Shakshuka—a dish of eggs poached in tomato-pepper sauce—originated in Tunisia, but you’ll find versions across North Africa and the Middle East, particularly in Israel, where it’s become a de facto national dish. This Israeli shakshuka recipe from chef and cookbook author Einat Admony starts with sautéed onions, bell peppers (this recipe calls for green, but yellow, orange, or red bell peppers work too), and jalapeños. It gains concentrated acidity from tomato paste and whole peeled canned tomatoes; avoid pre-diced tomatoes, which won’t break down in the sauce. Acidic tomato sauce can damage cast iron, so opt for a stainless, enameled, or nonstick pan for this dish.
Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, there are countless ways to spin the Mediterranean classic. This recipe calls for sweet Hungarian paprika, but you can swap it out for other styles, like smoked paprika, or supplement with other spices such as coriander, cayenne pepper, chili powder, or red pepper flakes. Some versions call for fresh tomatoes or add harissa to make a spicy tomato sauce. Some skip the tomatoes altogether and double down on veggies and herbs to make green shakshuka.
Admony’s shakshuka recipe is built entirely on the stovetop for ultimate ease. You’ll know the dish is ready when the egg whites have set, but a pale cast spreads over the yolks, indicating that they’re just jammy. Garnish the skillet with crispy chickpeas, crumbled feta cheese, and finely chopped cilantro; serve with challah, crusty bread, or pita for a hearty brunch or weeknight dinner.
This recipe was excerpted from ‘Balaboosta’ by Einat Admony. Buy the full book on Amazon.
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the bell peppers and jalapeño and cook just until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Step 2
Slowly pour in the tomatoes. Stir in the bay leaf, sugar, salt, paprika, cumin, pepper, and caraway and let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes. Layer the Swiss chard leaves on top.
Step 3
Crack the eggs into the tomato mixture. Cover and simmer for approximately 10 minutes or until the whites of the eggs are no longer translucent.
Editor’s note: Head this way for more of our best recipes for eggs →
Leave a Review
Reviews (34)
Back to Top***Use the coarsest grind salt you can find (Kosher or otherwise), and start with half the amount***, and salt shouldnt be a prob. -Up the bell pepper and tomatoes, enough flavour to withstand a little stretching. -I commented years ago, still making the recipe. -See other comment for serving suggestion 😋
kellington
Amsterdam
11/18/2020
So, let me start by saying I've never had a similar dish made in Israel, or in a restaurant or by someone who knows what they are doing, so perhaps it's my fault. Maybe I'm the one that doesn't get it. Still, I'm going to say that this recipe, as presented, is inedible. For starters, it's so salty. So, so salty. Like, I'm pretty sure the 1.5 tablespoons of salt called for here is a typo. Because when it was nearly finished, I tasted it and choked. All I could taste was the salt. And then there's the sugar. I like the zingy taste of fresh tomatoes, and typically don't sugar-down any tomato sauce I make. But this recipe calls for a giant dollop of sugar that warps the flavor until it becomes something else. I don't like it. When I came to the realization that I had better fix this boiling trash, it was about 15 minutes before dinner. I dumped more tomatoes and seasonings into it to mitigate the damage. The result was less terrible, barely edible, and something I will never make again.
dnharper
Philadelphia, USA
12/17/2019
F*ck yes I will make this again, and again and again. Been making dif versions of shakshuka for over a decade, and when I made this one, I decided to stop seeking other recipes. This recipe calls for exactly the right amount of salt, unique in a dish (ok- I just read some other reviews which think it is way too much... Probably because I upped the tomatoes (150%) + bell peppers (200%)). I use 3x 400ml (same as American 14oz) instead of 28oz Mutti Polpa (pulped tomatoes from Italy). Notes: -I saute all of the veg very well, and then add the spices BEFORE adding the tomatoes + tomato paste. -I freeze half of the sauce and 1cup cubes, and take 1-2 pp out the night before for a super easy & spectacular breakfast. -You can heat up the oven and fill mini cocottes / dutch ovens with prepared sauce + eggs, cover and bake 12-15m -Top with greek yoghurt, parsley & cilantro and serve with oiled & grilled bread top with za'atar.
kellington
Amsterdam
7/31/2019
A delicious recipe although I agree with some others that 1 1/2 T salt is too much. I think less than 1T would still be plenty. I didn't have sweet paprika so used smoked paprika, and left out the jalapeño pepper; it ended up quite spicy with a lovely deep flavor. If you prefer things mildly spiced you will not like this recipe. Because I can't stand any uncooked egg white I finished it in the oven, which worked perfectly. I would absolutely make this again!
karenelise
NYC suburbs
6/16/2019
Beware, Whenever I see this much salt, I question the entire recipe. I made this, but I changed all the spices when I saw the salt content - luckily I cook so it was obvious to me that it was a mistake. I think they meant teaspoon where they wrote Tablespoon. Other similar recipes use much less salt, cumin, paprika, sugar, etc. This is good after altering but I agree with the person that used Jerusalem Cookbook, it's much simpler and correctly written. I wish Epicurious would edit this one!!
amaflynn12@gmail.com
California and Boston
4/7/2019
Far too harsh for an egg dish. Too bitter and salty. This may appeal to some as I see by other reviews. We all know that food being good or bad is all a matter of individual tastes. This one is not for us. I do agree with Alex203 in this regard. We are working on our own less harsh recipe and will publish when ready.
ChefJohnnyD
London Canada
4/6/2019
This was the worst meal I've ever had in my life. DO NOT ADD 1.5 Tbsp of salt to a dish that has 4-6 servings. 1/4 of a teaspoon is 1 serving of salt. 1.5 Tbsp=18 1/4 teaspoons. Do you need 18 servings of salt in a dish that might have 4 servings. DO YOU WANT 4X YOUR DAILY SALT INTAKE WITH ONE SERVING OF THIS DISH? Anyways, I'm extremely frustrated because no human can possibly consume this meal as specified in the recipe and I just threw the whole thing away.
alexw203
Washington, DC
1/3/2019
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