Easy Shakshuka Recipe

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Have you ever had Shakshuka? It’s as fun to eat as it is to say! It’s basically a Middle Eastern recipe, that originated in Tunisia. It’s made with poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce. The best thing about a Shakshuka recipe for me is the sauce. It has simple vegetables (usually just onions and red peppers) and a variation of spices, commonly paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper.

This is one of those breakfast recipes that is totally doable for dinner. It’s vegetarian, easy-to-make, low-carb, paleo, keto-friendly and an all around bomb tasting dish!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Vegetables: Onion, red bell pepper and garlic.
• Tomatoes: Use canned diced tomatoes, these have some texture to them and help to create a rich sauce. You can use ones with diced chilies if you like things spicy.
• Seasonings: Cumin, paprika, coriander, salt and pepper.
• Eggs: The eggs are added whole to the base sauce and then cooked through. The yolks are perfectly runny and add an amazing richness to every bite.

How to make shakshuka

Prepare the vegetables

I start by slicing the red peppers, onions and garlic. Many people prefer to dice the vegetables to better incorporate them into the sauce. But I find that the sauce is cooking for so long that the size of them doesn’t really matter. As for the herbs, I use parsley or cilantro. I like leaving the leaves whole to sprinkle on the final dish.

Now for the cooking part – I grab a large pan or cast iron skillet, and saute the onions, peppers. I want to vegetables to be soft, so this will take about 10 minutes.

Cook the tomato sauce

Next I add the garlic, canned diced tomatoes and spices. I recommend using the traditional spices, which are cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper. But then you can add some coriander, caraway, red pepper flakes, chili powder and even sugar (which I don’t find necessary).

It’s important here to let the sauce simmer for a good 10 minutes. This will ensure that the sauce is not runny, but more like a stew. This will help hold the eggs in place too, so you don’t get scrambled eggs.

Put it all together

Then I create 6 “nests” with my wooden spoon, and carefully crack the eggs into those nests. Finally, I cover the pan to allow the eggs to cook.

I like cooking the eggs pretty well done, but if you like the eggs to be more runny, you can reduce the cooking time. What’s important is that the egg whites are solidified. This is a wonderfully family-sharing meal and makes for a beautiful presentation on a brunch display. If you want to make just enough for yourself, it’s very doable in a smaller pan.

Tips for making this recipe

1. For the best sauce consistency: It’s important to let the sauce simmer and allow it to thicken in order to hold the eggs in place. But be careful not to reduce the sauce too much. This made lead to it burning or sticking to the pan. It will all depend on the size of your pan and the thickness of the tomatoes to begin with.
2. For runny eggs: If you prefer the eggs more runny, you’ll want to reduce the sauce a couple extra minutes before cracking the eggs into the pan. Otherwise the sauce will run into the eggs, and we want to keep them separated for the most part.
3. To cook your eggs: When you add the eggs, put the lid on your pan. The steam created will help to set the eggs. Use a glass lid so that you can see when they are done to your likeness.
4. For best presentation: If you want to make sure the dish doesn’t look like tomato scrambled eggs, make sure first that the sauce is thick enough, as I’ve mentioned earlier, and also make sure to create small indentations for dropping the cracked eggs. This allows the tomato sauce to nestle the cracked eggs in place, without having them spread out all over the pan.

Frequently Asked Questions

I just know you are going to adore this easy shakshuka recipe. It’s become so popular in North America recently and it’s so simple to make at home!

More Shakshuka Recipes

• Shakshuka with feta
• Green Shakshuka

For more egg recipes

• Vegetable Frittata
• Low Carb Egg Wrap
• Souffle Omelette
• Baked Eggs in Bread

This Shakshuka Recipe is a staple dish I serve when I’m inviting friends for a Middle Eastern breakfast/brunch. I love that it’s all made in one skillet and that it’s totally acceptable (and preferable) to serve it in that one skillet. This is one of my favorite egg recipes that is bursting with flavor, full of protein and very enjoyable any time of the day.

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Shakshuka recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagramso I can repost on my stories!