Equipment
Ingredients
Sauce Base
- 15 ml olive oil
- 100 g white onion, diced
- 15 g jalapeño, finely diced
- 2 garlic, minced
- 400 g tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and roughly chopped
Spices & Herbs
- 2 g ground cumin
- 4 g kosher salt
- 15 g fresh cilantro, chopped
Proteins
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
Optional Garnishes
- 30 g cotija cheese, crumbled
- 100 g avocado, sliced
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 452 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbohydrates
- 28 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Fiber
- 10 g
- Sugar
- 12 g
- Sodium
- 1143 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 15 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 372 mg
- Potassium
- 1120 mg
- Calcium
- 236 mg
- Iron
- 4.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 87 mg
- Phosphorus
- 450 mg
- Zinc
- 2.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 288 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 54 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 4.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 61 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.22 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.65 mg
- Niacin
- 5.0 mg
- Folate
- 121 mcg
- Water
- 387 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and jalapeño, cooking until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic, ground cumin, and kosher salt. Cook for 1 minute until the garlic is very fragrant.
Add the chopped tomatillos to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a gentle bubble, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatillos break down into a chunky sauce, about 10 minutes. Stir in half of the chopped cilantro.
Using the back of a spoon, create 4 small wells in the tomatillo sauce. Carefully crack one egg into each well. Season the top of each egg with a pinch of salt.
Cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Poach the eggs in the simmering sauce for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on your preferred level of doneness. For fully cooked, safe yolks (74 C / 165 F), cook closer to 8-10 minutes. For traditional runny yolks, aim for 5 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Garnish with the remaining fresh cilantro, crumbled cotija cheese, and avocado slices. Serve immediately with warm tortillas or crusty bread and lime wedges.
Chef's Notes
- Tomatillos have a naturally sticky residue on their skin. Be sure to rinse them thoroughly under warm water after removing the husks to clean them properly.
- For a smoother, more refined sauce, you can briefly blend the cooked tomatillo mixture with an immersion blender before creating the wells for the eggs.
- Heat levels in jalapeños can vary wildly. Smelling the cut stem end of the pepper can give you a hint of its capsaicin levels before adding it to the pan.
- Room temperature eggs will poach much more evenly than cold eggs straight from the refrigerator. Pull them out when you begin prepping the vegetables.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store leftover sauce separately. Cooked eggs do not reheat well.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze the tomatillo sauce only, without the eggs.
Reheating: Reheat the sauce gently in a skillet over medium heat, then poach fresh eggs directly in the hot sauce.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is too acidic or tart
Cause: Natural variation in tomatillo acidity
Fix: Stir in a pinch of sugar or a tiny splash of heavy cream to balance the acidity before adding eggs
Prevention: Taste the sauce before adding the eggs to gauge tartness
Egg whites are runny while yolks are overcooked
Cause: Pan was not fully covered or heat was too high
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Use a tight-fitting lid to trap steam, and keep the sauce at a gentle simmer, not a rapid boil
Tomatillo sauce is watery
Cause: Tomatillos released excessive moisture and were not reduced enough
Fix: Remove eggs if possible and simmer sauce over medium-high heat until reduced
Prevention: Simmer uncovered until the sauce reaches a thick consistency
Cultural Context
Shakshuka is a beloved North African and Middle Eastern dish traditionally made with a spiced tomato and red pepper sauce. This 'verde' variation merges the comforting egg-poaching technique of the original with the vibrant, tart, and herbaceous profile of a classic Mexican salsa verde, showcasing the beautiful cross-cultural appeal of eggs simmered in a rich sauce.
