Easy Shakshuka

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A flavorful, very filling dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce, shakshuka is surprisingly easy to make.

And while it practically begs for some crusty bread for dipping, you could easily enjoy it with thick slices of homemade almond flour bread.

Shakshuka served in a cast-iron skillet.

I find that a lighter, egg-based dinner, is wonderful. Especially in summer. One such dinner that I make quite often is this tasty dish of a baked avocado egg. This recipe is another one that I like to make and that my family greatly enjoys.

Shakshuka (pronounced shahk-shoo-kah, emphasis on the middle syllable) is a Middle Eastern dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. Its name comes from the Arabic word for "mixture." It's very flavorful and wonderfully filling.

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Ingredients
Variations
Shakshuka Instructions
Expert Tip
Recipe FAQs
Serving Suggestions
Storing Leftovers
More Breakfast Recipes
Recipe Card

Ingredients

The list of ingredients needed to make shakshuka is very simple. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

Olive oil: I love cooking with this delicious oil. But if you'd rather use an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead.
Aromatics: Chopped onion and minced garlic.
Tomatoes: The stars of the show! You could use fresh tomatoes, but I usually use either canned petite diced tomatoes or Pomi chopped tomatoes.
Salt and pepper: I use kosher salt in most of my recipes. If using fine salt, you should use half the amount listed.
Spices: I use paprika, cumin, and red pepper flakes.
Eggs: I use large eggs in most of my recipes. It's simply what I have on hand. But in this particular recipe, medium or even small eggs will work well - it will be easier for the sauce to contain a smaller amount of egg whites.
For garnish: Either chopped cilantro or chopped parsley.

The ingredients needed to make shakshuka.

Variations

The best way to vary this recipe is by using different spices. I love adding smoked paprika for an interesting smoky flavor. Sometimes I use cayenne pepper instead of red pepper flakes (about ¼ teaspoon). Dried thyme and oregano are very tasty too, although nontraditional.
You can use different cooking fats instead of olive oil. Butter or ghee are good options that I tried and liked.
Many shakshuka recipes add bell peppers in addition to tomatoes. I usually don't. But if you'd like, you can add 1-2 finely chopped bell peppers and cook them with the onions.

Shakshuka Instructions

Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:

Cook the sauce. Cook the onion in olive oil with some salt. Then add the garlic, paprika, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Next, add the tomatoes. Cook the sauce for about 10 minutes.
Cook the eggs. Now add the eggs and cook them for 5-10 minutes, until set.
Finish the dish. Sprinkle the dish with salt, pepper, and parsley, then serve.

A six-photo collage showing the steps for making shakshuka.

Expert Tip

At the very last step, after you add the eggs to have them poached in the tomato sauce, it's tempting to cover the skillet so that the egg whites can cook faster.

However, covering the skillet will result in a milky film forming on the egg yolks. Still tasty, but not as pretty.

So I think it's best to patiently cook the eggs uncovered. If it seems like the tomato sauce is drying out while the eggs cook, lower the heat to medium-low or even low.

You can also drizzle a bit of water on the tomato sauce if it's drying out and the egg whites are still not fully cooked.

Recipe FAQs

Is shakshuka served for breakfast?

Outside of Israel, this dish is usually considered breakfast food. But in Israel, it is often served for dinner. Israelis tend to eat their main meal for lunch, then have a lighter meatless dinner.

Is shakshuka the same as eggs in purgatory?

Pretty much, yes. It's the same basic idea - poaching eggs in a well-seasoned tomato sauce. The main difference is in the seasonings used - basil and oregano for the Italian version, parsley and cumin for the Middle Eastern version.

What tomatoes should I use?

I use either canned petite diced tomatoes or Pomi chopped tomatoes. Pomi is a wonderful Italian brand. Their tomatoes are sweeter and less acidic than American ones, and they are chopped very finely, which is perfect.

Serving Suggestions

While the spicy tomato sauce and runny egg yolks practically beg for crusty bread, bread is not mandatory!

A fork and a knife (plus a spoon) are just as efficient when enjoying shakshuka. Sometimes, however, we enjoy this dish with thick slices of almond flour bread or with tasty cheese biscuits. You can even use pork rinds for scooping out the tomato sauce.

Storing Leftovers

You can keep the tomato sauce, but not the eggs. So you can make as much of the sauce as you wish then keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

But only poach as many eggs as you're going to eat right away. Then, when you serve the leftovers, you can simply fry or poach the eggs separately.