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?
Let us know in the comments!
If you enjoyed this recipe, I’d love it if you left me a star rating and comment below. Also, don’t forget to share and tag us on Facebook and Instagram!
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
I want to make this for a crowd….15 people. If I quadruple this, will it turn out okay? I’ve had bad luck doubling recipes in the past, and since i need to make so much, I want to make sure I do it alright!
It would be difficult to quadruple this on the stovetop. You might need to modify by cooking four batches of the sauce, then placing all four batches into a large roasting pan and cooking the eggs in the oven. Overall there shouldn’t be a problem quadrupling the sauce recipe, but keep an eye on the liquid content and if it seems overly watery, cook it down until the liquid evaporates and the sauce thickens.
Hmmm.
1) Buy a 28oz. jar of chunky garden combination tomato sauce and heat it up to low boil, adding seasonings
2) Crack eggs into it and simmer until eggs cooked to ‘over-easy’ state.
3) Serve
Seems much quicker and simpler.
Sautéing the veggies can add to the depth of flavors in a dish, especially when you cook the hardier of spices and herbs with them. Why skip a step that might make or break the recipe?
Hmmm, perhaps because this is an authentic recipe? Enjoy your simple version.
Absolutely delicious. We used our hen’s fresh eggs and the yolks were like bars of gold. I cooked the eggs in the sauce until they were just set which was perfect – not funny but not hard-cooked either. Left out the Peppers because my tummy won’t tolerate them. Also didn’t have cumin somfor spices I used: 1T sugar, 1tsp harissa seasoning, 1TBSP hot curry powder and 1tsp Moroccan curry powder that is heavy on the fenugreek. Salt and pepper of course. That’s what I had on hand and it was OUTRAGEOUSLY good. I served with a very high hydration, super crusty sourdough slathered thickly in butter. The richness of the buttered bread against the complex tomato stew made me drool it was so good. THe egg yolks cooked to this doneness were like little treasures. So good!
It was also super easy to make. Oh and i fried all the spices with the onions and garlic. I used avocado oil for higher heat to liberate the flavors of the spices.
Decadent Lola. You should be a food writer, if you aren’t one already! 🙂
my daughter tried it at her friends place and they had a can of baked beans in it! has anyone heard of that?
I am so excited to find this recipe. We just returned from Israel this past Sunday. It was amazing. The hotel we stayed at in tiberias served this and it was so good. They also made porridge and served a wonderful cinnamon spice blend with it. Now if I could only find the recipe for that.
Shakshuka is one of my all-time favorite dishes to make and your recipe brought me back to the many meals I had at Dr. Shakshuka. Instead of a side salad, I served it over a bed of spinach. The warm eggs wilted the spinach just enough. It was perfect!
So simple, and the most amazin things – it’s from ingredients that you usually have at home!
Super tasty, use it for breakfast or light dinner with a toast.
Great recipe! It looks just like a local dish we have in Ghana called Koobi stew but it has dry pickled fish in it plus the eggs. Lovely!
I made 1/2 recipe for breakfast this morning. It was so delicious my husband and I ate every bite! I added chopped spinach to the dish and garnished with sliced black olives.
This recipe is going in my recipe box.
Thank-You
How do you know when the eggs are done enough to be runny? Made it and it was excellent. Some of the eggs started to cook too much though.
Hi Nick, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. The easiest way to tell is by how opaque the yolk looks. The more solid/light yellow/opaque it appears, the more done it is. It’s really something that you will become easier to recognize the more you cook it.
If you gently press on the yolks you should be able to tell from how firm they are to the touch. It should be born to mind that they’ll continue to cook once served. My first egg was perfect but by the time I got to the next it was verging on hard.
I made your recipe and it was fantastic! I went today to Dr. Shakshuka in Jaffa and it was terrible! Not remotely close to your recipe. I’ll stick with yours and will find another doctor. I really enjoy your blog! Kol ha’kavod
I really want to try this it sonds like my kind of dish. but I live with my son and DIL and he is a real meat eater. So i am thinking of fixing bcon or sausage on the side for him. and maybe some hash browns??
There’s a local restaurant that crumbles merguez sausage right into the shakshuka, and it’s delicious!
I’d like to try this dish by starting with some ground lamb. I’ll probably use more garlic and throw in some allspice though. And parsley is NOT an option, but a necessity.
Mrs. Avey, you are the reason I got into cooking. I first made your shakshuka recipe when I was sixteen and was dating an Israeli. You inspired me to try and make different ethnic dishes, my favorite recipe of yours is for Israeli salad. I most recently made your Kobete. My parents and siblings loved it. I just wanted to thank you and to let you know that your work is appreciated.
That is so kind of you, Richard! So nice to hear from you. 🙂 Thank you for writing.
So true. I used to think that shakshuka is a middle eastern food (yemen, to be exact) but now I know it’s not. But anyways, I love shakshuka. My mom used to make it for me and my siblings in Yemen and we love, love, loved it. It was our favorite breakfast meal. But like you said, we sometimes ate it for lunch or dinner when we wanted something easy and delicious (other than pizza; ordering). Tori Avey, I just want to ask you: Are you from Israel?
Shakshuka is North African in origin, but it is popular throughout the Middle East. Dr. Shakshuka is a Libyan restaurant. I am not Israeli, but my husband is. I love Yemenite food!
SHAKSHUKA. Brilliant recipe, with many possible variations, all good. Why has it taken until I am 80 to discover this style of cooking.
Fortunately I am able to pass the recipe on to my children. I have been able to research the recipes by Claudia Roden and Ottolenghi on Mediterranean cooking, and have found them a complete revelation ! Better late in life than never!!
Absolutely better late than never! 🙂
Made this for lunch today and it was so good. I added portobello mushrooms to mine. Delicious!
I am from Yemen, and this is a dish my mother made for me and my brothers ( I was about 3 years old) and she would put cheese on top and season it with green onions. It was soooooo delicious. You should try it too @JW. ???????????mmmmmmmmmmmmmm……….mmm..mmm..
My husband surprised me with this one morning… It is super delicious! He cut down on the tomatoes and peppers, and served with pita bread. Wow! Delicious! I’m not usually a fan of green pepper, but this masked the flavor well. 🙂
So good! I came across this recipe looking for low carb healthy meals and wanting to try something other than the basic chicken breast. I added ground turkey for some added protein and to make more filling. Looking forward to making it again!
I have used this recipe on the regular for months now (so much so I have it memorized and don’t need the website anymore.) I just spent a ten day trip in Israel and actually went to Dr. Shakshuka! I knew it looked familiar but had never been to Israel before so couldn’t figure out where I recognized it from. So glad I realized it was your blog!
Love it Leah! I was just there myself again a month ago. 🙂
I heard about this dish yesterday morning and ended up using this recipe to make it for dinner. Absolutely delicious! I scaled it down for 1 person and served it with warm bread, steamed broccoli and red wine. I’ll definitely be adding this to my regular menu items.
Wow, really simple straight forward recipe. I enjoyed it thoroughly.