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Home Breakfast

Shakshuka (Middle Eastern Baked Eggs)

By:Nagi
Published:25 Jul '18Updated:25 Mar '21
116 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

The best baked eggs in the world – Shakshuka! A Middle Eastern and North African dish traditionally served up for breakfast or lunch, this can be made entirely on the stove or finished in the oven. However, bread for dunking/mopping is not optional!

Close up of Shakshuka Middle Eastern baked eggs in a black skillet, fresh off the stove

Shakshuka

I’ll let you in on a trade secret – usually, the photos you see of so called baked eggs aren’t really baked at all.

When eggs are baked, the thin film of egg whites covering the yolks becomes opaque, fogging up the beautiful bright yellow yolks.

“This is a catastrophe!” said some food magazine editor, somewhere. “We cannot have foggy yolks! They must be bright yellow. This must be fixed!” (I hear this in my head with a French accent, but I don’t know why)

And so some food stylist scuttled off, and came back with a solution now adopted by food stylists everywhere: pan fry the eggs sunny side up then slide them into whatever sauce or vehicle they were supposedly baked in.

It’s always obvious when this is done because you don’t get the messy bleed of whites mixed in with the sauce, like you see in these photos.

So yes, I sacrificed glaringly yellow yolks to make this the way the recipe is written. I did cheat a bit though- I carefully wiped off as much of the egg whites from the yolks before baking them.

I assure you I do not do that in real life. 😂

Bread being dunked into the runny yolks of Shakshuka, Middle Eastern baked eggs

Now that I’ve changed the way you’ll look at baked eggs photos forever, let’s talk about the world’s best baked eggs – Shakshuka.

WHAT IS SHAKSHUKA?

It’s basically eggs that are baked or poached in a fragrant tomato sauce, usually with capsicum (bell peppers), onion and spices like cumin and paprika, reflecting the Middle Eastern and North African roots of this dish. It’s actually quite similar to Huevos Ranchos – the Mexican version of Shakshuka!

Though traditionally thought of as a breakfast or brunch recipe, I’m forever on my “eggs anytime of the day” crusade and I’m sitting here at 5.18pm on Wednesday 25 July 2018, wondering what to have for dinner tonight and I just decided to make this (again).

Preparation of Shakshuka, Middle Eastern baked eggs

BRILLIANT FOR CAMPING – AND MAKING IN BULK

Though I call Shakshuka a type of baked eggs, ironically my favourite way of making it is over campfire, poaching rather than baking. One of my best friends had a remote wild-river wedding and the outdoor caterers they hired made Shakshuka for 80 wedding guests over campfire.

It worked brilliantly because eggs take mere minutes to cook, so they made large pots of this fragrant tomato sauce then cooked dozens and dozens of eggs in them. Poach, serve, then repeat in the same pots.

I had all good intentions of helping. But I had a very sore head that morning… 🥂🤢 Hey! I was a bridesmaid – I had to do lots of toasts! …. – Nagi x

MY FAVOURITE BREKKI/BRUNCHY EGG RECIPES

  • Healthy Egg Muffins – grab ‘n go brekki!

  • Frittata – a classic everyone should know!

  • Caprese Baked Eggs

  • No Washing Up Ham Egg Bread Bowls & Ham Egg Pockets

  • Quiche Lorraine (must try at least once!)

  • Fluffy Egg White Omelettes

Shakshuka - Middle Eastern baked eggs in a bowl, ready to be eaten


WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

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Close up of Shakshuka Middle Eastern baked eggs in a black skillet, fresh off the stove

Shakshuka (Middle Eastern Poached or Baked Eggs)

Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 20 minutes mins
Total: 30 minutes mins
Breakfast
Israeli, Middle Eastern, North African
4.98 from 40 votes
Servings2 - 3 people
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 248
Recipe video above. I call this the best baked eggs in the world, but they can also just be poached on the stove! With Middle Eastern and North African roots, the tomato sauce is lightly spiced and used as the bed to cook the eggs. PS Crusty bread is a must. PPS Recipe lends itself to great variations - see recipe notes.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small red onion , peeled, halved and sliced
  • 1 garlic clove , minced
  • 1 small red capsicum (bell pepper) , halved lengthways and sliced into 0.5cm/1/4” strips
  • 1 tomato , diced
  • 400 g / 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup / 125 ml chicken or vegetable broth (or water)
  • 1 tsp EACH paprika and cumin
  • 1/4 tsp EACH black pepper and cayenne pepper (or other hot spice, adjust to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 eggs eggs (up to 6 eggs ok)
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley or coriander / cilantro , roughly chopped
  • Pita or crusty bread, to serve

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180C/350F (if intending to bake them).
  • Heat oil in a medium size cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes until onion is translucent.
  • Add capsicum, cook for 1 minute. Add diced tomato, cook for 2 minutes until broken down and it becomes a bit pasty (see video).
  • Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Mix to combine well.
  • Lower stove to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes until just thickened enough to make indentations (don't want dry sludge, needs to still be saucy).
  • Make indentations in the mixture and carefully crack the eggs in. Leave to cook for 1 minute until edges of whites are set (Note 1).
  • Transfer to oven and bake for 7 to 12 minutes until whites are just set but yolks are still runny (or to your taste). OR cover with lid and steam on stove for 3 minutes (runny yolks), or just simmer them without a lid.
  • Remove from oven/stove and serve immediately, scattered with the coriander or parsley. Serve with crusty bread, or pita bread.

Recipe Notes:

1. Baking eggs perfectly so you get runny yolks but the whites are just set rather than jelly-like (ie still a teeny bit raw) is actually a bit of an art. My way of getting around this is to leave the eggs to cook in the mixture for 1 minute before transferring to the oven. This gives the whites a bit of a head start without affecting the yolks.
2. Variations - this recipe lends itself to a great many variations. Try substituting the capsicum with other vegetables such as zucchini (courgettes), eggplants (aubergines), or even carrots or fennel. For a baked beans-ish spin (that's breakfast baked beans, as Aussies and Poms know them, not American baked beans), try adding white beans. Try adding olives, or other antipasto-ey things (artichokes, sun dried tomatoes). For a Mexican spin, use corn and black beans!
3. This recipe as written makes 2 very generous servings (2 eggs per person) (this is what the nutrition reflects). But there's enough sauce here for 3 servings if you can squeeze 6 eggs in. I opted to just use 4 here so you can actually see the sauce in the photos and video.
Original recipe published in May 2014, officially one of the very first recipes I ever shared. So it's 4 years overdue for new photos and a video! Recipe slightly tidied up but is fundamentally the same.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 354cal (18%)
Keywords: Shakshuka
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

LIFE OF DOZER

And he’s back in the water!!! The vet tells me it’s excellent for rehab*. So I’m making him do laps back and forth along the beach – not allowed to run on the sand!

* For those playing catch up: Dozer busted his knee a couple of months ago and had to undergo surgery. We’re 8 weeks into a 12 – 16 week post op recovery period. He’s doing fantastic! A little too well – if he had his way, he’d be bolting after rabbits in the backyard, then he’d end up back on the operating table… 🙄

Dozer the golden retriever dog swimming rehab - therapy

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116 Comments

  1. Pozman says

    July 23, 2023 at 9:42 am

    5 stars
    Made this for breakfast for my wife this morning, a fantastic dish, spice and heat balance perfect! Thanks.

    Reply
  2. Lynn says

    July 20, 2023 at 4:02 am

    5 stars
    This is such a flavourful and comforting dish. Absolutely delicious! Easy to put together too. Another winning recipe, Nagi!

    Reply
  3. John says

    May 14, 2023 at 11:25 am

    Looks delicious!

    Reply
  4. Frank says

    May 11, 2023 at 7:38 pm

    Hi Nagi.
    I was at that river wedding as well! Stoked to be reminded of this way of cooking eggs for the weekend.
    Best. Frank

    Reply
  5. Megsy says

    April 16, 2023 at 11:16 pm

    I have cooked many of your recipes Nagi, and have never been let down, so am looking forward to giving this a go! I am hosting 20-30 people for Mother’s Day in a few weeks and thought I might do this as individual ramekins with one egg each as part of a brunch spread. Is there anything I need to watch out for if cooking in individual serves? (Timing, quantities…anything I might not have thought of!) I’m thinking of making up a big batch of sauce and baking to order, or maybe just making a dozen or so and see if we need more?
    Any suggestions gratefully appreciated!

    Reply
    • Joy says

      August 14, 2023 at 6:47 am

      hey, just wondered if you ended up making these individual? I was thinking of doing the same, not sure how long to cook for etc. Appreciate any tips if you did it!

      Reply
      • Megsy says

        August 14, 2023 at 11:05 am

        I didn’t sorry Joy 🙁

        Reply
  6. Lindsey says

    April 3, 2023 at 6:01 am

    Amazing!

    Reply
  7. Catherine Mortimer says

    February 27, 2023 at 11:01 pm

    5 stars
    What would I do without you? Your recipes save me time and time again. Thank you for all your hard work

    Reply
  8. Kathy says

    February 22, 2023 at 6:25 am

    5 stars
    As suggested by Israeli friends, I added a bay leaf and used lovely ripe chopped tomatoes instead of tinned. Served with roasted cauliflower and bread. Quick, healthy and delicious 😊

    Reply
  9. Suzanne says

    January 22, 2023 at 1:37 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for lunch with Turkish bread. My daughter requested it and we all loved it. So tasty and easy to make.

    Reply
  10. John says

    January 3, 2023 at 5:46 pm

    5 stars
    This was really, really good. And so quick and easy.
    I noticed some people adding bacon or chorizo… Well some Spam goes with this too when the cupboard is getting low! Ha! This recipe makes everything tasty! Thx Nagi!

    Reply
  11. Sue says

    October 14, 2022 at 10:58 pm

    This is delicious. Used the job for the whole recipe. Another amazing Nagi recipe.

    Reply
    • Sue says

      October 14, 2022 at 10:59 pm

      Meant “hob”

      Reply
  12. Helen says

    July 23, 2022 at 8:57 am

    5 stars
    Currently in iso and cooked this for breakfast. Added chopped chorizo and paired with sourdough toast.
    Yummo! Even with slightly over cooked egg yolks husband thought it was fantastic.
    I can see this being requested frequently in the future.
    Nagi, your recipes never disappoint. Thank you.

    Reply
  13. Darren says

    July 3, 2022 at 7:09 pm

    5 stars
    Your recipes are always reliable but this one was a stand-out. I had this for the first time at a Cafe yesterday and enjoyed it so much I wanted to recreate myself. Your recipe was perfect, the spiciness of the sauce was spot on and the eggs poached wonderfully. Will try baking next time maybe.

    Reply
  14. Roxanne says

    April 4, 2022 at 8:57 am

    5 stars
    Yummy, easy & really healthy! Smells incredible when cooking. Becoming a quick favourite teamed up with some freshly made bread.

    Reply
  15. Sarah says

    March 10, 2022 at 10:22 am

    5 stars
    Made this for brekky this morning. Amazing! So easy too. Definitely making this again.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 10, 2022 at 1:55 pm

      I am so glad that you enjoyed it Sarah! N x

      Reply
  16. Miss Biss says

    January 30, 2022 at 1:38 am

    5 stars
    Shakshuka…
    This was so easy to make. Finishing the eggs in the oven made them incredible.
    I didn’t have red onions so I substituted leeks. Sorry about that.

    Reply
  17. Indriati Naland says

    November 6, 2021 at 9:33 pm

    Yummy! I didn’t have capsicum so I used spinach and chorizo. Still yummy yummy

    Reply
  18. Geoff challis says

    October 30, 2021 at 8:53 pm

    Nagi, you’re my hero. I’m 78 & learning to cook.
    Your recipes are so clear & complete, even a dumbass like me can do it.
    Shakshuka next,
    Geoff x

    Reply
    • Tanya Stacey 🌼 says

      July 17, 2022 at 1:19 pm

      5 stars
      Geoff, good on you for learning how to cook now. Nagi is my go to. She never fails me.

      Reply
  19. Lj says

    August 24, 2021 at 3:45 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for 4 but only husband and myself were hungry and shameful to day we ate it all so delicious going to be a regular I. Our household love every one of your recipes

    Reply
  20. James says

    August 21, 2021 at 9:42 am

    5 stars
    Cooked Shakshuka following Binging with Babish’s recipe. Way too acidic and felt let down after the hype from my Israeli friends.

    Nagi, as always your recipe was spot on! Absolutely delicious and will definitely be a regular weekend brekky at our place.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 21, 2021 at 5:04 pm

      That’s so good to hear James, you had me worries there for a second! N x

      Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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