fried, creating a crisp exterior while staying soft and airy inside.
The fillings reflect classic Tunisian pantry ingredients and are often layered generously inside the warm fried bread before serving.
A Little History
Fricassé developed as a popular working-class street food in Tunisia, combining inexpensive staple ingredients into a filling portable meal.
The fried dough likely reflects Mediterranean and North African frying traditions, while the fillings showcase strong Tunisian influences through harissa, olives, and preserved flavors.
Today, fricassé remains one of Tunisia’s best-known snacks and is commonly eaten for lunch, quick dinners, or street food gatherings.
What You Need
Dough
All-purpose flour
Dry yeast
Sugar
Salt
Warm water
Olive oil
Frying oil
Filling
Potatoes
Hard-boiled eggs
Tuna in olive oil
Olives
Harissa
Capers
Olive oil
Fresh parsley
The Process
The dough is kneaded until smooth and elastic before rising until airy and soft. Small oval rolls are shaped and rested again to develop their light texture before frying.
The filling combines potatoes, tuna, olives, and harissa into a rich savory mixture with classic Tunisian flavor.
Once fried, the warm bread rolls are sliced open and generously stuffed before serving immediately.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.
- Gradually add warm water and knead until a smooth dough forms.
- Add olive oil and knead for another 5–7 minutes until elastic.
- Cover and let the dough rise for 1–2 hours until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough and divide into small oval rolls.
- Place the rolls onto a tray, cover, and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat.
- Fry the rolls in batches until golden brown on all sides.
- Drain on paper towels.
- In a bowl, combine potatoes, tuna, olives, harissa, capers, and olive oil.
- Season the filling to taste.
- Slice the fried rolls open lengthwise without cutting all the way through.
- Fill each roll with the potato and tuna mixture.
- Add slices of hard-boiled egg and sprinkle with parsley.
Serve warm.
Serving
Fricassé is best served fresh while the bread is still warm and crisp.
Extra harissa, olives, or lemon wedges can be served alongside for additional flavor.
Storing
The fried rolls can be prepared ahead and reheated briefly before filling. Filled sandwiches are best eaten the same day.
Fricassé Tunisien (Tunisian Fried Sandwich)
Ingredients
For the dough
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 250 ml warm water adjust as needed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Oil for deep frying
For the filling
- 2 medium potatoes boiled and cubed
- 2 hard-boiled eggs sliced
- 1 can tuna in olive oil drained
- 6–8 olives green or black, pitted and halved
- 1 –2 tbsp harissa adjust to taste
- 1 tbsp capers optional
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add warm water gradually and knead until smooth. Add olive oil and knead again for 5–7 minutes. Cover and let rise for 1–2 hours until doubled in size.
- Shape the rolls: Punch down the dough and divide into 10–12 small oval rolls. Place on a tray, cover, and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Fry the rolls: Heat oil in a deep pan. Fry rolls in batches until golden brown on all sides. Drain on paper towels.
- Prepare the filling: Mix boiled potatoes with tuna, olives, harissa, and a drizzle of olive oil. Season to taste.
- Assemble: Slice each fried roll open lengthwise (without cutting all the way through). Fill with the tuna-potato mixture, slices of egg, and sprinkle parsley on top.
- Serve: Enjoy warm as a hearty snack.
Notes
Nutrition
Product We Use
to make our cooking experience better
