This Easy Shakshuka Recipe will really spice up breakfast. It’s a unique spin on eggs that’s easy to make and full of delicious spices and flavors.
If you like this dish, you should really try this khachapuri dish or poached eggs recipe for your next breakfast.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
I love this Shakshuka recipe because it’s such a delicious and different spin on eggs. If you like your breakfasts savory and well-seasoned, then this dish is for you.
- TASTE: This dish has a spicy sauce made with cumin, paprika, and cayenne. With feta cheese added as a salty, cheesy bonus, there’s plenty to love about this amazing dish.
- TEXTURE: Poached in a thick sauce full of chunky veggies, these eggs are delicate with a runny yolk.
- TIME: This recipe will take about 45 minutes to make.
- EASE: Shakshuka is a very easy dish to make. Follow the recipe and images and you’ll have no trouble putting out a perfectly yummy breakfast.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Eggs- These are the stars of the recipe, so choose good quality eggs, either medium or large in size.
- Feta cheese-Â this non-traditional twist adds a tangy, salty flavor to the shakshuka that you’ll love. Either cow’s or goat’s milk feta can be used.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Use harissa paste– This ingredient is often added to stews and marinades in Tunisia. It will spice up the Shakshuka as well as give it even more vibrant color.
- Add more heat- If you’d like this recipe to be a little hotter, add more cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for extra kick.
- Add avocado- It’s not traditional, but slices of avocado on top add a cool creaminess to this recipe that’s utterly delicious.
How to Make Shakshuka
- Saute the onions and with oil. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and add the diced onions. Sauté them until they become very soft and translucent,
- Add the peppers. Then add the red pepper and sauté for another 3-5 minutes.
- Add garlic and spices. Stir in the minced garlic and all the spices just until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes).
- Add tomatoes and sugar. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add sugar to balance out the sourness and acidity of the tomatoes. Then bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Drop in the eggs. Using a spoon, make six welts in the sauce and drop an egg into each one. Season the eggs with salt and pepper.
- Cover and poache. Place a lid on top of the pan and drop the heat to low. Simmer for 5-8 minutes for runny/jammy yolks.
- Garnish. Garnish your shakshuka dish with feta cheese and chopped cilantro. Serve.
Pro Tip: If you don’t want to drop the eggs directly into the sauce, break them into a bowl and then slide them into the welts.
Recipe Tips
- Chop the vegetables the same size- For easy sauteing, chop the onions, jalapeno, and peppers the same size. They should be smaller so they soften easily and blend well.
- Make a welt for the egg- So that the eggs don’t slide along the top of the thick sauce, make a divot to drop them into. This will hold them in place until they cook more.
- Break the eggs into a bowl– If you’re worried you may break the yolk or drop an egg shell into the Shakshuka, break the egg into a small bowl and then carefully slide it into the sauce.
FAQs
If you’re wondering how to pronounce shakshuka, the most common pronunciations are “shock-shoe-kah” and “shack-shoe-kah.”
There is a lot of debate as to where this shakshuka dish originated. But while it is very famous in Israel, it may have come originally from Yemen, or possibly the Ottoman Empire. The modern versions seen today were brought to Israel by people from Libya and Tunisia.
Serving Suggestions
With such versatile ingredients, this Shakshuka recipe goes well with almost anything. Here are some tasty ways to serve it.
- Bread: Serve this dish with bread for dipping, such as this Rustic Bread, Focaccia Bread, pita bread, or Perfect Buttermilk Biscuits.
- Meat: Pair this egg recipe with Crispy Air Fryer Bacon, sausage, ham, or Canadian bacon.
- Pancakes: Dutch Baby Pancake, Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes, and Almond Flour Pancakes (gluten-free) all taste great with shakshuka.
- Muffins: Serve it alongside Cinnamon Apple Muffins Recipe (VIDEO), Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, or Blueberry Muffins (VIDEO).
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: Make the tomato stew portion of the dish up to when the eggs are added, allow it to cool, and then store it in the fridge. Then you can just heat it on the stove to bubbling, add the eggs, and finish cooking.
Storing: You can store the leftovers from this shakshuka recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. The best way to reheat this shakshuka dish is to place it in a pan and heat it over medium-low heat, watching it closely to make sure it doesn’t overcook. Then just sprinkle some fresh garnish on top and enjoy.
Freeze: Freeze it in an airtight container once cooled and it will keep for up to 8 months. Thaw overnight and then heat in the microwave or oven.
More Tasty Breakfast Dishes!
Full Recipe Instructions
Shakshuka Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 extra large yellow onion diced (2 cups total)
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp sweet paprika not smoked
- Pinch of cayenne pepper or to taste
- 3/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp granulated sugar to balance out the acidity from tomatoes
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes San Marzano
- 6 large eggs
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Bring a cast-iron pan over a medium heat, then add in the olive oil. Once heated, add the diced onion and cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add in the diced red pepper and stir until softened as well. (About 3-5 minutes).
- Stir in the minced garlic and all the spices. Stir for about 1-2 minutes just to bring out the flavor.
- Now pour in the crushed tomatoes along with the sugar. Note # 1: The sugar is not traditional, but I like to add it to balance out the acidity and tartness of the tomatoes. Note #2: Before you throw away the can of crushed tomatoes, add 1/4 cup water into the can, give it a little shake and swirl and pour it into the pan. This will help thin out your sauce, along with getting every bit of the tomatoes out of the can!
- Bring the tomato sauce to a simmer. Then taste and season with additional salt or any other spices if necessary. This is the moment that you want to adjust the spices to your liking before adding in the eggs. Make 6 indents into the sauce and drop the eggs into each indent. Season each egg with a little bit of salt and pepper.
- Cover with a tightly fitted lid, drop the heat to low, and poach the eggs for 5-8 minutes or until the eggs are done to your liking. Note: the eggs will continue to cook in the sauce after you have removed the lid. So it may be better to slightly undercook the eggs before serving if you’re worried about overcooking them.
- Once the eggs are done, sprinkle some chopped cilantro or parsley on top along with crumbled feta cheese (optional).
Notes
- Stove top: the shakshuka sauce can be made the day before and kept covered in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, you can transfer the sauce to a cast-iron pan and heat it on the stove to a simmer, then proceed to add the eggs as mentioned in the recipe. Note: the sauce may thicken in the fridge overnight so you may need to add a few tablespoons of water to thin it out.
- Oven method: I like to transfer the sauce into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, then cover with foil and bring it to a simmer in the oven at 375 degrees F for about 20-30 minutes or until it’s bubbling hot. Keep an eye on it so the edges don’t burn. Once it’s simmering hot, make the 6 indents for the eggs and drop them inside. Bake for an additional 8-12 minutes for runny/jammy yolks. Note: the sauce may thicken in the fridge overnight, so you may need to mix in a few tablespoons of water to thin it out before putting it in the oven.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on March 29, 2017, but it has been updated since.
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Kim says
When you say big the eggs while they are in the little divots oh, are you talking about cooking them at 360° on top of the stove or putting them into a 360 degree oven? The whole pan in the oven?
Dina says
Hi Kim, I meant to put them in a preheated 360 degree oven 🙂
Kim says
Dear Dina
Shakshouka originated in North African countries of Libya and Tunisia. The word Shakshouka means “mixture” in Tunisian arabic dialect. It is the quintessential meal of arabic cuisine and traditionally served in a cast iron pan or tagine as in Morocco. Thank you
Dina says
Thank you Kim for that information 🙂
Yelena says
Ok people I was the lucky one to try Dina’s dish. Thank you Dina for a healthy, super good and easy to make recipe that I can make for breakfast lunch or dinner.
simplyhomecooked says
Lena I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂