Equipment
Ingredients
Vegetable Base
- 30 ml olive oil, extra virgin
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic, minced
Spices & Seasoning
- 5 g sweet paprika
- 4 g ground cumin
- 2 g chili powder
- 3 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Tomato Sauce
- 400 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 30 g tomato paste
Eggs & Garnish
- 4 large eggs
- 50 g feta cheese, crumbled
- 10 g fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 508 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbohydrates
- 38 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fiber
- 10 g
- Sugar
- 18 g
- Sodium
- 1473 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 16 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 394 mg
- Potassium
- 1402 mg
- Calcium
- 331 mg
- Iron
- 8.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 99 mg
- Phosphorus
- 435 mg
- Zinc
- 3.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 463 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 134 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 5.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 101 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.21 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.83 mg
- Niacin
- 1.7 mg
- Folate
- 113 mcg
- Water
- 246 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the diced onion and sliced red bell pepper. Sauté until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic, tomato paste, sweet paprika, ground cumin, and chili powder if using. Cook until highly fragrant, about 1 minute.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Season the mixture with kosher salt and black pepper, stirring thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the sauce to simmer gently until it thickens slightly and the flavors meld, about 10 minutes.
Use the back of a wooden spoon to make 4 small wells in the thickened tomato sauce. Carefully crack one egg into each well.
Cover the skillet with a lid and poach the eggs in the sauce until the whites are fully opaque and set, but the yolks remain runny, about 5 to 8 minutes. For fully cooked yolks, cook until the internal temperature reaches 74 degrees Celsius / 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Evenly sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese and chopped fresh parsley over the top. Serve immediately directly from the pan.
Chef's Notes
- The quality of your canned tomatoes defines this dish. San Marzano tomatoes provide a perfect balance of acidity and natural sweetness without requiring added sugar.
- If your egg whites are taking too long to set, you can gently baste them with a spoonful of the hot tomato sauce, being careful not to cover the yolk.
- Shakshuka is an excellent meal-prep candidate. Make a double batch of the tomato and pepper base, store it in the fridge, and heat individual portions in a small skillet to poach fresh eggs each morning.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store the tomato sauce only. Poached eggs do not keep well.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze the tomato base without the eggs or feta.
Reheating: Warm the leftover sauce in a skillet over medium heat, make new wells, and poach fresh eggs.
Troubleshooting
Watery sauce
Cause: Tomatoes were not reduced enough before adding the eggs
Fix: Serve with highly absorbent crusty bread to soak up the excess moisture. Cannot be fixed in the pan once eggs are added.
Prevention: Ensure the sauce simmers uncovered until the excess liquid evaporates and the sauce looks cohesive
Overcooked, chalky egg yolks
Cause: The pan was left covered for too long, or the residual heat continued to cook the eggs after removal from the stove
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Check the eggs 2 minutes before the suggested time and remove the skillet from heat the moment the whites look set
Cultural Context
Shakshuka, meaning a mixture or shaken in Maghrebi Arabic, is a cornerstone dish across North Africa and the Middle East. It was popularized in Israel by Jewish immigrants from Libya and Tunisia, where it quickly became a beloved, hearty breakfast staple traditionally eaten family-style straight from the cooking pan with torn pita bread.
