Shakshuka Recipe

This delicious Shakshuka recipe is a blend of peppers, onions, spices, and tomatoes that are stewed down and served with poached eggs. Your guests and family will be blown away at just how delicious this traditional recipe is.

We are huge breakfast fans in our house and love trying different things. If you are the same way and are looking to change up your breakfast routine, then you must try my Dutch baby or Italian Frittata.

Shakshuka

Shakshuka is a popular North African and Israeli dish that consists of eggs that are cooked in a thick, zesty tomato sauce with peppers, onions, and spices. There are many variations to this dish, and will likely be different depending on who’s making it. This dish was said to be created by Jewish people who were living in Tunisia that was then later brought to the Mediterranean and Middle East, as well as Israel, where it’s still popular today.

I commonly serve this dish for breakfast and brunch, but it can be served for any meal of the day. Shakshuka translates to a “mixture” as well as “shaken.”  I’m unsure how either of these applies to the dish and is pronounced as shahk-SHOO-kah.

Ingredients

• Oil – I prefer to use expeller-pressed olive oil. However, you can use any oil you are comfortable cooking with.
• Onion – This recipe can use red, yellow, white, or sweet onion. I also added quite a bit of garlic to the recipe.
• Peppers – I like to use red bell peppers in this, but feel free to use spicy peppers.
• Tomatoes – Canned tomatoes or canned whole peeled tomatoes that have been crushed with your hands give the most robust flavor.
• Spices – Ground cumin and paprika add some earthy flavors to the sauce.
• Sugar – Just a touch of sugar adds some nice sweetness to the sauce and can help balance out the taste if you use spicier peppers.
• Eggs – Any large eggs that are chilled or at room temperature will work.
• Seasonings – I like to use sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.

How to Make Shakshuka

Add the olive to a large 10” to 12” cast-iron skillet or rondeaux over medium heat.

Pour in the onions, peppers, and garlic into the pan and sauté until they are lightly browned. Which takes about 5 to 7 minutes while frequently stirring.

Add in the tomatoes, cumin, paprika, sugar, salt, and pepper, and mix until combined.

Simmer the mixture over low heat for 10 minutes.

Add the eggs 1 at a time to the tomato sauce, evenly spreading out the eggs not to completely cover the tomato mixture.

Cover the skillet with a lid and simmer over low heat for 8 to 12 minutes or until the desired internal temperature is achieved.

Garnish with optional chopped fresh parsley and serve with fresh sliced artisan bread or with a side of polenta.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: This is meant to be eaten as soon as it is done, or else the eggs will continue to cook. However, you can make the zesty red sauce without poaching the eggs in it one day ahead of time.

How to Store: Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days with the eggs poached in the sauce. Cover without the eggs and keep it in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. You can freeze the sauce without having poached any eggs in it for up to 6 months. Thaw this in the refrigerator for 1 day or until thawed.

How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of shakshuka to a small pan, cover it, and heat over low heat until hot. It is better to reheat it as a sauce without having poached the eggs.

Chef Notes + Tips

• You can make little indents in the sauce of where you want to put the eggs while poaching them.
• Feel free to add 1 small seeded and small diced jalapeño or serrano pepper while also sauteing the vegetables to add a little spice to the sauce.
• If you don’t have a lid for your cast iron skillet, like I don’t, I use a ½ sheet tray.

More Breakfast Recipes

• Granola
• Gravlax
• Huevos Rancheros
• Avocado Toast
• Chilaquiles

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Shakshuka Recipe

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5 from 13 votes

This delicious Shakshuka recipe is a blend of peppers, onions, spices, and tomatoes that are stewed down and served with poached eggs.

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 peeled and small diced yellow onion
• 1 seeded and small diced red bell pepper
• 4 finely minced cloves garlic
• 2 28- ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes, crushed with hands
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 6 to 8 large eggs
• sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

• Add the olive to a large 10” to 12” cast-iron skillet or rondeaux over medium heat.
• Pour in the onions, peppers, and garlic into the pan and sauté until they are lightly browned. Which takes about 5 to 7 minutes while frequently stirring.
• Add in the tomatoes, cumin, paprika, sugar, and salt and pepper, and mix until combined.
• Simmer the mixture over low heat for 10 minutes.
• Add the eggs 1 at a time to the tomato sauce evenly spreading out the eggs not to completely cover the tomato mixture.
• Cover the skillet with a lid and simmer over low heat for 8 to 12 minutes or until the desired internal temperature is achieved.
• Garnish with optional chopped fresh parsley and serve with fresh sliced artisan bread.

Notes

Make-Ahead: This is meant to be eaten as soon as it is done, or else the eggs will continue to cook. However, you can make the zesty red sauce without poaching the eggs in it one day ahead of time.

How to Store: Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days with the eggs poached in the sauce. Cover without the eggs and keep it in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. You can freeze the sauce without having poached any eggs in it for up to 6 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day or until thawed.

How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of shakshuka to a small pan, cover it, and heat over low heat until hot. It is better to reheat it as a sauce without having poached the eggs.

You can make little indents in the sauce of where you want to put the eggs while poaching them.

Feel free to add 1 small seeded and small diced jalapeño or serrano pepper while sauteing the vegetables to add a little spice to the sauce.

If you don’t have a lid for your cast iron skillet, like I don’t, I use a ½ sheet tray.

Nutrition

Calories: 149kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 7gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 164mgSodium: 268mgPotassium: 423mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1197IUVitamin C: 40mgCalcium: 83mgIron: 3mg

Course: Breakfast, Main

Cuisine: israeli, Mediterranean

Author: Chef Billy Parisi