Shakshuka is one of the first recipes I ever shared on my site and has been one of the most popular for years. A simple dish with tomato and eggs, it’s a savory, one-skillet, vegetarian, and gluten-free dish that’s ready to eat in just over 30 minutes and works for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or “brinner.”
Looking for more easy egg recipes? Try my salmon benedict and matzo brei, too!
What is Shakshuka?
If you’ve never tried shakshuka, I’m thrilled to introduce the concept and a bit of its history to you! Originally a North African dish, it features soft-cooked eggs or poached eggs nestled in a spicy tomato sauce, similar to Italian eggs in purgatory, but with peppers and a slightly spicier taste. Today, this tomato and eggs recipe has grown in popularity and is common throughout the Middle East, and is especially beloved in Israel.
During my visit to the old port city of Jaffa, I stopped by the iconic Dr. Shakshuka, where I ordered their famous version with mushrooms, served bubbling in a skillet with fluffy bread to soak up the sauce. The flavors were unforgettable, inspiring me to create my own shakshuka recipe that was simple, satisfying, and easy to customize with ingredients like green chilies, smoked paprika, or even a spinach-tomato base.
With a five-star rating and hundreds of reviews, it encompasses everything I love about the traditional dish – and it’s easy to make at home!
Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
- Oil – I like to use olive oil to sauté the veggies, but any oil you have on hand, such as avocado oil, will work. You could even use butter, if desired, although I far prefer the flavor of olive oil here.
- Veggies – White or yellow onion and garlic form the base of the sauce, adding a sweet, pungent taste. Then, I add bell peppers, ripe diced tomatoes, and tomato puree to create a savory, thick sauce. You can also use a 28-ounce can of canned tomatoes, but I prefer the flavor of fresh tomatoes.
- Seasonings – Mild chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper infuse the sauce with the warm, savory flavors shakshuka is known for having. Then, I add sugar to balance some of the acidity of the tomatoes – but that part is completely optional, if you’re watching your sugar intake.
- Eggs – The star of the show! I use six large eggs for this recipe, which is plenty to feed my whole family.
How to Make Shakshuka
- Sauté. Heat oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until it begins to soften. Then, add the garlic cloves, and sauté until the mixture is fragrant. This only takes about a minute! Next, add the diced bell pepper, and continue to sauté to soften.
- Simmer. Next, stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste, and add the spices and sugar. Stir to combine, and simmer until the mixture begins to reduce. At this point, I like to give it a quick taste test and adjust as needed.
- Add the eggs. Crack the eggs directly over the tomato mixture, spacing them out evenly over the sauce, trying not to let the whites touch. I usually place five eggs around the center of the pan and one in the middle.
- Cook. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer until the eggs cook, the whites set, and the sauce reduces further. Note that the exact cooking times will vary depending on how you like your eggs. Make sure the sauce doesn’t reduce too much, or it will burn!
Tori’s Tips for an Authentic Shakshuka Recipe
- Adjust the flavor. Add more sugar for a sweeter sauce or more cayenne or harissa paste for a spicier Middle Eastern egg dish. Start slowly and be careful with the cayenne and harissa. They are extremely spicy!
- Cook the dish of eggs to your liking. Some people prefer their shakshuka with more runny yolks. If this is your preference, let the sauce reduce for a few minutes before cracking the eggs on top. Then, cover the pan and cook the eggs to taste, making sure the egg whites are set before serving. Otherwise, crack the eggs and cook them to your desired doneness.
- Use a large skillet with a lid. It’s crucial to cover the dish to cook the eggs evenly without burning the sauce.
Topping Ideas and Serving Suggestions
I like to serve my shakshuka topped with fresh herbs such as parsley or cilantro. I often spoon a bit of the sauce on top of the eggs as I eat. Sometimes I add a sprinkle of feta cheese for a salty taste, as well as a side of sourdough pita bread for dipping.
To switch things up, I sometimes add extra ingredients like jalapeños, green chilies, parsley, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, or extra veggies to the sauce. I’ve even tested a spinach and tomato base that turned out great! Use your imagination and incorporate any items you have on hand. This tomato and eggs dish is always a crowd pleaser!
Video by Entice Films
Shakshuka
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion, peeled and diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 4 cups ripe diced tomatoes, or 2 cans (14 oz. each) diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon mild chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Pinch of cayenne pepper, or more to taste (careful, it's spicy!)
- Pinch of sugar (optional, to taste - omit for low carb)
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley or cilantro (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat a deep, large skillet or sauté pan on medium. Slowly warm olive oil in the pan. Add chopped onion, sauté for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften. Add garlic and continue to sauté till mixture is fragrant.
- Add the diced bell pepper, sauté for 5-7 minutes over medium until softened.
- Add tomatoes and tomato paste to pan, stir until blended. Add spices and sugar, stir, and allow mixture to simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until it starts to reduce. At this point, you can taste the mixture and spice it according to your preferences. Add salt and pepper to taste, more sugar for a sweeter sauce, or more cayenne pepper for a spicier shakshuka (be careful with the cayenne... it is extremely spicy!).
- Crack the eggs, one at a time, directly over the tomato mixture, making sure to space them evenly over the sauce. I usually place 5 eggs around the outer edge and 1 in the center. The eggs will cook "over easy" style on top of the tomato sauce.
- Cover the pan with a lid. Allow mixture to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked and the sauce has slightly reduced. Keep an eye on the skillet to make sure that the sauce doesn't reduce too much, which can lead to burning.Some people prefer their shakshuka with more runny yolks. If this is your preference, let the sauce reduce for a few minutes before cracking the eggs on top-- then, cover the pan and cook the eggs to taste, making sure the egg whites are set before serving. Garnish with the chopped parsley or cilantro, if desired. A sprinkle of feta cheese on top is also nice!
NOTES
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
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FAQs
As written, this recipe has a medium spice level. Personally, I don’t consider it overly spicy. However, it can easily be adjusted to suit your preferences. If you’re considering adding more heat, start with just a little bit of chili powder or a touch of cayenne, and add more as you cook, tasting as you go.
How do I prevent runny egg whites?
Some people cook shakshuka uncovered, but I find that using a lid is the easiest way to ensure the whites cook and set properly. If they’re a little runny, continue to simmer until they set.
I don’t recommend making this recipe ahead of time, because the eggs don’t reheat well. However, you can prepare the tomato sauce and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Then, to serve, thaw, reheat it in a skillet on the stove, and proceed with the recipe as usual.
More Egg-Based Breakfast Recipes
As I’ve said before this is the best recipe for my favourite dish! I always add a squeeze of ketchup to give a familiar flavour my kids love.
Never even heard of this until I saw it pop up on pinterest last night. Perfection!!! The flavor combination is divine. Definitely need a baguette or something to sop up all of the sauce. Quick, easy, cheap and delicious. What more can you ask for?
This article was my introduction a year ago to shakshuka. I now make it regularly for my family (my kids ask me to make it almost every Sunday – I usually comply at least once or twice a month), and I have added my own tweaks to address my own and my families palette. Thank you for this article Tori!
This dish is an Italian favorite, my mom always made it for us. It’s called “uova in purgatorio” eggs in purgtoray. It is the best. I see you have many delicious recipes, very similar to Italian ones. Keep up the good work.
Outstanding! I had never heard of Shakshuka until today when I Googled “eggs and tomatoes.” What a great find. I also added Sriracha, and freshly ground black pepper to my version. The flavours were delightful, but it really smelled ‘Mexican’ when it was cooking. I’m pretty sure that the fragrance of simmering cumin and tomatoes was the trigger.
That’s a great recipe-thanks. I’ll add it to our “Banting” ( or LCHF ) menu at our cafe.
Our own experience of the LCHF lifestyle has brought us outstanding benefits, especially for my Insulin dependant wife as she has been able to eliminate the short-acting Insulin and reduce the long-acting Insulin by 2/3’s.
We’ve both shed 20kg ! We have increased energy too.
I saw this, and clicked it, because it looked just like a Mexican dish my mother used to make. Growing up we ate a lot of eggs. I am the youngest of eleven and my mom had to cook for a small army, on a budget. I am American of Mexican/Native American and Spanish heritage. The name of this dish in Mexico is Huevos Ahogados (drowned eggs) lol. I used to cry when I had to eat this as a child, but now as an adult I miss it. 🙂 It’s comfort food that I had forgotten about. My mother would add chopped nopales (cactus) to it. It was very good. Traditionally, it is eaten with corn tortillas to scoop the juice and remaining veggies up…but anything can be used. Thank you for posting this. It brought back a lot of memories of huge family meals together. I am going to try it with the mushrooms and spinach. 🙂
I’ve eaten at Dr Shakshuka’s in Jaffo and was not impressed. Sauce and bread was tasteless. Its much better if you make it at home with Tori’s recipe.
My son came back from summer camp and told me about this dish. His Isreali counselors taught the teenagers in kibbutz units how to make this dish. Thank you for your recipe. He said it tasted just like the ones he had from camp.
That’s so awesome! Glad you guys enjoyed it. And glad your son got to experience life on the kibbutz, what a special experience!
Thank you soooo much. I’ve been attempting to perfect shakshuka for years-trying every recipe I could find it just never tasted as good as the restraunt version. Until I tried yours! Adding the cumin turned it into the best dish ever-I’m so happy and excited to serve it to friends and family (and gloat about how wonderful it tastes!)
Thanks again and again!!!
You’re welcome Miranda! 🙂
Very tasty! My daughter Tziporah makes it often and I find it best with parsley AR a hint of something green in it and definitely prefer the egg yolks nearly completely cooked unless there is some buttered toast or pita to dip. The fully cooked yoke with some white with it definitely seems like a traditional taste but all give you a tomatoey, satisfied feeling with or without a bit of bread. Thanks for your recipe’.
I am not vegetarian, but i have no issues making or eating vegetarian dishes, this is one of my favorite breakfasts, being type 2 diabetic i have to keep my carbs to minimum and this one really fills me up without any carbs.
I learned of shakshuka via the program “Street Food Around the World” hosted by Ishai Golan. I’m not a good cook, so when I saw thia simple recipe, I jumped at the chance of making it. It turned out quite good! I had a lot of cayenne, enough for my level of spicyness. I think I let it reduce too much and let the eggs cook too much, but I’m learning. Still turned out quite good. Thanks!!!
I am Persian and we make the same dish for breakfast but we call it omelet. Add some Saffron and some fresh ground pepper and it will be awesome. 🙂
This was so good! It reminded me of the Mexican Juevos Rancheros my mom used to make, a sunny side up egg served over a tostada and then she poured the sauce on top dilish! Thank you for this recipe, I’ll be making it again soon!
Hi Tori, been reading your lovely blog for a while. Today I had a lot of peppers in the fridge so looked for a recipe to use them up and found shakshuka, which was new to me. We had it for dinner just now, and you’re absolutely right – yum! I’ll be cooking this lots from now on. Thanks so much.
This was delicious! The only ‘glitch’ I had is that my eggs became hard-boiled in 7-8 minutes. It’s a new stove top, so maybe it runs hotter than my previous one. The food was still great, though!
This looks great! If I use the canned tomatoes, do I drain it first? I’m assuming yes since if it was fresh tomatoes there would be no liquid added?
No need to drain the tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes have their own liquid which releases when cooking, so it works out to an equivalent amount of liquid whether you use fresh or canned.
I was so happy to read and remember once more that we have so much in common in the area it is great pity that innocent people have to endure all that agony and tragedy! I wanted to contribute the Turkish variation. Happy eating!
This is called Menemen in Turkish and is a very popular dish, eaten as a main dish or for breakfast. My mom used to call it the “lazywomandish”. Because, you may be out all day and just before dinner just throw in whatever vegetable you have in the fridge (potatoes, eggplants, courgette, fresh peppers, plenty of fresh tomatoes or puree/paste) add the eggs and there, you have a full main dish for dinner.
What we call Shakshuka is quite similar but without the eggs. It is one of our popular “meze”s which is almost a must have side dish on the Raki (the so called national drink of all Turks) table.The eggplant is peeled in stripes, cut into small pieces (diced) and fried. This, put aside on a piece of paper towel so the excess oil is absorbed, in a separate skillet, the onion, garlic, red and green pepper, salt and freshly ground black pepper, sugar, red hot pepper powder AND plenty of peeled tomatos (tomato puree) is sauteed together until it is diminished, very little juice left. (a good spoonful of vinegar or red wine added at the last stage is welcome) Transferring the fried eggplant on to the serving dish , the sauce is poured over and garnished with parsley leaves.
I looked at Google for recipes from Tripolitano (Lybia) Jewish background. I am familiar with the Shakshuka recipe, and I will look at the Haraimi (spicy fish) recipe, too. Also, I am looking for old family photos from that community. Unfortunately, most Jewish people from Tripoli escaped with little more than their lives, leaving behind everything, including their precious photos. Thank you for sharing the recipes.