Foolproof Shakshuka
Learn how to make the best shakshuka with this foolproof recipe! Shakshuka features poached eggs in a hearty tomato pepper sauce. Vegetarian & gluten free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
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Shakshuka! Ever had it? Shakshuka has more than a few things going for it. It’s fun to say, fun to make and fun to eat. The word shakshuka comes from Arabic, meaning, “a haphazard mixture” or “all mixed up.”
Shakshuka features poached eggs in a hearty, spiced tomato and pepper sauce. I top mine with tangy feta cheese and fresh cilantro or parsley.
Sometimes you’ll find artichoke or olives in shakshuka, but I left those out in this version. The spices vary somewhat as well. I settled on a combination of garlic, cumin and smoked paprika.
Shakshuka is a popular Middle Eastern and North African dish that may date back all the way to the Ottoman Empire. You’ll find it in Libya and Tunisia, and it’s become a staple dish in Israel. If you’ve ever had Italian “eggs in purgatory” or Turkish menemen, the dishes are all quite similar.
You can’t go wrong serving shakshuka for breakfast or brunch. It’s also great for lunch and dinner. Shakshuka is a simple one-pan meal that makes a statement, and it’s a great recipe to keep in your back pocket. Want to learn how to make it?
How to Make the Best Shakshuka
Maybe don’t use your cast iron pan.
You’ll often see shakshuka cooked in cast iron pans. If your pan isn’t seasoned very well, I don’t recommend it. The acidic tomato mixture can eat away at the seasoning, at which point the iron pan can impart some tinny flavor. (Speaking from experience here.) I used my stainless steel skillet instead.
Choose your canned tomatoes carefully.
I love this shakshuka made with crushed, fire-roasted tomatoes. They’re the perfectly saucy and lightly textured. The fire-roasted flavor adds some welcome smoky notes. I recommend Muir Glen brand. You’ll need one big can.
Add tomato paste.
Tomato paste offers deep and intense tomato flavor. It makes the finished dish taste like it’s been simmering on the stove far longer than it really has.
Cook the eggs in the oven.
Most recipes suggest covering the skillet and cooking until the eggs are done. I didn’t have good luck with this method—a lot of condensation dripped back into the skillet, leaving it watery on top, and the whites took forever to set. That’s why I recommend baking the skillet (which offers more even heat), uncovered, until the eggs are just about done.
Watch How to Make Shakshuka
Egg Notes
When making shakshuka, the only tricky part is knowing when your eggs are done cooking. The eggs continue to cook from the residual heat, so you don’t want to let them cook for too long. Look for whites that are mostly opaque, and yolks that have risen a bit. The eggs should jiggle a bit if you shimmy the pan.
Maybe you like your eggs really runny, in which case your eggs will be done sooner. If you prefer your yolks mostly cooked through, in which case they’ll need a little longer. Keep in mind that under-cooked yolks can carry salmonella, and no one wants that.
If you don’t love poached eggs or runny eggs in general, don’t give up on shakshuka! While untraditional, the saucy base would be great with eggs cooked any which way. Maybe you prefer your eggs fried in olive oil or simply scrambled. Just cook the sauce for a few extra minutes on the stove and top with your favorite eggs.
Considerations for Leftovers
Shakshuka is best served immediately. It’s not a great candidate for leftovers, since soft eggs will continue to cook if you reheat them.
So, I’d say make this shakshuka for a group of three or four, or cut the recipe in half to serve two people. Simply use a small onion, half of a bell pepper, and a small can (14.5 ounces) of tomatoes. Cook the mixture in a medium-sized pan. Easy!
Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! I hope it becomes your new go-to, any-time-of-day, quick meal.
Looking for more irresistible egg dishes? Check these out:
- Baked Eggs on a Bed of Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
- Fresh Huevos Rancheros
- The Creamiest Scrambled Eggs (with Goat Cheese)
- Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos
Easy Shakshuka
Learn how to make the best shakshuka with this foolproof recipe! Shakshuka is a popular Middle Eastern dish featuring poached eggs in a hearty tomato and pepper sauce. Recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper or roasted red bell pepper, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, reduce or omit if sensitive to spice
- 1 large can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, plus addition cilantro or parsley leaves for garnish
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 5 to 6 large eggs
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- Crusty bread or pita, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Warm the oil in a large, oven-safe skillet (preferably stainless steel) over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the onion, bell pepper, and salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are tender and turning translucent, about 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until nice and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes with their juices and add the cilantro. Stir, and let the mixture come to a simmer. Reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook for 5 minutes to give the flavors time to meld.
- Turn off the heat. Taste (careful, it’s hot), and add salt and pepper as necessary. Use the back of a spoon to make a well near the perimeter and crack the egg directly into it. Gently spoon a bit of the tomato mixture over the whites to help contain the egg. Repeat with the remaining 4 to 5 eggs, depending on how many you can fit. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the eggs.
- Carefully transfer the skillet to the oven (it’s heavy) and bake for 8 to 12 minutes, checking often once you reach 8 minutes. They’re done when the egg whites are an opaque white and the yolks have risen a bit but are still soft. They should still jiggle in the centers when you shimmy the pan. (Keep in mind that they’ll continue cooking after you pull the dish out of the oven.)
- Using oven mitts (both hands!), transfer the hot skillet to a heat-safe surface like the stove. Top with the crumbled feta, fresh cilantro leaves, and more red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve in bowls with crusty bread on the side.
Notes
Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen, The New York Times and Serious Eats.
Make it dairy free: Omit the feta. To replace its salty punch, top the shakshuka with halved and pitted Kalamata olives.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
A fun new dish to make! Really simple and a nice change. I left it to cook a little too long, so the eggs were slightly over done, but still delicious.
I’m happy you were still able to enjoy it, Julia!
Just made this, and my husband declared it his new favorite dish.
Omitted the cheese, and made poached instead of baked eggs. Added a few dashes of liquid smoke to the sauce, which worked well with the paprika and fire-roasted tomatoes. Served with homemade garlic bread.
A local restaurant serves something similar to this; they call it “Italian eggs.” Except they put the toast underneath the sauce? Never understood the point of making toast if you’re just gonna make it soggy.
Thanks for this keeper of a recipe!
That’s great, Curtis! I appreciate your review.
Ok to make the tomato based sauce ahead of time, then reheat, add eggs and finish as directed? Thanks!
Yes! I don’t understand why recipes don’t mention this more. It is after all Middle Eastern chilli with egg instead of beans/meat for protein
I make this nearly every week, it’s so good!
My ‘hack’: I double the recipe up until adding the can of tomatoes, then I scoop out half and freeze. It’s still a pretty small amount so it doesn’t take up much freezer space.
Next time I want shakshuka, I just defrost it, add the tomatoes, parsely, S&P, and I’m already up to adding the eggs – skip all the hassle!
Been making shakshuta for a few years now. Totally agree with you. Cooking covered on top of stove was infuriating, watery and whites running everywhere. I kept removing the lid to wipe away the condensation. Thanks for suggesting the oven method.
You’re welcome, Theo! I appreciate your review.
I had not made this for years then came across yours. Came out really well but I do let my eggs get a little past the giggle stage. Had salmonella one at a restaurant in the ’90’5 and ever since can’t face a soft yoke.
Thanks for reminding me of an old favorite.
Thank you for sharing, David!
I make this all the time, thank you for the nutritious and tasty breakfast recipe! A few tips: 1) I make the base (hold the feta and egg) and freeze it in individual servings. When I crave me some shakshuka, I microwave the base and top it with a freshly poached egg. 2) Yes tomatoes are important. I prefer more coarsely chopped tomatoes (crushed can be too saucy/thick), as it lets the individual flavors shine through better. Finely milled/crushed tomatoes tends to hide some flavors of onions, peppers, and spices. 3) I almost always have to add more cumin and smoked paprika for my tastes. 4) weird but tasty: I like it with a dollop of cooked grits on the side!
First time having shakshuka. My husband was skeptical of eggs & tomatoes- not anymore! We both enjoyed it. It smelled so good while cooking.
I cut the recipe in half for the two of us. Since I don’t like runny yolks, I scrambled an egg while the other eggs cooked in the oven. Then just mixed my egg in to my half of tomato.
Served with freshly made pita. . Will definitely make again. Thanks for the recipe.
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Heather.
Can I make it on the stove instead of baking ? If so what are the instructions? Thanks!
Hi MZ! I prefer this recipe as written. I hope you try it!
YUM!…. I have seen recipes for this dish for awhile and never tried it. I love your site and have used many of your recipes in the past and saw you had one with at this time 28 5* reviews. So said I’m in and went for it.
Made as written, but being ME, added some changes for our taste. Added extra amount of your spices. Cannelloni beans for texture and protein, Kale for color and texture. topped with avocado, cuz I had. Delish!
Also, didn’t wanna heat oven for short time. Cooked on stove and eggs were perfect….guess the extra “steam” water absorbed and the consistency was perfect with the Crushed tomatoes I used….Thank you for sharing!
I’m glad you tried it! Thank you for sharing, Kelly.
One of my go-to recipes!. Healthy and different. I usually just make a big pot (without the eggs & cooked a little longer) and freeze in individual ramekins… micro-zapping the portions when I’m ready. I also (when I ate eggs) poach the eggs separately – to have more control over the doneness of the eggs. Awesome served over grits or polenta too! Now that I’m whole-food plant-based, I sauté in a little water (doesn’t affect finished product) and serve with garbanzo beans or tofu. Yum! Thank you Kate, for having consistently good/trustworthy recipes
Thank you for your review, Jackie! I appreciate your review.
This was delicious! I added about 1/4ish tsp ground coriander to the spice mix (it just felt right), and instead of red pepper flakes (I didn’t have any on hand) I did a chopped serrano pepper with the onions and peppers and added a touch of cayenne to kick up the heat. Rave reviews from the husband and my next door neighbour. This is definitely something I’ll be adding to my regular rotation of recipes. It’s great cuz I can serve it for any meal! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Morgan!
BRILLIANT. Especially with bread – can also be served over rice to stretch it out a bit, in my opinion. Will add the chickpeas next time.
Also went heavy on the paprika as I am wont to do, and don’t even think I cooked the eggs correctly – that’s how sound the recipe is!
This is delicious with crusty bread! Thank you for sharing.
This recipe is easy to follow and the result was a 10/10. All three of us (including my 18 mo toddler!) demolished this meal. My husband had some trepidation when I said dinner was shakshuka but he literally licked his bowl clean. I made no changes to the recipe – added the feta at the end and served with mini naans. Make this dish!
Thank you for sharing how much you enjoy this recipe!
This was a delicious recipe. Me and my family really enjoyed it! I found that you can make the recipe in a pot and cover it to cook the eggs instead of putting it in the oven. I’ve tried this since I don’t always have an oven safe skillet available.
Thank you for sharing, Leon!
I had this on a cruise and fell in love with it. Your recipe is excellent! I made a half batch and substituted a poblano pepper for the onion as my husband doesn’t like onion, the flavor is awesome. We will make this often, thanks so much.