Shakshuka

By Maria Lichty

View RecipePin Recipe4.9114
This post may contain affiliate links. Read myย disclosure policy.

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!

Shakshuka in skillet with crusty bread.

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 on cutting board to make shakshuka.

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!)
cracked eggs in tomato sauce in skillet to make shakshuka.

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!
shakshuka on plates with feta cheese and crusty bread.

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

Shakshuka Eggs in skillet with feta cheese, herbs, and avocado slices.
Email Yourself This Recipe
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus, you’ll get NEW recipes from us every week!

Shakshuka

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!
4.91 from 11 votes

Ingredients
  

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

If your skillet doesn’t have a lid, you can lay a baking sheet over the pan.

Nutrition

Calories: 183kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 175mg, Sodium: 704mg, Potassium: 289mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1631IU, Vitamin C: 34mg, Calcium: 137mg, Iron: 2mg

Have you tried this recipe?

Leave a comment below and share a photo on Instagram. Tag @twopeasandpod and hashtag it with #twopeasandtheirpod

Get the best of the best!
4 Recipes Guaranteed to be New Favorites

Maria

I'm Maria and my husband is Josh. We share a love of cooking, baking, and entertaining. We enjoy creating recipes that are simple, fresh, and family friendly. We love sitting around the table with good food, good conversation, and good friends and family! Our kitchen is always open!
Read More

Vegetarian Summer Fall Spring Winter

4.91 from 11 votes (4 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

Leave a comment

  1. 5 stars
    We loved this! I had never had smoked paprika but it really does make the dish. Crusty bread is a must!

  2. How do you recommend storing leftovers? Do you just let presentation go and dump it all into a tupperware??

    1. 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:)

  3. Made this for a big family dinner and it was SO yummy. Iโ€™m trying to figure out how to use it for meal preps. Have you ever tried freezing it??

  4. 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.

  5. 5 stars
    This was the second Shakshouka recipe Iโ€™ve tried and this is my favorite. Making it for the 2nd time in a week

  6. 5 stars
    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!

  7. 5 stars
    I love your recipes!! I made this last night and we LOVED it! It was super easy and delicious!

  8. 5 stars
    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.

  9. 5 stars
    Iโ€™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.