Shakshuka
Updated Apr 25, 2025
Shakshuka is a popular Middle Eastern breakfast that is poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce. It takes just about 30 minutes to make but is so worth it!
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My Shakshuka is So Good!
If Shakshuka is one of those dishes you only order when you go to a restaurant for brunch, I’m here to tell you that it’s actually so easy to make at home! Because when you really think about it, shakshuka is just eggs cooked in tomato sauce, and there’s nothing simpler than that.
My easy shakshuka recipe starts by cooking down some onions and peppers. Then you add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and let it thicken with the spices before dropping in the eggs. Now you can enjoy the classic brunch dish at home any time of the day.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
What is Shakshuka?
Shakshuka is a classic Middle Eastern and North African dish. It’s traditionally vegetarian, with a rich, spicy tomato base that cooks into a thick sauce with a mixture of onions, bell peppers, and common Middle Eastern spices such as cumin, cayenne, and paprika. Then, eggs are poached right in the flavorful stew-like tomato sauce for a one-pan breakfast.
Shakshuka Ingredients
- Vegetables: I like to use a yellow onion for a stronger bite and red bell pepper for its slightly sweeter flavor, both sauteed with garlic until soft. But other veggies also work if a white onion or green bell pepper is all you have, go with it!
- Tomatoes and tomato sauce: Using canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce helps get the best texture and richer sauce.
- Seasonings: I love the traditional spices (cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper) here, but you can also add some coriander, caraway, red pepper flakes, chili powder, and even sugar.
- Eggs: Use the freshest eggs you can, and if possible, use organic. I prefer a medium cook where the white is cooked through and the yolks are left runny.
Popular Additions
- Add a little sugar. The sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes, and you’ll notice the flavor becomes more balanced for the shakshuka sauce.
- Add more vegetables. Make it heartier by sauteeing in mushrooms, zucchini or carrots.
- Add some cheese. A crumbly cheese such as feta adds the best tangy, salty flavor and is a great complement to this tomato egg dish, just like my shakshuka with feta recipe.
- Include some greens. Before adding the eggs, grab a handful of spinach or kale and stir it in. No need to let it cook completely as they will continue to wilt and soften while the eggs steam.
How to Make Shakshuka
Recipe Tips
- Use a nonstick skillet. The vegetables cook for about 10 minutes, and more time is needed to reduce the sauce and cook the eggs, so using a nonstick pan helps make sure nothing sticks or burns.
- Allow the sauce to simmer before adding the eggs. Once the vegetables soften, add the tomatoes and tomato sauce and allow it to simmer and become more stew-like before cracking in the eggs. This thickened consistency of the sauce will help cradle the eggs and deepen the flavor of the shakshuka.
- Cover the skillet to cook the eggs. The steam created from the covered pan will help to set the eggs. A glass lid will make it easier to see when they have cooked to your liking without losing any steaminess from being covered.
- Adjust for runner eggs. If you prefer the eggs runnier, you’ll want to reduce the sauce a couple of 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. And make sure to reduce the egg cooking time by 2-3 minutes to get that gooey runny yolk.
Serving Ideas
More Brunch Egg Recipes:
- Vegetable Frittata
- Baked Feta Eggs
- Souffle Omelette
- Egg Strata
- Veggie Omelet
- Sweet Potato Huevos Rancheros
- Fluffy Scrambled Eggs
- Classic Omelette
- Breakfast Tortilla Wrap
If you try this Shakshuka recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
This Shakshuka recipe was originally published on October 28, 2018. The recipe has not been modified, but the post now includes new step-by-step photos for how to make Shakshuka.
Shakshuka Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 (14-ounce) canned diced tomatoes
- 1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 eggs
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
- Crusty bread for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook for about 10 minutes until the onions become soft and translucent. Stir in garlic and cook for an additional minute until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Pour in the tomatoes and tomato sauce, and add cumin, paprika and coriander. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the tomato sauce thickens like a stew, about 10-15 minutes.
- Create 6 small indents in the tomato stew using a spoon. Gently crack the eggs into the skillet over the tomatoes in the nests formed. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet, and cook until the egg whites have set, about 5-8 minutes, depending on your desired doneness.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with crusty bread or pita.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Comments
I am not american and we dont use ounce to measure. Internet was no help. What is 1 14 ounce in cups or dl?
14 ounces is about 4 dl.
No.1 breakfast 👏 very tasty !
Amazing dish 😋 full of flavour and very colourful, thank you for sharing 😀
Thank you!
I’ve tried many recipes for shakshuka and yours is hands down the very best! I just made it again and loved every bite!!!
Great recipe – the detail about letting the veggies burn slightly at the beginning is a very good tip! This dish tastes amazing, I can’t believe I made something THIS delicious in my own kitchen. I added a bit of saffron and topped it off with some crumbled feta. The saucy veggies are my favourite part, though! Yum!
Love this! Happy you enjoyed it!
Made this today for my dad and we both Loved it!! ❤️❤️💐
So happy to hear!
I’ve tried many recipes for shakshuka, and had it in several restaurants. Yours is the best of all!! I make it often, mostly exactly as you wrote it, and once in a while I add some feta crumbles between the eggs. I know I can always count on your Lebanese and other Middle Eastern recipes to be wonderful!
Aw, thanks so much, Viv. It really means a lot!
I’m so excited to make this for a brunch with some friends this week. I was just wondering what you mean by tomato sauce? In Australia we call Ketchup “tomato sauce”, so I’m not sure if you’re referring to like a tomato paste or a pasta tomato sauce? Thanks!
Hi Cynthia! So excited to have you make this! The tomato sauce refers to a pasta tomato sauce. Here, we have canned tomato sauce that is just very basic as far as ingredients and is mostly used as an additive to build a base for more complex tomato-based sauce. I am not sure what brands you have available to you, but one would be Muir Glen™ Organic Tomato Sauce. You’ll have to come back and let me know how you liked the Shakshuka!
Bell peppers don’t agree with me. I often substitute celery. Works for me.
Hi Catherine! I’ve never tried celery in this recipe. When you make it, I’d love to know what you think!
I love this recipe my friend’s mom from Lebanon would come and make this for us! it’s been a couple of years and it’s funny I just thought of it last night and I get up this morning and the recipe is in my email you’re the best thank you so much🥰
Wow, that’s so cool! I love how food brings back memories and emotions. You’ll have to let me know what you think of the recipe once you make it!
Thank you Yumna for your recipes. You make cooking sounds simple and authentic.
You are so welcome! That is huge compliment – thank you!
I’ve made this 3 times so far and they’ve all been a hit with friends and family. The first time was the original recipe, the second time I added Cotija cheese, third time was rotisserie chicken and feta’ and the 4th time was iberico chorizo, All hits with everyone. Love all your recipes too by the way!
I’m so glad to hear everyone has been enjoying this recipe! Yay!! Thank you so much.
Hi, how would you make this less spicy?
I would not use any cayenne pepper and make sure the canned tomatoes you’re using doesn’t have diced chilies in them.
Delicious recipe!!! My husband and I devoured it!!
Yay! So happy to hear that! Thanks so much!
We absolutely love your recipes!! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ My husband and I made your shakshuka a couple years ago for Thanksgiving, and it has now become our Thanksgiving family tradition for the last two years! It’s so easy and has a TON of flavor! My grandmother even took the recipe back home and shared it with her friends! Thank you so much!!!
That’s so awesome!! Thank you for sharing!!
This person is stealing your recipes and videos and taking credit for them. They also created a blog and stole your entire page.
https://www.reddit.com/r/GifRecipes/comments/iefymp/delicious_shakshuka_recipe/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Oh wow! Thank you so much! I appreciate that!
This recipe is bomb, turned out amazing!!!!!!!????
Thank you so much!
Thanks for this recipe! I’m very new to cooking, but this recipe was easy and delicious (and very pretty)! I also had plenty of leftovers to save. The coriander was also a really flavorful add.
That’s amazing! So glad to hear it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Delicious &filling. Great for keto breakfast or easy dinner
So glad to hear that you enjoyed it! And yes, perfect for keto!
I must say it was really healthy,tasty and easy to prepare.
Gonna try more of your recipes soon ??
Wonderful! I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I love the feel good foodie! I made this recipie for dinner last week and it was delicious and perfect! One of my favorite dinners and so easy to make. Incredible flavor and spice but so simple!! I highly recommend this recipie.
Awww thank you so much! I really appreciate the feedback and I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! 🙂
This was so good! I made it to the recipe. Added a bit of feta to garnish. Next time I will add mushrooms to it.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! And I love the idea of adding mushrooms and/or feta to it!
So happy to hear that!! Thank you!!
PS. The coriander was the game changer for me ??
Oh yeah!! I love coriander in this!!
Made this recipe for breakfast a week ago for my son with 8 eggs, cause it was on Sunday and u wanted him to have some for Monday morning…added mushrooms and spinach.
So I asked my son, “do you want 2 or 3 eggs”? He said 2. So dished him two eggs and 2 slice toast, he ended up eating 4 eggs and 3 slice toast ???. Then I thought he could have eaten the whole thing cause he’s a high s hooligan football player. He says it’s the best egg recipe I ever made.
This Shakshuka recipe is the bomb ??, I ❤❤❤ and I think everyone should try it.
Hi Martha! That’s so amazing and I’m so happy your son loved it so much! Can’t believe he ended up eating so much of it. That makes me so happy! Thanks for sharing your experience!!
Love it. The cumin and the added cilantro, though meant for decorative, made it for me.