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!
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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 made this for my colleagues and I for night shift and it was an all round hit with the spice, the heat and the delicious flavours!! What variants might you suggest, i.e. additional ingredients, etc
Hi Duncan, you can get creative with shakshuka and add pretty much anything that would taste good with a tomato base. Various peppers, olives, crumbled feta cheese… the possibilities are many. 🙂
Love this recipe. Thanks!
I fell in love with shakshuka when I studied in Israel. I had it pretty much wherever it was served. Dr. Shakshuka is awesome and CafeCafe also has a delicious one. NYC has Aroma now and when I go into the City I stop for breakfast there to eat shakshuka. I’ve made it many times myself with a slightly different recipe, but I’m excited to try your version. Sometimes I add eggplant to mine or a little feta when it is finished and I always sprinkle on some za’atar. I’m so excited that I came across this recipe and your site!
Hi, any idea of macro breakdown for this recipe please, i’m on a macro tracking diet atm for a body building comp and this looks soo good (i.e grams of carbs, protein and fat in the entire recipe?) Thanks
Hi Amy, I don’t currently offer nutritional breakdowns on my recipes, as I am not a nutritionist. However, there are many nutrition calculators online that will help you calculate an estimate yourself.
I have to admit, I was sceptical. Because of… Eggs. With Tomato Sauce. And stuff. But OH MY GOSH this is delicious! Made enough for today’s dinner and tomorrow’s lunch… Well, nothing left for tomorow now.
Fabulous Mikado! Trust me. I never put something on the site that I don’t truly love to eat myself. 🙂
Have you ever seen a fluffy Israeli? They do not count calories!
Have a great day 0-)
Sounds wonderful…can’t wait to try it, and several others I’ve perused. However, having just started dieting, I would love to be able to find a calorie count if one exists. Thanks
I’ve had this dish at a local restaurant and it is (hands-down) one of the most delicious ways to enjoy eggs! I am SO making this for my next brunch get-together….
I stumbled upon your recipe yesterday, and today I made it (added some ham though, I love me my meat).
It was absolutely lovely, I am so glad you posted this! I think this will become a staple in my diet from now on XD
Shakshouka is one of the most basic of Arab breakfast dishes but delightful!
This looks awesome, but I’m not a huge fan of egg yolks! Think it’ll work with just the whites?
Hmm, it would definitely lose something. If you want to try it, you might scramble in the whites into the tomato mixture rather than just cooking them on top. It will leave you with a pinkish tomato mixture but it should taste pretty good. Worth a shot!
This brought me back a while in time…
http://wintertijd.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=1432&g2_imageViewsIndex=1
Dr Shakshuka, Abu Maher in Na’tzeret, Benedict in Tel Aviv and the non-kosher Sandwich Bar in the Carmel, Haifa, are some of the places that were comforting to me while I was living in Israël. I’ve never liked living in Israël much for various reasons, but eating at these places with my friends made me forget the reasons for a while.
Anyhow, I tend to prefer Shakshuka with the spicy Merguez sausages, even though from a purist perspective that’s not really a local way of doing it.
Having said that, if you really want to make it hot as hell, just buy a Madame Jeanette pepper or two and add that to it. I’m more for the slightly runny version, but cooked is also OK.
For the non-kosher inclined: I’ve also added slices of bacon to the mix, which is most excellent with the chili.
On the back of that, I’ve also tried combining the notions of Shakshuka and Chili Con Carne. It’s interesting to break five six eggs into a skillet of chili, although I’m not sure what I think of it myself yet. 😉
In Melbourne recently, I had this for breakfast at a restaurant called Cumulus. I had never heard of the dish before. They serve it with some shanklish cheese added (which I had also never heard of). It was terrific and I’m trying to replicate at home. Thanks for the recipe.
Cumin? Since when do you put cumin in shakshuka? All sounds good except for the cumin part.
We lived in Tel Aviv a few years ago and ate at Dr. Shakshuka all of the time. My husband *loves* shakshuka and misses getting to have it whenever he wants now that we are back in the US. I went looking for a shakshuka recipe this morning so I could make it to surprise him on Christmas morning. How glad I was when your site was the first to pop up – with a photo of a beloved Jaffa haunt from our time there!
Thanks Tori! I can’t wait to make this in a few days time.
Enjoy Heather!
Hi there. If you get an unusual amount of page views on this now that’s because someone suggested I’d make Shakshuka.. So I googled how to make that, and I found this. I then posted a link to the automotive blog/forum I hang out at.. Because this is perhaps the most awesome thing I’ve had so far in 2013. I did swap out that “pinch of cayenne” with a bunch of powdered Chipotle and Habaneros and I added some celery.. The recipe is still yours though.
Most awesome thing of 2013? Not bad, not bad at all!
Hi Tori,
We awoke this shabbat morning in Jerusalem to our third day of snow, a blanket of peace over the city…and said, “let’s try to make Shakshuka!” Haven’t tried to make it yet in the 3 months we have been here, but it is bubbling away on the 2 burner hot plate, delicious aroma as I write. So glad we found your recipe and your interesting blog! Dec 14, 2013
Wonderful Cathy! I am so jealous that you are in Jerusalem with the snow. I keep seeing pictures from my Israeli friends and wishing I was there to witness it…
I recently moved from Sydney to New York, and was excited about the city’s Shakshouka potential! Sadly I’ve not yet found anywhere that can match my beloved Cafe Shenkin back home.
The upshot of this is that I’ve been following your recipe every Sunday. It’s absolutely delicious, thank you. I stick pretty close to your recipe, but I like to add a bit of eggplant and either goat’s cheese or haloumi to the mix and serve with hummus and falafels.
Great Nic! It’s fun to hear you’re enjoying the recipe on a regular basis.
As buzzfeed says, this really is the perfect food! We make it every once in a while. I made it for dinner the first night of Hanukkah, and served it with falafel and latkes. I made a little mistake, that actually turned out quite nice: I didn’t have any tomato paste, so I put the lid on, turned it down all the way, and left my kids in charge while I ran to the store. When I got back, they were “busy” watching tv and didn’t even notice the burning smell that resulted from all the moisture escaping! I ran in, dumped in the paste, and scraped the bottom. After cooking a bit more, it was a beautiful dark red, with just a bit of “burnt-ness” too it. It was really good! Or, it could have been all the za’atar I put in it that made it good 😉
thanks for all the recipes!
You’re welcome Nathan 🙂
I make shakshuka every morning. I have modified the recipe adding the following ingredients: 1/2 jalepeno peppe, 6-10 ounces of broiled eggplant chopped, 1+ tsp sumac, dash of regular paprika and a heavy dash of smoked paparika. Also, I use a half cup of egg beaters. The meal is prepared and served in an 8″ cast iron frying pan. Enjoy!!