Easy Shakshuka Recipe - Healthy Recipes Blog (2024)

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.

• 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:

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

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.

Is shakshuka served for breakfast?

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.

Is shakshuka the same as eggs in purgatory?

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.

What tomatoes should I use?

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.

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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Easy Shakshuka Recipe

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

Servings: 3 serving

Calories: 277kcal

Nutrition per Serving

Serving: 0.3recipe | Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 885mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g