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Tunisian · Maghrebi · Israeli

Shakshuka

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

شكشوكة · shakshūka

Eggs poached in a thick, spicy sauce of tomatoes, sweet peppers, garlic, cumin and paprika. A North African dish that has become a breakfast favourite in Israel and worldwide.

Shakshuka is a Tunisian egg dish, ready in about 40 minutes and made with red bell pepper, canned tomatoes and egg. It serves 3 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Appetizing shakshuka with perfectly poached eggs in spicy tomato sauce.
Photo: Jahra Tasfia Reza / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
10 min
Cook
30 min
Total
40 min
Serves
3
Level
Easy
Calories
337

Ingredients

3 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil in a large lidded frying pan over medium heat. Cook the onion (opens in a new tab) and peppers until soft and starting to colour.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the garlic (opens in a new tab), cumin (opens in a new tab), paprika (opens in a new tab), cayenne and tomato paste (opens in a new tab) and fry for a minute until fragrant. Stir in the harissa (opens in a new tab) if using.

    • 2 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the tomatoes and salt and simmer, stirring now and then, until thick enough for a spoon to leave a trail.

    • 10 min
    • medium-low heat
    A sauce simmering in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Make six hollows in the sauce and crack an egg (opens in a new tab) into each. Cover and cook gently until the whites are set but the yolks still runny.

    • 7 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Runny yolks are not recommended for young children, pregnant people, older adults or anyone immunocompromised — cook until fully set for them.

  5. Step 5

    Scatter with herbs and feta (opens in a new tab) and bring the pan to the table with bread.

    • 1 min
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Maghreb, Tunisia · Commonly attributedCommonly attributed to the Maghreb, especially Tunisia; brought to Israel by North African Jewish immigrants, where it became hugely popular.Also popular in Libya, Algeria, Morocco, IsraelMore food from Tunisia
Dish
Breakfast · Brunch · Dinner · Egg dishes · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Poached
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), savoury, tangy, aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Carb-conscious · Calorie-conscious
Without the optional extras: Ovo-vegetarian, Whole-food focused, Paleo-style, No gluten ingredients, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pan · Everyday · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Red bell pepper · Canned tomatoes · Egg · Onion · Garlic · Cumin
Techniques
Simmering · Poaching

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom feta
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom crusty bread / baguette
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom crusty bread / baguette
  • May contain: Sesamefrom crusty bread / baguette

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

337 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 377 g · recipe makes 3

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 18%
  • Carbohydrate 20%
  • Fat 62%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy337 kcal89 kcal
Protein15.7 g4.2 g
Carbohydrate17.2 g4.6 g
Net carbohydrate11.4 g3 g
Sugars9.6 g2.5 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5.8 g1.5 g
Fat24 g6.4 g
Saturated fat5.2 g1.4 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol372 mg99 mg
Sodium1083 mg287 mg
Salt equivalent2.7 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
740 mg
Calcium
134 mg
Iron
4.1 mg
Magnesium
48 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
361 µg
Vitamin C
124 mg
Vitamin D
2 µg
Vitamin B12
0.9 µg
Folate (DFE)
103 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: harissa, coriander leaves, feta, crusty bread / baguette.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The sauce can be made a day ahead; reheat it before adding the eggs.

Common mistakes

  • Adding eggs to a watery sauce — they spread and the dish turns soupy.

Serve with

  • With bread or pita for dipping; for a low-carb meal skip the bread and add feta.

Storage

  • Sauce keeps 3 days in the fridge; eggs are best cooked fresh.

Reheating

  • Reheat the sauce until bubbling before adding fresh eggs.

Variations

  • Green shakshuka (Israel): A modern Israeli version with spinach, chard and herbs instead of tomatoes.
  • With merguez: Spicy lamb sausage is fried in the pan first in some Maghrebi homes.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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