Shakshuka
Shakshuka is an easy, healthy breakfast (or any time of day) recipe in Israel and other parts of the Middle East and North Africa. It’s a simple combination of simmering tomatoes, onions, garlic, spices and gently poached eggs. It’s nourishing, filling and one recipe I guarantee you’ll make time and again.
Shakshuka
The first time I had shakshuka was years ago on a trip to Egypt with my mom. I remember instantly loving the meal and the simple yet bold flavors and spices. So when I recently visited Israel, where shakshuka is almost a national dish, it was the meal I was most eager to dive into, once again.
I spent two weeks traveling throughout Israel (on the most glorious trip) and was able to enjoy shakshuka many times over. To be honest, I considered it “research” so that I could bring you an authentic, Tel Aviv-inspired rendition.
Is Tel Aviv the Shakshuka Capital?
Tel Aviv, which I’ll talk about more in a future post, is a bustling, vibrant, hip, outdoor cafe-vibe kind of city. I didn’t know what to expect with Tel Aviv, but I can tell you this, it blew me away. There’s a youthful energy to the city and I encountered some of the friendliest, most hospitable people.
There’s gorgeous Mediterranean weather year round in Tel Aviv, but let me tell you, the food scene is definitely something to write home about. I ate. And ate. And ate. Everything is fresh, veggie-heavy, loaded with herbs and layered with flavor. It’s a dream city for vegetarians and those who just like phenomenal food.
The photo below is one shakshuka I enjoyed in Tel Aviv. How adorable is that single-serving portion served up in a mini sauté pan? Shakshuka with fresh squeezed juice and a side of fruit, yes please! But as this may be a new recipe for many of you, let’s answer some basic questions about shakshuka.
What is Shakshuka?
Shakshuka is a classic North African and Middle Eastern dish and one that’s eaten for breakfast or any meal of the day. It’s made from simple, healthy ingredients and is vegetarian. Shakshuka literally means “a mixture” and the traditional version uses tomatoes, onions and spices as the base with eggs poached on top.
Today, you can find many variations of shakshuka, like my Green Shakshuka with Brussels Sprouts and Spinach. You can also add feta or goat cheese and adapt it to your taste. The options are endless – which is what makes this dish such a national favorite (of so many countries!).
Is Shakshuka Spicy?
Shakshuka spices may vary, but you’ll commonly find paprika, cumin and chili powder, along with fresh garlic. I’d consider it flavorful spicy, not hot spicy. Though you can always add cayenne pepper if you’d like to heat it up.
How Do You Make Shakshuka
It’s really easy to make shakshuka, especially if you use canned tomatoes (though you can always use fresh tomatoes as well). Dice an onion and red bell pepper and add that to a sauté pan with a little olive oil on medium heat. Stir the veggies for about 5 minutes or until the onions become translucent.
Then add the garlic and spices and stir for another minute until they’re nice and fragrant. Pour in a 28-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes and use your spatula to break up the tomatoes into smaller pieces. Once this entire mixture is lightly simmering, you can crack your eggs on top.
Use your spatula to make little holes for the eggs, then crack an egg into each hole. I used 6 eggs, though depending on the size of your pan you may use more or less. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook for another 5-8 minutes or until the eggs are done to your liking.
Before serving, season the eggs with salt and a generous amount of freshly chopped parsley and cilantro. Enjoy!
For More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
- Healthy Breakfast Casserole
- Smoked Salmon Frittata
- Zucchini and Prosciutto Egg Muffins
- Baked Eggs in Avocado
Watch How Easy it is to Make Shakshuka
If shakshuka is new to you, make sure to watch my tutorial video. I’ll walk you through the process step-by-step (it’s super easy). You’ll have it mastered in no time!
Shakshuka Recipe (Easy & Traditional)
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
- 6 large eggs
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped bell pepper and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add garlic and spices and cook an additional minute.
- Pour the can of tomatoes and juice into the pan and break down the tomatoes using a large spoon. Season with salt and pepper and bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Use your large spoon to make small wells in the sauce and crack the eggs into each well. Cover the pan and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the eggs are done to your liking.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and parsley.
Lisa's Tips
- If you're not dairy-free, crumbled feta or goat cheese on top is delicious addition. Traditionally it's also served with pita, but I love to serve it with slices of avocado.
- Many photos online show shakshuka cooked in a cast iron pan. Tomatoes are acidic and may erode the seasoning on your cast iron pan as well as dull the finish. You may also get a slight metallic flavor to the dish. So I recommend not taking any chances and cooking it in a stainless steel pan, like this beauty from All Clad.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: I visited Israel in partnership with Vibe Israel, a non-profit group bringing awareness to all that Israel has to offer. I had an amazing time on their wellness tour and I’m happy to share my experiences. All opinions are my own.
Thank you for the recipe! I enjoy shakshuka at a local restaurant but have always wanted to make it. I’ve made it with a jarred sauce which was not great, so definitely will try this version (maybe add some of the jarred sauce so I don’t feel guilty about wasting it 😄).
Hi Monica – can’t wait to hear how this turns out for you. Hope you love it as much as I do!
What can I use in place of a bell pepper. My daughter and I get stomach issues, me because I’ve gotten much older and her, can’t tolerate them anymore. I think that serving Basamati or Jasmine rice with it or perhaps under it. I’m just floating some ideas in my mind.
Hi Virginia – you could really use any other vegetable you love, like zucchini or broccoli. And yes, it would be great topped on rice. Hope you enjoy!
I am from Algeria and I follow your blog and youtube channel.
I made your Shakshuka recipe this weekend and it was bomb :)
As good as my grand mother one
Thank you for sharing this recipe with all of us and sorry for the negativity you are receiving from strange people.
Keep doing what you do. You bring us joy as well as good food.
Thanks so much Nass for your kind words! I’m happy you love my recipe for shakshuka and it reminds you of your grandmother’s version. That’s a lovely compliment!
Very good recipe. I added more spice than what was called for, and added cayanne, since I like my spice flavor strong. I also browned the onions, added a chili pepper and 1/2 cup chicken stock and simmered it down to get a richer flavor. I served it over Basmati rice. If you like a non spicy dish this is good without my additions.
I would also like to point out that what was mentioned in the comments isn’t cultural appropriation. The author literally listed the areas where this is a staple. Just because it is an Arabic word, doesn’t mean it isn’t enjoyed in other countries around the Mediterranean.
Interesting to see the cultural appropriation that continues to take place, especially with Arabic food. The word shakshuka is Arabic. How can the dish be Israeli? People like you are unfortunately either deliberately ignorant or reining ignorance, supporting the spread of misinformation.
Also, I bet you haven’t for once, while enjoying the Tel Aviv beaches and wellness paid any attention to the horrific human rights violations against Palestinians just next door. Israel is not in a bubble and pretending it is doesn’t make it true.
Hi Tamara – I say in the first sentence that shakshuka is enjoyed in many parts of the world, including Israel, the Middle East, and North Africa. I just happened to recently enjoy it in Israel, which is the story I was sharing. As for paying attention to human right violations, I’m a former advisor to the United Nations, lived in Afghanistan for a year, and spent much time in the middle East (including Jordan and Palestine), putting my life at risk every day to help others. So I’d say that I’m not only far more educated than most on human rights violations, but my actions speak louder than my words. Perhaps instead of pontificating from your keyboard, you should donate your time and energy to important causes that are far more impactful than spreading negativity on a food blog.
This was incredibly easy, undeniably delicious, & was a HIT with “The Breakfast Crowd” (my family)! 10/10, will make over & over. The addition of Feta sends ME over the top w/this dish, as I absolutely LOVE Feta Cheese. Some nice, fresh & warm PITA loaves, towel wrapped in a basket, completed this surprisingly delightful departure from our typical morning fare.
I will, however, have to take issue with your cautioning against using cast iron for this dish. Yes, it IS possible to have a tomato-based dish come away with a slight metallic taste, but only if your cast iron is subjected to temperatures too high for/improper preparation of. . . anything.
With the proper seasoning, seasoning maintenance, cooking temps/techniques & timing, I & my family have enjoyed the advantages of cast iron cooking for decades.
Happy to hear you loved this shakshuka recipe! And good note on the use of a cast iron pan.
Thank you Lisa,
I always ❤️this dish when I have it in restaurants, but this is the first time making it at home.
Your recipe was easy, traditional, and came out great!
Since I was making this for one, I used one 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with no added salt, 2 eggs, and also added fresh spinach when sautéing my veggies.
Other than that I followed your fantastic recipe.
Thanks again.
Paolo
Saint Petersburg, Florida
So glad you discovered this recipe so you can now enjoy your favorite dish at home!
Fantastic!!!!!
This was amazingly delicious. Added a pinch of sugar to the sauce, and feta to the finished dish. Next time I think I’ll simmer the sauce a little longer to thicken it up a bit.
Glad you enjoyed this shakshuka recipe! :)
Just delicious! I added 1tps of ras el hanout spice mix at the end, and it became even more delicious. My all time favorite breakfast for sure.
Wonderful! Ras el hanout is a great spice mix. Glad you enjoyed it!
Delicious and simple to make, thank you, always choose this if on the menu for breakfast in London Cafes, great to be now making it myself. Sure I tasted a touch of cinnamon once, is that traditionaL?
Hi Sarie – I’m glad you loved this recipe. It’s a classic for sure!
Delicious!
I didn’t have parsley or cilantro on hand. I chopped fresh mint from my garden. I don’t know what type of mint it is. One of my friends gave me 3 different types of mint used in Vietnamese salads. It was perfect!!
Wonderful! Glad this recipe was a success Sonia :)
Thanks for the wonderful recipe! In the video you mention a recipe for a single person in your blog, which I can’t find. Pls help :-)
Hi Rob! For a single serving, I’d recommend to make the veggie layer without the eggs. Then section of a 3/4 portion and crack an egg just on that. Then place the rest in a freezer safe container to store away. Once you’re ready to eat again, give your veggies a quick saute in the cast iron. Then crack the eggs on top again :)
The best Shakshuka ever is in Jaffa at Mr. Shakshuka not in Tel Aviv 😁
This sounds delicious! I am wondering how well it lasts for left overs? Is it better to eat it all the day you make it or is it still good the next day?
This will last for a few days in the fridge :) You can also leave the eggs out and crack a new one the day you eat it if you want the eggs to be fresh.
Delicious! I didn’t have onions but had red and yellow bell peppers and found it delicious. I will add more cumin next time (because yum, cumin). I do wish you had specified an amount of salt & pepper, to at least start from.
Anyway, thanks for this tasty recipe. My niece made it later today and put it over rice and said it was also delicious that way.
Hi Jennie- Wonderful! I’m glad you enjoyed this shakshuka recipe! Sounds great over rice :)
This is a great dish, no matter if you’re in Israel or Palestine or Egypt. Love how food can bring people together.
You did a fantastic job with this recipe. I use different peppers, and add zucchini and shrooms.
Thank you!
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for sharing this superb recipe.. i tried adding a can of baked beans in tomato sauce to the onion n tomato mix before adding the eggs and it tasted amazing.. l really simple and delicious recipe. Keep ’em coming.
Great Palestinian dish!
The word Shakshouka is from the Arabic language and the dish and its variants were being made and eaten in the wider Arab world, Africa and other areas in the neighborhood from ages ago. The name has not undergone any change – it remains the same. In the Indian sub-continent the Khageena, or Bhurji, may be considered shakshouka without the sauce, but I suspect it came into being on its own as it is more of scrambled eggs with spices and herbs and, of course, the quintessential onion that makes its way into most South Asian recipes.
Terrific, I loved the dish, but also the clear, concise instructions. You made it sound delicious! Thanks, I’ll definitely watch again!
Hi Jenny- Glad you found this easy to follow along!
Is it really considered a vegetarian dish when it has eggs in it?
Many vegetarians do eat eggs and dairy, just not meat. But it’s up to you.
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for sharing this superb recipe.. i tried adding a can of baked beans in tomato sauce to the onion n tomato mix before adding the eggs and it tasted amazing.. l really simple and delicious recipe. Keep ’em coming.
Hi Val- So glad you enjoyed this shakshuka recipe!
Vegetarians eat eggs, dairy, cheese, etc. Anything that is not a meat item. Vegans abstain from all animal products. But as Lisa said,, whatever works for you!
Hi, I have to ask–when you say chili powder–do you mean ground up, singular dried red New Mexican chilis that can also be a chili paste or do you mean the red pepper, cumin, garlic, onion blend from a bottle?
Hi Laurel – I’m referring the blend of chili powder in a jar. :)
Hi! Thank you for sharing your recipe. Could you use tomatoes instead of tomato sauce? If so how many tomatoes?
Thank you