Shakshuka
Serves: 6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Shakshuka is an easy, healthy meal and comfort food. It’s a simple combination of simmering tomatoes, onions, garlic, spices and gentlypoached eggs. It’s nourishing and filling.
What is Shakshuka?
Shakshuka is a classic North African and Middle Eastern dish and one that’s eaten for breakfast or any meal of the day. It’s made from simple, healthy ingredients and is vegetarian. Shakshuka literally means “a mixture” and the traditional version uses tomatoes, onions and spices as the base with eggs poached on top.
Shakshuka Ingredients
- Vegetables: The base of shakshuka is a mix of sauteed onion, bell pepper, and garlic, along with tomatoes (I use a can of whole peeled tomatoes).
- Spices: The simple combination of paprika, cumin, and chili powder imparts incredible flavor. And the aroma instantly takes me back to meandering the spice souks in Cairo and Amman.
- Eggs: The eggs gently poach in the spiced tomato mixture. You can cook them as long as you’d like for your perfect yolk texture.
- Fresh herbs: A sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley and cilantro not only adds a pop of green, but also adds yet another layer of flavor.
How to Make Shakshuka
It’s really easy to make shakshuka, especially if you use canned tomatoes (though you can always use fresh tomatoes as well – see my tip below).
Saute the veggies. Dice an onion and red bell pepper and add that to a sauté pan with a little olive oil over medium heat. Stir the veggies for about 5 minutes, or until the onions become translucent. Then add the garlic and spices and stir for another minute, until the mixture is nice and fragrant.
Simmer the eggs on top. Pour in a 28-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes and use your spatula to break up the tomatoes into smaller pieces. Once this entire mixture is lightly simmering, you can crack your eggs on top. Use your spatula to make little holes for the eggs, then crack an egg into each hole. I use six eggs, though depending on the size of your pan you may use more or less. Reduce the heat to low, and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes or until the eggs are done to your liking.
Garnish with fresh herbs. Before serving, season the eggs with salt and a generous amount of freshly chopped parsley and cilantro. Enjoy!
Common Questions
Is shakshuka spicy?
Shakshuka spices may vary, but you’ll commonly find paprika, cumin and chili powder, along with fresh garlic. I’d consider it flavorful spicy, not hot spicy. Though you can always add cayenne pepper if you’d like to heat it up.
How do I prevent runny egg whites?
Can I swap in fresh tomatoes for the canned tomatoes?
Shakshuka is abundant in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv is a bustling, vibrant, hip, outdoor cafe-vibe kind of city. I didn’t know what to expect with Tel Aviv, but I can tell you this, it blew me away. There’s a youthful energy to the city and I encountered some of the friendliest, most hospitable people.
There’s gorgeous Mediterranean weather year round in Tel Aviv, but let me tell you, the food scene is definitely something to write home about. I ate. And ate. And ate. Everything is fresh, veggie-heavy, loaded with herbs and layered with flavor. It’s a dream city for vegetarians and those who just like phenomenal food.
What To Serve With Shakshuka
It’s quite common to serve pita or some type of bread with shakshuka. You can dip it in the sauce to soak it all up! I was fortunate in Tel Aviv to find several restaurants that served gluten-free pita, much to my delight! But here are a few other ideas:
- For breakfast: Make my falafel or falafel flatbread for a delicious bread alternative. I’ve been known to break the falafel in half and then dip them in my serving. Can’t let any of that sauce go to waste! A side a fresh fruit is always a great idea as well.
- For lunch or any time of day: Serve up a tasty mezze platter with sides of hummus, baba ganoush or white bean dip. And for salads, my Mediterranean chickpea salad, lentil salad, or Israeli salad are always winners.
More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
- Healthy Breakfast Casserole – This meal prep friendly breakfast casserole is a go-to!
- Turkish Eggs – The most flavorful brunch!
- Smoked Salmon Frittata – A favorite for brunch and entertaining.
- Zucchini and Prosciutto Egg Muffins – These grab and go egg muffins are healthy and convenient.
- Baked Eggs in Avocado – It’s so simple and so tasty.
I hope you enjoy this authentic shakshuka recipe from my travels to Egypt, Israel, and Jordan. If you make it, let me know how it turned out. I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.
Shakshuka Recipe (Easy & Traditional)
Author: Lisa Bryan
4.94 from 493 votes
Serves6 servings
Prep Time10minutes mins
Cook Time20minutes mins
Total Time30minutes mins
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Description
Shakshuka is a North African and Middle Eastern meal of poached eggs in a simmering tomato sauce with spices. It’s easy, healthy and takes less than 30 minutes to make. Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!
Video
Equipment
- Stainless Steel Pan My go-to pan in the kitchen!
Ingredients USMetric 1x2x3x
- ▢2 tablespoons olive oil
- ▢1 medium onion, diced
- ▢1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- ▢4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ▢2 teaspoon paprika
- ▢1 teaspoon cumin
- ▢¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ▢1 (28-ounce can) whole peeled tomatoes
- ▢6 large eggs
- ▢salt and pepper, to taste
- ▢1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- ▢1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped bell pepper and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add garlic and spices and cook an additional minute.
- Pour the can of tomatoes and juice into the pan and break down the tomatoes using a large spoon. Season with salt and pepper and bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Use your large spoon to make small wells in the sauce and crack the eggs into each well. Cook the eggs for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the eggs are done to your liking. You can also cover the pan with a lid to expedite the eggs cooking.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and parsley before serving.
Lisa’s Tips
- If you’re not dairy-free, crumbled feta or goat cheese on top is delicious addition. Traditionally it’s also served with pita, but I love to serve it with slices of avocado.
- Many photos online show shakshuka cooked in a cast iron pan. Tomatoes are acidic and may erode the seasoning on your cast iron pan as well as dull the finish. You may also get a slight metallic flavor to the dish. So I recommend not taking any chances and cooking it in a stainless steel pan, like this beauty from All Clad.
Nutrition
Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 256mg | Potassium: 409mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1371IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 3mg
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Recipe originally posted December 2018, but updated to include new photos, video, and information for your benefit!
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About the author
Lisa Bryan
Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.
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1,001 Comments
- Philippa CharnleyHi. I am looking to make this for first time. Is there any suggestions if cooking for one person? All ingredients I like so eating more than once a week be no problem.Reply
- Lisa BryanHi Philippa – Great! That just means you get to enjoy all of these leftovers to yourself. 😉 Enjoy!Reply
- SushankGreat recipe. Tried it many times!A couple of variations:
– I add a slight amount of honey to manage the sourness of tomatoes.
– Suggest a bit of allspice or you can use the Chinese 5 spice blend
– In Indian cooking there’s a concept of “tadka” you can use it to spice up the dish for individual servings. You essentially take ghee or butter and heat it such that when you put in red chilli powder or cumin or both- you get spiced oilReply
- Marian hopeHi I just came across this posting from your time in Israel
Can you send me any of the hotels or restaurants that you enjoy and recommend?
Thank you I follow all of your trips and recipes and really appreciate the effort you make to share them with us
It really makes a very big difference so I think youReply - Marie BromleyLove this recipe! It’s so easy and delicious! I do it with tofu.
Reply
- Brenda W.Delish!
Reply
- ShellyDelicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Reply
- ElaineLook forward to trying this recipeReply
- DownshiftologyEnjoy, Elaine! Let us know how it turns out.Reply
- TaliaThis is now my go-to shakshuka recipe! It comes together so quickly and it tastes amazing every time. Thank you!
Reply
- DownshiftologyHappy to hear this has become your go-to shakshuka recipe, Talia!Reply
- SumiAmazing recipe! Very delicious. I’m sure your travels to Palestine and Jordan must’ve been beautiful. My family enjoyed this dish thoroughly and the measurements were perfect 🙂
Reply
- DownshiftologyThey were definitely life-changing trips! Happy to hear you and your family loved this shakshuka recipe, Sumi.Reply
- MaureenHi Lisa! Just made this for my husband and I for dinner and we absolutely loved it. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe and inspiration to try new things!! I can hardly wait for my daughter to get home to try it. She’s the adventurous cook in our family and I’m betting she loves it!
Reply
- DownshiftologyHappy to hear you both loved this shakshuka recipe, Maureen! I hope your daughter loves it too!Reply
- JanetMade this recipe so many times. It’s simply delicious and so easy to make. I didn’t use bell peppers. Sometimes I add chickpeas or black beans.
Reply
- DownshiftologyHappy to hear you’re loving this shakshuka recipe, Janet!Reply
- Danny SHave made this recipe a couple of times now, so easy and delicious! Really adaptable as well, this time around I chucked in some white beans that I had left over in the fridge for an extra protein boost and served over crispy potatoes (also left over). So yum
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