Shakshuka is a flavorful and filling dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. It is surprisingly easy to make.
While it practically begs for crusty bread for dipping, you could easily enjoy it with thick slices of homemade almond flour bread.
Shakshuka (pronounced shahk-shoo-kah with an 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 "mixed."
I enjoy lighter, egg-based dinners, especially in summer. One such dinner I often make is avocado egg bake. I also like to make shakshuka. It's flavorful and filling, and my entire family enjoys it.
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Ingredients
Here's an overview of the ingredients needed to make shakshuka. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
- Olive oil: I love cooking with this delicious oil. Extra-virgin olive oil is best.
- Aromatics: Chopped onion and minced garlic.
- Tomatoes: The stars of the show! You could use fresh tomatoes, but I usually use canned petite-diced tomatoes or Pomi chopped tomatoes.
- Salt and pepper: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Spices: Paprika, cumin, and red pepper flakes.
- Eggs: I use large eggs in most of my recipes. But in this recipe, medium or even small eggs are better. It's easier for the tomato sauce to contain a smaller volume of egg whites.
- For garnish: Chopped cilantro or parsley.
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 ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper instead of red pepper flakes. Dried thyme and oregano are excellent, too, although nontraditional. You can add ½ teaspoon of each.
- 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.
- Sometimes, I use three small skillets and make individual servings of shakshuka, as shown in the photo:
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making shakshuka:
Cook the onion in olive oil with salt. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, and red pepper flakes.
Add the tomatoes. Cook for about 10 minutes.
Add the eggs and cook them for 5-10 minutes until set.
Sprinkle the shakshuka with salt, pepper, and parsley, then serve.
Expert Tips
- As mentioned above, it's best to use medium eggs in this recipe. If you use large eggs, the volume of egg whites will be too high for the tomato sauce to contain. If you only have large eggs, I recommend cracking each egg into a small bowl and pouring out some of the egg white before adding the eggs to the skillet.
- 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, if you cover the skillet, a milky film will form on the egg yolks. It's still tasty but not as pretty. So, it's best to patiently cook the eggs uncovered. If it seems like the tomato sauce is drying 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.
Recipe FAQs
Outside of Israel, shakshuka is usually considered breakfast food. But in Israel, it is often served for dinner. Israelis tend to eat their main meal for lunch and have a lighter meatless dinner. As a child, my mom usually served us an omelet and an Israeli salad for dinner.
Pretty much, yes. It's the same idea - poaching eggs in a well-seasoned tomato sauce. The main difference is the seasonings used. The Italian version uses basil and oregano, while the Middle Eastern version uses parsley and cumin.
I use canned petite-diced tomatoes or Pomi chopped tomatoes. Pomi is an excellent Italian brand. Its tomatoes are sweeter and less acidic than American ones, and they are chopped very finely, which is perfect in this recipe.
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 these 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, keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days, and reheat it covered in the microwave.
But only poach as many eggs as you'll eat right away. When you serve the leftovers, fry or poach the eggs separately. Here's a plate with leftover shakshuka topped with a freshly fried egg:
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Recipe Card
Easy Shakshuka Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - extra-virgin
- 1 medium onion - chopped (6 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - (or ½ teaspoon of any other salt) divided, plus a pinch of salt for the eggs
- 1 tablespoon garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin - ground
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes - (¼ teaspoon you don’t like spicy food)
- 2 (14-ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes - undrained (or 26 ounces of Pomi chopped tomatoes)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper - plus a pinch for the eggs
- 6 medium eggs
- 2 tablespoons cilantro - or parsley, for garnish, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. I like to use a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet.
- Add the onions and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes (undrained), the remaining ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook for 10 more minutes, uncovered, stirring frequently, so the sauce thickens and the flavors meld.
- Crack the eggs into small bowls. With the back of a spoon, make a well in the sauce and carefully pour an egg into it. Gently push the tomato sauce over the edges of the egg white to keep it from spreading too much. Repeat with three more eggs, spacing them apart so that the eggs are more or less evenly distributed.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and keep cooking the shakshuka, uncovered and undisturbed, until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still soft, 5-10 more minutes. It’s best not to cover the skillet, as this creates a milky white film on the egg yolks.
- Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper to taste, garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley, and serve.
Video
Notes
- It's best to use medium eggs in this recipe. If you use large eggs, the volume of egg whites will be too high for the tomato sauce to contain. If you only have large eggs, I recommend cracking each egg into a small bowl and pouring out some of the egg white before adding the eggs to the skillet.
- 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. It's still tasty but not as pretty. So, 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.
- You can keep the tomato sauce but not the eggs. So, you can make as much of the sauce as you wish and 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 fry or poach the eggs separately.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
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