Shakshuka recipe is an easy and savory Middle Eastern and African dish of eggs made of tomatoes, onions, herbs. It’s delicious and filling and will leave you feeling satisfied and ready for the day!
“Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!”
There is nothing wrong with an American breakfast of pancakes and bacon (try them together on this Pancake Breakfast Board), but if you want to start your day with a real burst of flavor, you’ve got to try this Shakshuka Recipe. This recipe can also be enjoyed for lunch or dinner and may be found on restaurant menus next to falafel, but I love the idea of starting your day with something new. In the Middle East where this dish was born, it’s a popular breakfast food.
This Easy Shakshuka Recipe is made by simmering vegetables and spices and just as they are finishing cooking to perfection, adding eggs to be poached on top. The combination of flavors is so savory and delicious and this quick meal is a perfect one-pan recipe! It’s sure to wake you up, leave you full and focused for hours and become a new go-to recipe for any time of day.
Recipe Origin
Shakshuka is one of the most popular dishes on Israeli tables, especially for breakfast! The dish, whose name translates to “all mixed up”, is a combination of tomatoes, onions, and herbs. The vegetables and spices are mixed up into a sauce and then used as a base to cook eggs.
Although Shakshuka is now synonymous with Israeli food, it actually did not originate in the country. Instead, shakshuka likely comes from either Yemen or the Ottoman Empire. It was created around the 16th century, when Hernan Cortés brought tomatoes to the area as part of the Columbian exchange.
Around the 1950s and 1960s, North African immigrants moved to Israel and began a new life. This often left them without much money, so Shakshuka became the affordable staple that was eaten frequently in their homes.
In the 1990s, restaurateur Bino Gabso took over his parents’ restaurant in Jaffa and renamed it Dr. Shakshuka. While Shakshuka was popular in homes prior to this, it suddenly also became a popular restaurant item.
Shakshuka is now a popular dish enjoyed in countries around the world. It is a great example of how food travels across borders, carried by humans through history. You can enjoy Falafel Pita as another popular dish from the Middle East to really get all the flavors.
Why Make This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: It doesn’t take anything fancy to create this dish, but the bold flavor is something you truly cannot miss!
- Vegetarian OptionD This dish is delightfully vegetarian!
- Try an Israeli Breakfast: I always think it’s fascinating to see how different cultures enjoy different ingredients. I would not have thought of creating this savory breakfast recipe on my own, but starting my day with flavorful Middle Eastern cuisine is always fun!
What Do I Need To Make This Recipe
Ingredients
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Red Onion: You could substitute yellow or white onion
- Spices: Cumin, black pepper, paprika, chili powder, garlic and tomato paste melt together beautifully and you can add fresh parsley or fresh cilantro on top! You could even add a little red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for some additional spice.
- Green Chili Pepper: Any green chili pepper will work, depending on how much spice you like. You can make them less spicy by removing the seeds or even use green bell pepper instead.
- Roma Tomatoes: I’ve seen some recipes use canned tomatoes but I prefer to use fresh tomatoes when they are available. Fresh tomatoes make for a thick sauce.
Tools
- Skillet or Frying Pan: This is a great one-pan meal. All you need is a nice skillet.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Prepare the Sauce
In a skillet add the oil and heat over medium heat. Add the red onion and saute for a few minutes until softened.
While the onion is cooking, add salt, cumin, black pepper, paprika and garlic. Once the onions are cooked, add the tomato paste. Mix to combine.
Then add the green chili pepper and the diced roma tomatoes. Put a cover on the pan and allow the vegetables to simmer for 15 minutes until the tomatoes get juicy and fall apart. Stir occasionally.
Step 2: Add Your Eggs
Once the tomatoes have turned into a juice, use the back of a large spoon to make 4 pockets in the tomato mixture. Crack the eggs into the pockets.
Allow the pan to keep cooking, covered, for about 2 minutes until the egg whites are set but the yolks are runny.
Garnish with parsley and serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- This is a base recipe for shakshuka, but it can certainly be adjusted to add other ingredients you like! Consider adding red bell pepper, yellow peppers, eggplant, harissa paste, or even crumbled feta cheese.
- I’ve heard of this dish being scooped into warm pita bread to take it on the go, and that idea sounds delicious!
- Another tomato-based dinner to enjoy if you liked this one is the Pakistani Chicken Karahi recipe and it brings a lot of flavor to the plate!
FAQs
At breakfast time, serve shakshuka with plenty of crusty bread that can soak up all the sauce and runny eggs. If you decide to make this traditional shakshuka recipe for dinner, you can serve it with bread, roasted potatoes or a Greek salad.
The amount of heat in this rich tomato sauce is completely up to you. Shakshuka contains a lot of spices to make it flavorful, but it doesn’t have to burn your mouth. You can make the spicy tomato sauce less spicy by using a green bell pepper instead of a chili pepper.
You could store Shakshuka in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The texture of your eggs will likely change when you reheat it, so if it’s possible, I would recommend saving it without the eggs and reheating it in a pan on the stove top and adding an egg when you are ready to eat.
Did you enjoy this Shakshuka recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
- Salsa Eggs (like an easy Shakshuka!)
- Zucchini Slice from Australia
- Croque Madame Sandwich
- Vegetable and Lobster Egg Scramble Recipe
- Israel: Introduction, Recipes, Background and Culture
Shakshuka Recipe
Equipment
- Skillet or Frying Pan
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ¾ cup Red onion, diced (about ½ large onion)
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp paprika
- 4 cloves Garlic , sliced
- 3 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 Green chili pepper, cut into rounds
- 4 Roma Tomatoes, finely diced
- 4 Eggs
- ¼ cup chopped parsley, for garnishment
Instructions
- In a skillet add 3 tbsp oil and heat over medium heat.
- Add ¾ cup red onion and saute for a few minutes until softened
- While the onion is cooking, add 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp cumin, ½ black pepper, 2 tsp paprika and 4 cloves garlic.
- Once the onions are cooked, add the 3 tbsp tomato paste. Mix to combine.
- Then add the green chili pepper and the 4 diced roma tomatoes.
- Put a cover on the pan and allow the vegetables to simmer for 15 minutes until the tomatoes get juicy and fall apart. Stir occasionally.
- Once the tomatoes have turned into a juice, use the back of a spoon to make 4 pockets in the tomatoes. Crack the 4 eggs into the pockets.
- Allow the pan to keep cooking, covered, for about 2 minutes until the egg whites are set but the yolks are runny.
- Garnish with ¼ cup parsley and serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- Red Onion: You could substitute yellow or white onion
- Spices: Cumin, black pepper, paprika, chili powder, garlic and tomato paste melt together beautifully and you can add fresh parsley or fresh cilantro on top! You could even add a little red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for some additional spice.
- Green Chili Pepper: Any green chili pepper will work, depending on how much spice you like. You can make them less spicy by removing the seeds or even use green bell pepper instead.
- Roma Tomatoes: I’ve seen some recipes use canned tomatoes but I prefer to use fresh tomatoes when they are available. Fresh tomatoes make for a thick sauce.
- This is a base recipe for shakshuka, but it can certainly be adjusted to add other ingredients you like! Consider adding red bell pepper, yellow peppers, eggplant, harissa paste, or even crumbled feta cheese.
- I’ve heard of this dish being scooped into warm pita bread to take it on the go, and that idea sounds delicious!
Leave a Reply