Shakshuka
Published on April 05, 2024
Quick Summary
Shakshuka is a flavorful, warm, savory Middle Eastern dish filled with tomatoes, eggs, and spices. I love serving it with crusty bread for a satisfying breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
Let me introduce you to one of my all-time favorite meals, Shakshuka!
This spiced egg-and-tomato dish is a wonderful and easy meal to make at home. We love it for an ultra-savory breakfast or a quick and easy dinner. Oh…and it’s pronounced shock-shoe-ka, just in case you weren’t sure!
This simple skillet meal is made with tomatoes, onions, garlic, spices, poached eggs, and finished with feta cheese and herbs. I also like to add avocado because avocado makes everything better!
Serve crusty bread, pita bread, or naan bread on the side for dipping. You will want to soak up all of that delicious sauce. This protein packed egg dish will keep you full for hours and the flavors are INCREDIBLE!
Where is Shakshuka From?
Shakshuka is very popular across the Middle East and North Africa. The dish is likely of Tunisian or Yemini origin, and the name is thought to originate from either Arabic or Amazigh (Berber) for “mixture,” but in our house we just call it delicious! It’s for sure a favorite at our house!
Ingredients
- Olive oil– for sautéing the veggies.
- Onion– chopped.
- Red bell pepper-stemmed, seeded, and chopped.
- Garlic– minced.
- Diced tomatoes– I recommend using diced tomatoes AND diced fire roasted tomatoes for the best flavor.
- Spices– The spices add LOTS of flavor!
- Eggs– Gently poach the eggs in the spiced tomato sauce. You can cook them shortly so the yolks are nice and runny or you can cook them longer for a harder yolks.
- Feta cheese– I recommend using a block of feta cheese and crumbling it.
- Garnish– Top shakshuka with fresh herbs (parsley or cilantro), avocado slices, and/or crushed red pepper flakes.
Spice it Up!
The secret is in the spices! The spices make Shakshuka special and give the dish SO much flavor. The combination of flavors give a delicious spice that warms you from the inside out. Other than tomatoes and eggs, we add in…
- Cumin
- Paprika AND smoked paprika (Smoked paprika adds SO much flavor, don’t skip it!)
- Chili powder
- Salt
- Crushed red pepper flakes (I use ¼ teaspoon in the dish and sprinkle a dash on top before serving. If you want more heat, you can add more!)
How to Make Shakshuka
It’s so simple! Whip up a fresh batch ASAP. You won’t regret it!
- Start with a large skillet (I like to use a cast iron skillet), olive oil, and medium heat. Add in the onion and red pepper, letting everything get nice and tender! Toss in the garlic and give it one more minute.
- Now we spice! Add tomatoes, cumin, paprika, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir everything together and simmer it on low for 10 minutes.
- Using a large spoon, make 6 wells in the sauce–little holes that the eggs will cook in! Crack an egg into each well, or (pro tip!) crack the egg into a glass first and pour it into the well. This makes it a bit easier to get the egg in the right spot.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook 5-8 minutes. If you don’t have a lid for your pan, use a baking sheet! Once the egg whites are set and the yolks are still soft they’re all done, although if you prefer hard eggs you can let them cook a bit longer.
- Remove the lid and garnish! Sprinkle the top with feta cheese, cilantro and/or parsley, and a little crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. I also like to add avocado slices because avocado makes everything better. Season with additional salt and pepper and you are DONE!
Don’t Forget the Bread
Warm, crusty bread is a MUST for enjoying shakshuka, if you ask me! Dip and scoop away so none of that delicious sauce is left behind. It also makes the meal more filling.
- You can use French, Italian, sourdough, or whole wheat bread. You can even use pita bread, naan, or your favorite flatbread.
- If you are gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free bread.
How to Store
- Shakshuka is best fresh, hot out of the skillet, but you can keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium low until heated through and garnish with desired toppings.
- You can make the sauce in advance and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Heat the sauce in a skillet and add the eggs and cook according to the recipe instructions.
More Egg Recipes
- Baked Eggs with Spinach
- Migas
- Breakfast Tacos
- Bacon, Potato, and Egg Casserole
- Crustless Quiche
- Vegetable Frittata
Shakshuka
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes
- 14 ounces fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley, for garnish
- Avocado slices for garnish, optional
- Crushed red pepper flakes, if desired
- Crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper and cook until tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.
- Add the tomatoes, cumin, paprika, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir and simmer on low for 10 minutes.
- Use a large spoon to make 6 small wells in the sauce for the eggs. Crack the eggs into each well. Pro tip-you can crack the egg in a glass and then pour into the pan, this makes it easier to pour.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until egg whites are opaque and yolks are soft (or until desired doneness, you can cook longer if you prefer hard eggs).
- Remove the lid and garnish with feta cheese, cilantro or parsley, red pepper flakes, and avocado slices, if using. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve warm with crusty bread.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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hi
We loved this! I had never had smoked paprika but it really does make the dish. Crusty bread is a must!
This was just wonderful!
How do you recommend storing leftovers? Do you just let presentation go and dump it all into a tupperware??
Slide gently into a tupperware or you can let it cool in the skillet and cover the skillet with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. I usually do a tupperware. It might not look as pretty but it’s still tasty:)
Made this for a big family dinner and it was SO yummy. I’m trying to figure out how to use it for meal preps. Have you ever tried freezing it??
Just wanted to post a quick dinner idea.
I’ve made Shakshuka before and it was really good. One night I was looking for something fast and easy so instead of making this sauce, I used a jar of spaghetti sauce and cooked the eggs in that.
Obviously a different taste, but I’ve made it a couple of times and it’s quite good. Just thought I’d share.
Fun idea! Thanks for sharing!
This was the second Shakshouka recipe I’ve tried and this is my favorite. Making it for the 2nd time in a week
We’ve made this twice now and LOVE it. Such a simple, flavorful meal. I’ve been learning to make artisan sourdough bread and it has been so delicious to have it with this meal. Thank you for sharing!
I love your recipes!! I made this last night and we LOVED it! It was super easy and delicious!
We enjoy mid eastern food. Hope you will do more!
Made this recipe tonight. It was simple and yummy. Made homemade bread to with. Thanks for the recipe, it will be added into the rotation.
I’m so glad I finally made this! Delicious, healthy dinner. Even my picky 12 year old son scarfed it down and said it was good -extremely high praise from him!! Thanks for sharing this.