Shakshuka

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Shakshuka is an easy, healthy meal 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 in a saute pan.

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 and Jordan, 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 and Jordan (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 the most authentic rendition.

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 and Orange Shakshuka with Butternut Squash. 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!).

Close up photo of shakshuka in a pan.

Shakshuka Ingredients

  • Vegetables: The base of shakshuka is a mix of sauteed onion, bell pepper, and garlic, along with tomatoes (I use a can of whole peeled tomatoes).
  • Spices: The simple combination of paprika, cumin, and chili powder imparts incredible flavor. And the aroma instantly takes me back to meandering the spice souks in Cairo and Amman.
  • Eggs: The eggs gently poach in the spiced tomato mixture. You can cook them as long as you’d like for your perfect yolk texture. I personally prefer my yolks a bit runny.
  • Fresh Herbs: A sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley and cilantro not only adds a pop of green, but also adds yet another layer of flavor.
Taking a portion of shakshuka out of the pan.

How to Make Shakshuka

It’s really easy to make shakshuka, especially if you use canned tomatoes (though you can always use fresh tomatoes as well – see my tip below).

Saute the veggies. Dice an onion and red bell pepper and add that to a sauté pan with a little olive oil over 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 the mixture is nice and fragrant.

Sauteing onion and bell pepper in a pan.

Simmer the eggs on top. 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 use six eggs, though depending on the size of your pan you may use more or less. Reduce the heat to low, and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes or until the eggs are done to your liking.

Eggs poaching in spiced tomato mixture.

Garnish with fresh herbs. Before serving, season the eggs with salt and a generous amount of freshly chopped parsley and cilantro. Enjoy!

Shakshuka in a pan.

Common Questions

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 I prevent runny egg whites?

The eggs should cook fully after simmering for 5 to 8 minutes in the pan. But if you’d like to speed up the process, go ahead and add a lid. They’ll cook in about half the time.

Can I swap in fresh tomatoes for the canned tomatoes?

Yes, you sure can. I’m using whole peeled tomatoes which break down easily into a soft texture (as there’s no skin). But you can use diced fresh tomatoes as well. If using fresh, you’ll need about 10 to 12 tomatoes.

A single serving of shakshuka on a plate.

Shakshuka is abundant in tel aviv

Tel Aviv 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 freshly squeezed juice and a side of fruit, yes please!

What To Serve With Shakshuka

It’s quite common to serve pita or some type of bread with shakshuka. You can dip it in the sauce to soak it all up! I was fortunate in Tel Aviv to find several restaurants that served gluten-free pita, much to my delight! But here are a few other ideas:

More Healthy Breakfast Recipes

I hope you enjoy this authentic shakshuka recipe from my travels to Egypt, Israel, and Jordan. If you make it, let me know how it turned out. I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.

Shakshuka in a pan with fresh herbs on top.

Shakshuka Recipe (Easy & Traditional)

4.95 from 421 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Shakshuka is a North African and Middle Eastern meal of poached eggs in a simmering tomato sauce with spices. It's easy, healthy and takes less than 30 minutes to make. Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!

Video

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon 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. Cook the eggs for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the eggs are done to your liking. You can also cover the pan with a lid to expedite the eggs cooking.
  • Garnish with chopped cilantro and parsley before serving.

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

Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 256mg | Potassium: 409mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1371IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 3mg
Course: Breakfast, Main Meal
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
Keyword: shakshuka, Shakshuka recipe
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Recipe originally posted December 2018, but updated to include new photos, video, and information for your benefit!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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Recipe Rating




763 Comments

  1. Absolutely delicious! I make this recipe all the time for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I serve with fresh crusty bread and even my 2 year old loves it. I usually use jarred roasted red bell peppers instead of fresh.5 stars

  2. This is a classic recipe. Pretty simple to make, tasty, and only one pot to clean up. You can make it with almost anything as the base, which is a great way to use up other ingredients. My family and friends have all enjoyed this.5 stars

  3. This is a great recipe! U live Shakshuka and was so happy to find your simple, healthful  and delicious recipe. I’ve made it twice so far: both times using canned cherry tomatoes (yum!). Also first time using sweet/mild Spanish paprika. Second time 1/2 sweet Spanish Paprika 1/2 Smoked Spanish Paprika (and accidentally used cumin seeds instead of ground). Both times was fab, the second version had more intense flavours. Your recipe will become a staple in my weekly cooking. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I love your blog too.5 stars

    1. Hi Jeanette – I am so glad to hear this recipe will become a staple :) You’ll definitely have to try my green version as well!

  4. Made this for breakfast yesterday, so easy and so delicious! Seriously it only took me about 15-20 minutes from start to finish, but tasted like it had been cooking for hours! I did cook the eggs a smidge too long, so I will cut it down by a minute next time, but even still, a win for sure! I can’t wait to try the green version!5 stars

    1. Hi Christy – So glad you loved this recipe! It really is a lot easier to throw together than most people think. Can’t wait for you to try the green version next :)

    1. Hi Bento – Absolutely! If you want your eggs cooked all the way to store in the fridge, you can pop the lid on top of the pan to cook your eggs. Then save the rest of the dish for leftovers :)

  5. I would like to make this recipe, but I’m not a fan of chunky tomatoes. Can I puree them without taking away from the rest of the recipe?

    1. Hi Dianne – If you don’t like chunky tomatoes, pureeing them works just fine :) It’s a pretty flexible recipe to switch up!

  6. OMG! This is as delicious as it is beautiful! This is another that I make on a regular basis.  Easy weeknight meal. (And, I usually have enough for breakfast the next morning… double win!)5 stars

    1. Yay, I’m happy you love this recipe! It’s always on regular rotation in my house as well. Have you tried my green shakshuka? If not, you’ll have to whip that one up next! Thanks Becky!

  7. A must try! This recipe was fun to make and soooo tasty. Lisa, I always appreciate how genuine and healthy your recipes are. And with your blogs and videos they are easy to make thanks to your clear directions. 

    1. Hi Monica – Thrilled to hear you enjoyed making this recipe and that my video helped in terms of directions :)

  8. Fantastic and easy. I could not find the single serving recipe so I made the base as is, spooned enough for one or two eggs in a separate pan and am saving the sauce for additional servings later. Very tasty!5 stars

    1. Hi Patty – This recipe is based upon 6 servings, but having leftovers is always a good idea! Like you said, just save the sauce and whip up some eggs right before you make it :) But, I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe! Definitely a breakfast keeper.

  9. Chakchouka is a traditional Magharebi dish (West-North African, mostly Algeria/Tunisia/Morocco), I can understand how it can be related to Middle-East since North Africans and Arabs have been related for centuries now, but because Magharebi jews migrated decades ago to “Israel” doesn’t make it Israeli at all, y en a ils se contentent pas de voler que des terres visiblement, bientôt les sushis ça sera israélien aussi

  10. Shakshuka is not an Israeli dish. It is native to the middle eastern and northern African regions. Israel was only founded 80 years ago. 

      1. Yes, it and its variants are so common and ingrained in the entire region – the Middle-East and West and East Africa.

    1. Many recipes single out Israel when speaking of where its eaten, and lump together all the other Middle Eastern countries. So it is kind of suggestive that it originates in Israel, which is not correct. Why would only Shakshouka be from Israel and be so widely available in so many countries, especially the Arab and African countries?

      No one denies the Jews and their culture predates Israel. Who would be better witnesses to that than the Arabs themselves, especially when Jews have been living in their midst for thousands of years? Why would anyone need to bring in Judaism and its culture into this discussion? Just so you can score a point over others, because most people in the West aren’t aware of the excellent relations that existed between the Jews and Muslims in centuries past?

      Tim should understand that speaking of recipes and their origins is not about politics. It is he who has injected into this discussion not only politics but also religion. Objectivity demands that personal biases do not creep into any discussion where people seek a fair and just conclusion.

  11. Cooking shakshuka by no means dulls the finish on a good cast iron skillet nor does it impart a “slight metallic taste”. 
    It cooks beautifully and cleans easily. 

    1. I’d like to add a can of diced chiles to this in lieu of the bell pepper, which I don’t have. Do you think that would work OK? 

  12. I have high cholesterol and overweight so I am trying so hard to eat healthy, so I decided to try Shakshuka and found this very filling and delicious.

    Thank you for sharing this recipe it has inspired me to look at your website for more ?5 stars

    1. Hi Charlotte – I’m so happy you loved the recipe! Shakshuka is tasty and filling for sure (it’s one of my personal favorite recipes). I hope you enjoy more recipes from my website as well. :)

  13. I decided to try something new and did not regret it. I topped my serving with authentic parmesan cheese and the taste was wonderful.5 stars

    1. I’ve had amazing shakshukas while traveling too! Hopefully my recipe does it some justice. :)

  14. Hi Lisa,

    the first time I ever had Shakshuka was in Madeira on a trip with friends 6 years ago. We all loved it but since it was a dish none of us had ever heard of before, we soon forgot about it.
    Today, they came over to visit us and told us they had just gotten lots of tomatoes from a market so we should make something with tomatoes for lunch. I went on your YouTube Channel for inspiration and rediscovered the Shakshuka recipe. It is so easy to make, I had all the ingredients at home and it took almost no time and effort. Unfortunately, it is not easy to get fresh cilantro (or any at all) in Germany and we only had frozen parsley but even with these changes, it was so delicious!!!

    Thank you for always inspiring your followers to try new things, eat healthier and discover different cultures through food. We had a great lunch reminiscing about our time in Madeira and everyone left the table happy and stuffed.

    Keep doing what you do :) I highly recommend this recipe to everyone.
    Danke und guten Appetit!5 stars

    1. I LOVE that story! Thanks so much for sharing Lena. The wonderful thing about food is that it brings people together, it nourishes us and it’s always the centerpiece for a good time and beautiful memories. So happy you all enjoyed it! Bitte schön :) x

  15. What’s the measurements for a single serving? Am I missing seeing it. Lol. Thanks. Looks amazing. 

    1. Hi Danielle – I don’t have a single serving listed, but you can easily divide the recipe in half or smaller. :) Hope you enjoy it!

  16. I got on a tear about trying to make shakshuka again and this was my first try. I’m going to be writing up my shakshuka “experiments” on my own blog but wanted to say that it was very tasty and I look forward to using this as a base recipe for the purpose. I cooked it using the recipe card which has a small omission: turning the eggs to low. When it came time to do it I just followed along the card covered and set a timer for five minutes. When I opened the lid I saw it was far more than simmering. I thought to myself, “Oh duh yeah I’m supposed to turn it to low.” So did that. Then I went back to the recipe card and saw it said nothing about that, so I was thinking maybe I saw that in another video or something. Then when reading the whole article again today in order to look at your sauce texture photos (mine was chunkier than I liked because I diced too large and had assumed it would break down more) I saw that the “turn to low” was back. It turns out it was in the prose (and I believe the video) but not the recipe card. Having overcooked eggs didn’t detract too much since it was just for myself. Thanks again for the recipe!

    1. Thanks for the catch Hank and I’ll make sure to fix so it has that tip in the recipe card as well. :)

    1. You can divide the recipe by 3 to get smaller portions. Also, many people have meal prepped the sauce on its own and saved into individual portions. Then it’s simply a matter of adding a portion of the sauce to a pan and adding your eggs. :)

  17. Amazing plate! My husband and I loved this new recipe! This one is going to our recipe book! 
    Thank you for sharing tasty dishes!

    1. Awesome! I’m happy you both enjoyed the shakshuka recipe. And you’re more than welcome! :)

  18. Dear Lisa,
    My name is Priyanka Kanhare and I stay in India. I have been following your blog posts and website from quite sometime and love everything you cook or suggest as lifestyle changes. I have tried a lot of your recipes and loved the way they taste, especially the shakshuka. I make similar dish but without peppers. As I stay in India, we have a lot more spices which I try experimenting with in your recipes…..and they too turn out good. I also love your meal prep and home decor video. I too believe in minimalist style when it comes to home decor.
    Awaiting more food videos.
    Regards
    Priyanka Kanhare

  19. This is one of my favorite dishes! It’s beautiful and so delicious. I was in Tel Aviv years ago and agree that the food scene is the best!5 stars

    1. Thanks Caroline! And yes, easy but flavorful is always a winning combo. Hope you enjoy the recipe!

    1. So glad you enjoyed the recipe Tracy! It’s definitely a recipe to have on regular rotation. :)

    1. It definitely spices up the poached eggs and delivers heaps more nutritional value. A great all around recipe. Thanks Jillian!

    1. I’d say it’s best fresh, but I’ve definitely meal prepped it. I just store it in my Glasslock containers (linked on my Shop page).

  20. I can’t wait to try this! I would like to use berbere spice because I love the flavor and the heat! I don’t want it to clash with some of the other spices, however. Do you think I should remove the cumin, or do you think adding berbere with everything else will work?

    1. Oh gosh, that’s kind of an important ingredient – lol! I just fixed it! Thanks for the catch. :) x

  21. I made this for dinner as soon as I saw it posted on YouTube. It’s absolutely delicious, super fast and easy. I added a little feta to the top, served with toasted baguette slices for scooping. Yummy!5 stars

    1. Wonderful! Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Jeni. And I love to add a little feta or goat cheese to mine as well. :)

  22. This looks delicious!! I can’t wait to try it! This might sound weird, but I’m not a fan of runny yokes – do you think this would still work if I whisked each egg first before adding them?

    1. Hi Karen – just cook the eggs another minute or two longer and they’ll be firm on the inside. No need to whisk them. :)

  23. Love this recipe and all the beautiful photos! I was just looking for more ways to feed my 1.5yr old son veggies :) I made this and added some zucchini. We both loved it! 5 stars

  24. Wow this looks absolutely beautiful! And how cool it is that you lived in Afghanistan and worked for the UN! Such a great back story for this recipe :)

    1. So glad you enjoyed the “behind the scenes” – it’s amazing how many of my recipes are inspired by my adventures! Thanks Liz! :) x

  25. This looks like such an awesome way to make breakfast exciting; I’m pinning this to make when we have holiday guests!

    1. Thanks Heather! And yes, it’s perfect for the holidays as it’s one pan and super simple (which is always ideal when you have guests!). :) x