Shakshuka is an easy breakfast dish with eggs baked in a deliciously seasoned red pepper tomato sauce.

Serve with toast for dipping for the perfect meal any day of the week.

top view of cooked Shakshuka in the pan

What is Shakshuka?

A simple sauce of red peppers, onions, and tomatoes is seasoned with some of our favorite spices and cooked until thickened. Wells are created in the sauce and filled with eggs which are baked just until set (with jammy yolks). Absolute perfection.

There are many versions of Shakshuka and this one is based on a favorite at a local eatery (and slightly adapted from a favorite cookbook). Shakshuka means “all mixed up” and honestly a breakfast favorite around here.

ingredients to make Shakshuka

Ingredients

We love this basic recipe. Poached eggs in a rich tomato sauce with bell peppers. A variety of seasonings give shakshuka its signature flavor.

VEGGIE SAUCE Tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and garlic are all poached to heavenly goodness in the sauce. Canned tomatoes are not only easy but they have a rich zesty flavor that adds to the sauce.

About the tomatoes: I prefer the texture of whole canned tomatoes over diced, the sauce seems to thicken a bit better although either will work. If you have fresh tomatoes, they can be peeled and added in as well.

TOPPINGS Once baked, sprinkle with your favorite toppings from feta cheese, to fresh herbs or chives or green onions, and top with a scoop or two of sour cream!

Serve over roast potatoes or with toast for dipping and sopping up all of the sauce.

Kitchen Tip To break up the tomatoes you will literally take them from the can one by one and give them a good squish apart with your hands (over a bowl… they’ll be juicy!). You want them broken up but not pulverized.

process of adding ingredients to pan to make Shakshuka

How to Make Shakshuka

Shakshuka is super easy to make, and comes together in 1,2,3!

  1. Sauté onion and garlic in oil until fragrant, add peppers and cook until tender.
  2. Add seasonings and tomatoes and simmer.
  3. Create small wells for each egg with the back of a wooden spoon. Gently place an egg in each well and bake until set. Garnish and serve!

While the sauce is simmering toss some potatoes in the air fryer for an easy meal!

Placing cracked eggs in red pepper tomato sauce for shakshuka

More Egg Faves

close up of cooked Shakshuka

Did you make this Shakshuka recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and a rating below! 

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
top view of cooked Shakshuka
5 from 14 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Our Favorite Shakshuka

Bright & savory, this colorful Shakshuka dish is absolutely bursting with flavor!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 26 minutes
Total Time 41 minutes
Servings 4
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Ingredients  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 small red bell peppers diced
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 28 ounces canned whole tomatoes with juices, 1 can
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro for serving

Instructions 

  • Crush tomatoes with your hands until they're broken up, set aside.
  • In a 10" skillet, cook onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add bell pepper and cook an additional 6-7 minutes or until very soft.
  • Add seasonings and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
  • Use the back of a spoon to gently create wells for the eggs. Crack an egg into each well.
  • Turn the skillet down to simmer, cover and gently simmer 4-6 minutes or just until eggs are set.
  • Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with toast.

Notes

Leftover Shakshuka can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
Reheat in the microwave until heated through, and refresh flavors with salt & pepper. 
5 from 14 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 187 | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 246mg | Sodium: 382mg | Potassium: 603mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2019IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Breakfast, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American, Middle Eastern
cooked Shakshuka with a title
Shakshuka in the pan with a title
top view of Shakshuka in the pan with writing
Shakshuka in the pan with a spoon and writing

Recipe Adapted BHG. “Shakshuka”. Recipe. Des Moines, IA, 2018. 206. Print.

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. This was soooo good! I had to use fresh tomatoes, and one family member preferred egg white, so we did half and half with our four wells. Keeping this recipe.

  2. Shakshouka شكشوكه originated in North African countries of Libya and Tunisia and it means a “mixture” in Tunisian arabic dialect. Shakshouka is the quintessential meal of Arabic cuisine traditionally served in a cast iron pan or a tajine as in morocco.

  3. Have been wanting to try this for months! I am a little confused. The body of your post says to make 4 wells for the eggs and “bake until set.” But the recipe itself says to “simmer until set.” At first read I was thinking to transfer an iron skillet into the oven because it said bake, but is it to be all stovetop since the recipe itself says simmer?

    1. We cooked this recipe on the stovetop. Step 5 is correct you will want to cover the pan and simmer it until the eggs are set, Hope this helped!