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
Still my best recipe ! Thanks Tori and i make it every sunday for teh family!
great recipe 🙂 only detail that was left out is that this dish originated from Morocco! my mom would make this with meatballs as a tajine (tajine bl bid ou kefta), it might have traveled with some of the moroccan citizens who flew half way accross the world to settle somewhere else (for i’m sure valid reasons :))
Hi Mohamed, as far as I know shakshuka originated in North Africa. So yes, Morocco would be a part of that region, as would other countries like Libya (where the owner of Dr. Shakshuka comes from) and Tunisia. Meatballs are a great addition! 🙂
This is an Albanian recipe btw….
Ive been eating this for years and is kalled “kime”
so how much can i charge for this dish in my vege cafe.uk sterling. with a side salad or mixed rice and french lentils?/?
It’s lovely.. I added meat curry powder and minced beef in it. For added taste a piece of chicken cube to tie everything together. I did some garlic yoghurt to spread on baguette to accompany the shaksuka.
I was looking for a carb free recipie for dinner so I tried this out tonight. Im not a huge fan of cooking mostly because of the prep work and clean up so this was brilliant, all the ingredients were already in my kitchen, only needed one pot and it was such a simple recipie to follow, and so quick which meant I didnt need to pick at food while cooking! Not to mention everyone loved it! Even those in the family who dont like spice, even they loved it! Thanks for sharing. Def gona try it again, maybe with some more veggies.
This was so delicious!! Thank you so very much for sharing this recipe.
This is happening IMMEDIATELY. It looks amazing, and the low carb is super enticing. I cant wait to try it!
-Yay, delicious …. with runny eggs and especially with added mushrooms 😀
Toda raba for a JOFI reciepe !
Thanks for the photos. I was reminded of my visit to Israel in 2007, and this was one of the memorable stops we made. Will be making this for Erev Shabbat tonight.
Shabbat shalom.
Delicious!! I was looking for a low carb dinner recipe yesterday and came across this on Pinterest. I’ve never heard of it before so I had to try it. My fiancé and I really really enjoyed your recipe, thanks so much for sharing!
You’re welcome Danielle, thank you for writing!
I see I am late to this party! This looks great, going to try it tomorrow for dinner.
I just made this, it was so amazing! I’m a bit stupid in the kitchen so I thought I’d completely blob it, but it turned out amazing. Thank you!!
Hey,
I just came across your recipe and loved it very much. I googled it to find out a little bit more about the Shakshuka thing and found a blog that totally copy&pasted your entire text. I was wondering and thought you might want to know. I don’t know if the person copied more of your stuff but you maybe want to take a look.
Anyway, thanks for the great recipe. I totally liked it.
Regards,
Sarah
Thanks for the heads up Sarah 🙂 Glad you liked the shakshuka!
I’m celiac and really prefer foods that are naturally gluten-free rather than the over-processed, overpriced stuff one finds at the grocer, so I’ve found shakshuka to be a great dish.
The first time I tried making this, I cooked it too long after adding the eggs and got dry, hard-boiled yolk lumps — which i found a bit off-putting. I prefer adding the eggs in the last 5-6 mins of cooking, sufficient time for the whites to set, yet enough for the yolks to soft-boil only. Much better results. Then I remove the pan from heat, break the yolks and stir to mix both the set whites and the still-runny yolks throughout the whole dish rather than just keeping them on top, before adding a final garnish of parsley.
Since bread is no-go for me I usually eat shakshuka just on its own, served on a plate. If there are leftovers, I reheat in the microwave and eat the next day. For a change of pace I spread it onto warmed corn tortillas and top with some parmesan.
Used to eat this until recently, what would be the best way to make Shakshuka or a simplified spin-off more GERD / Acid Reflux friendly?
Could theoretically replace the Onion and Garlic with Asafoetida though not sure what other options exist as an alternative to the tomatoes / puree besides a diary-free Pesto (including Spinach) or Carrot Puree / paste (with a way of reducing the sweetness).
Thanks for this tasty recipe! I tried it this morning and it turned out great! It reminds me of a breakfast I had in Ethiopia. They also like to spice things up there. I will definitely do this again!
Thank you so much for the recipe for shakshuka . I made it for my family and they loved it. I miss Israel and was actually better than the ones we had there .
Hi i cannot wait to try this looks and sounds absolutely yummy
Delicious. Wonderful flavour, rich, subtly spicy and sweet. I serve it with chopped spring onions (scallions) and pan-fried halloumi. Also nice with bacon!