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
I have made it a couple of times… Added a bag of spinach and a random Italian sausage. So, not kosher, LOL. but really good.
Hi Tori,
This recipe looks so good and I look forward to trying it. I’m just concerned about the acid from the tomatoes and the effects that they may have on the cast iron pan. Do you have to season your pan often or do you notice any effect on the quality of the pan after cooking this dish?
Hi Cali, I used to make shakshuka in a cast iron but have since switched over to my regular skillet due to the acid erosion. I would recommend using a regular or nonstick skillet instead. The cast iron makes for a prettier photo, but it’s not the ideal pan for this recipe due to the tomato base. If you do use a cast iron make sure it’s well seasoned, and don’t let the tomato mixture sit in the pan for very long.
Not a fan of well-pronounced tomato paste flavor, I make it without any tomato paste. I use a lot of fresh tomatoes and more peppers, yellow or red (and of course, onion, garlic and spices), and just sauté everything for a while and then, because it’s not as liquidy, I make indentations with a soup spoon and drop the eggs in. Delicious! I love shakshuka!
Great dish. Great directions. As are all of your recipes. Also, as an added dividend, not fattening. Ingredients are always easy to get and can be used often enough that one doesn’t become a collector of outdated herbs and spices. Keep them coming….please.
Thanks Tory and Mashugana! I think I’ll be able to prepare this for a crowd thanks to your comments. And I’m going to make a small scale practice run for dinner tonight!
One of my favorite breakfasts, and a very healthy low fat one at that, is placing 2 TBS of salsa in a ramekin and cracking an egg on top and baking for about 20 minutes. An easy version of shaskuka and very tasty!
Tory, I’ve been asked to cater a bar mitzvah brunch and shakshuka has been requested.This will be a group of 35 people. Will this recipe work well when prepared in hotel pans that will then go into chafing dishes? I’m not Jewish, nor have I prepared this before, but it looks like it may work well in a larger prep pan. Your thoughts are appreciated. Thank you!
Hi Margie! I have never made a larger batch, but I’m guessing it would probably work great. I would make sure that the eggs are fully cooked in this case, if the shakshuka is going to be sitting in chafing dishes for a long period of time… not sure about the food safety of keeping them somewhat runny for a long period of time. Also allow extra time to reduce a bigger batch of sauce… the more sauce there is the longer it takes to reduce.
Tori
I would think that Margie would make everything except the eggs in the chaffing dishes. Just before the guests decide to sit down she would place the eggs on top of the mixture. Then she would cover and make sure not to serve till it was done. I do agree that she would need the mixture to be add some more liquid (as needed)
Hi Mashugana– yes, as long as the heat of the chafing dishes is high enough to cook the eggs. Some chafing dishes only keep foods warm and won’t heat up enough to cook anything, but some certainly have the capacity to gently cook.
I stumbled across this recipe as my wife’s recently gone “low carb” and sent me a bunch of recipe links to check out, (I do all of the cooking at our house) – this was the most intriguing of the bunch!
I will be preparing a “small-batch” test run this weekend – to be replicated during our family picnic the first weekend in August, (likely with the addition of chick peas, toasted pine nuts, zucchini, crumbled lamb sausage and the sprinkle of parmesan common in the Italian version of the dish – along with additional garnish outlined below).
My plan is to prepare TWO large foil pans directly on the grill, (our cabin up North doesn’t even have an oven) and per the notes above, I will be a) allowing plenty of time for the “reduction” of the sauce, (I’m familiar with the timing as this is typically how I do tomato braised sausage) b) putting the eggs in last, and covering with foil paper – then closing the lid until the yolks are just set c) will be serving this spooned out onto on a warm, grilled naan bread and d) garnishing with greek yoghurt (to cut the heat/acidity) and chopped cilantro.
I would venture you could do this reasonably well in either a large electric skillet or crock pot – both of which have the added benefit of a built in heat source and tight fitting lid – alleviating the concern about leaving the eggs to poach on the sauce vs being scrambled in.
I’ll let you know how it goes!
Had an awesome one tonight at Schwarma Co. In Johannesburg and was looking for a good recipe. Thanks for posting this. I often have the same reaction when telling people about it. Never had it for breakfast but that seems like an awesome idea.
Thank you for this great recipe!! I used to eat at a restaurant called “The Hummus Place” in NYC. I have been craving this dish ever since I moved away. They served a hummus and a spicy herb sauce on the side that I could never figure out but Trader Joe’s carries a cilantro jalapeno hummus that I find goes fabulously with your recipe. I am so glad I can enjoy this dish again with your recipe.
Nice to know a little bit of Libya made it to Israel! When I get some time I’ll send you the recipe as commonly used here, it’ll be interesting to see how it’s evolved over the past 45+ years.
Just a side note Hraime Fish was actually created by the Jews of Libya, still regarded as a delicacy to this day here. It’s nick name in arabic is directly translated as Jewish Food.
Stumbled upon Shakshuka in Peru earlier this year weirdly enough (lot’s of Israeli’s travel to South America in their ‘gap’ year)! Fell completely in love with it and have been searching the net for an easy step by step guide to make it! Thanks so much! I need to introduce this dish to all my friends!!!
I’ve made this dish so many times! I, too, have eaten at Dr. Shakshuka and you’re right – it’s pretty fabulous! All of the discussions of the origins of this dish made me want to share a story with you. I currently live in China (frankly, its a good thing I don’t try to keep Kosher over here) and I make this all the time when I want comfort food because the ingredients are easy to find. The funny thing is, there’s a similar-ish egg and tomato stir-fry that everyone eats over here. It’s one of those things you wouldn’t find in a “Chinese” western restaurant because everyone’s mom knows how to make it. Whenever I make this dish, I have to make a double portion to share at work – my Chinese colleagues love this stuff! They think it is a great “improvement” on the dish they grew up with. Explaining that it’s Middle Eastern and not “American” is sometimes a bit tricky with the language barrier, but it’s so fun to share food across cultures. Thank you for sharing again!
I’m trying not quibble but is this really a “Jewish dish”? This is a North African Berber+Arabic dish that is traditional to the region and because of cultural spread, made it to the people in Israel. I don’t know, I’m actually Chinese and my cultural roots in the region are non-existent as are yours but I find this kind of cultural appropriation uncomfortable.
Did you read the post? You must not have, otherwise you wouldn’t accuse me of “cultural appropriation.” I stated clearly that this dish has a North African (Libyan) origin. Never once in the blog did I describe this as a “Jewish” dish. I discussed the North African roots of Bino Gasbo, the owner of Dr. Shakshuka, and said that he brought his version of the dish from Libya to Jaffa. The fact is, shakshuka is one of the most popular in Israel, just as pasta (from Italy by way of Arab nomadic tribes from Asia) is one of the most popular in America. My own experience of the dish comes from versions I have tried throughout Israel and those made by Israeli Americans, hence my description of Dr. Shakshuka restaurant. Israelis have clearly adopted and embraced the dish, and this blog is a reflection of my personal experience with shakshuka. If I had first tried shakshuka in North Africa, I would have framed it with that experience instead.
People don’t claim there is no such thing as Greek food because it’s all “really” Turkish, or no such thing as Polish food because it’s all “really” Russian. What is it about your attitudes toward Jews’ place in their home culture that you feel it is somehow “appropriation” when variations on regional dishes are considered Jewish foods?
Also: appreciating Tori Avey’s thoughtful response to ajax151’s initial, rather offensive, suggestion.
First time shashushka eater! I’m on a paleo diet and this recipe fits well within the plan, minus the sugar. I added shredded sweet potato for sweetness and to make it more filling since I cannot eat bread. DELICIOUS! Will definitely make again. Thank you for sharing!
Dear Tori,
I made your recipe this evening and it was delicious. Even the children liked it.
One question however: how DO you eat it, with a knife and fork or a spoon’?
Great! I eat it with a fork and a knife, then I sop up the leftover sauce with a slice of challah or whole grain bread. But you can eat it however you like! 🙂
I have read so much about not cooking acidic foods in cast iron and so have avoided it. Have you had any concerns with this? I hope to try this recipe very soon. As tmy mother used to say, “what could be bad”?
Thank you!! Thank you!! I had breakfast in an adorable restaurant in San Francisco last month and this is what I had. I couldn’t remember the name but I saw a demo dish (it was the special on display) and ordered it. I had just gotten off the Whole30 diet and it was FANTASTIC! Can’t wait to make it!! Thank you!!
You’re welcome Siera! Enjoy 🙂
I have lived in Israel 20 years and LOVE shakshuka, but never made it before. I stumbled upon your blog and recipe, picked it over the others I found and perused, made it, and, voila, gobbled it down. Especially enjoyed reading your writing style, almost as much as cooking and consuming this dish.
Thank You 🙂
That’s awesome Dan! Thanks for writing. 🙂
Looks good, can’t wait to try it! Thank you for all the inspirational recipes for Passover, and generally. You are my culinary hero! 🙂
thanks for the recipe. i used to live in a jewish family in Israel about 8 years ago an my “mum” would often make this in the evenings – even if we would just have eaten some street food before arriving home, there was always room for some shackshucka in my stomack. specially the wonderful sauce!!!! luckily i found your recipe: it looks somehow similar to the one i was used to to eat!
Hi, I too love this dish. It reminds of what they eat in Spain. Im guessing that since the Spanish brought over the tomato from the Americas in the 1500s , is the reason why many variations of it are found in the Mediterranean . Just think what we would be missing if not for the tomato!