Best Shakshuka Recipes

SHAKSHUKA

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the cilantro stems, garlic, cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes; season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is softened and the vegetables are coated with the spices, about 1 minute.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Stir the tomatoes with their juices into the skillet. Reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens slightly, about 20 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
• Use the back of a spoon to make 4 wells in the sauce, 1 to 2 inches apart. Crack an egg into each well. Run the edge of a rubber spatula through the egg whites to break them slightly, being careful not to break the yolks (this allows the egg whites to cook faster). Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the egg whites are just set, 15 to 18 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and top with the cilantro leaves. Serve with pita bread.

SHAKSHUKA

Steps:

• In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender, 4-6 minutes. Add garlic, seasonings and, if desired, chili sauce; cook 30 seconds longer. Add tomatoes; cook until mixture is thickened, stirring occasionally, 3-5 minutes., With back of spoon, make 4 wells in vegetable mixture; break an egg into each well. Cook, covered, until egg whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, 4-6 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve with pita bread.

EASY SHAKSHUKA

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, onion, and bell pepper; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, paprika and jalapenos; stir, using the back of a spoon to break up the tomatoes. Simmer for about 25 minutes.
• Crack an egg into a small bowl, then gently slip the egg into the tomato sauce. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Cook the eggs until the whites are firm and the yolks have thickened but are not hard, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. If the tomato sauce gets dry, add a few tablespoons of water. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon, place onto a warm plate, and serve with the tomato sauce and pita bread.

SHAKSHUKA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a frying pan that has a lid, then soften the onions, chilli, garlic and coriander stalks for 5 mins until soft. Stir in the tomatoes and sugar, then bubble for 8-10 mins until thick. Can be frozen for 1 month.
• Using the back of a large spoon, make 4 dips in the sauce, then crack an egg into each one. Put a lid on the pan, then cook over a low heat for 6-8 mins, until the eggs are done to your liking. Scatter with the coriander leaves and serve with crusty bread.

SHAKSHUKA

Steps:

• Position an oven rack 5-inches from the top of oven and set the broiler to high.
• Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, discard the seeds, and place cut-side down on a sheet pan. Broil until the skins are completely charred, about 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. (Or char the peppers over gas burners, turning often.)
• Transfer the peppers to a large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow then to steam for 15 minutes, then rub the skins off under running water. Drain and roughly chop into half-inch squares.
• Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the oil and heat until shimmering, or until it reaches 335 to 350 degrees F. Stir in the garlic and salt and cook until the garlic begins to brown, about 1 minute.
• Add the harissa, brown sugar and preserved lemons and cook, stirring vigorously, for 30 seconds. Follow with the peppers, then grate the tomatoes directly into the pan using the large holes of a box grater, discarding the remaining pieces of skin. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Carefully lower the eggs (in their shells) into the boiling water and cook for 1 minute then dunk in the ice bath for 30 seconds. Remove to a dish towel.
• Create 6 divots in the stew with the back of a large spoon or ladle, making them deep enough to hold the eggs without pushing through to the bottom of the pan. Crack the par-cooked eggs into the divots. (I usually break them one by one into a custard cup to protect the yolk.) Cook over medium-low heat until the whites are just set but the yolks are still runny, about 12 minutes.
• Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
• Toast the cumin, coriander and caraway in a dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in the olive oil, garlic, onion and salt. Cook until the garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the urfa biber and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the red wine vinegar and cook 2 minutes more.
• Transfer the mixture to a food processor fitted with a standard S-blade and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Store in a tightly sealed glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
• Trim the ends off the lemons. Slice each lemon into 8 wedges, removing any seeds as you go. Reserve as much of the juice as possible.
• Layer the lemon wedges in a wide-mouthed 16-ounce canning jar, covering each layer with salt. Pack the jar as tightly as possible, pressing down to release the lemons' juice as you go and leaving about 1/4 inch of headspace in the jar.
• Cover the wedges with the reserved lemon juice from the cutting board and the ends. If your lemons do not release a significant amount of juice, top off the jar with the juice of another lemon.
• Stash in the refrigerator for 4 days, then flip the jar over and age another 4 days before sampling. The peel should be nice and soft. Rinse before using.
• Expect peak flavor and texture after about a month. As long as they're kept refrigerated, preserved lemons should keep indefinitely.

SHAKSHUKA WITH FETA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a large (12-inch) ovenproof saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, bell pepper, poblano pepper, and jalapeno pepper and cook over medium to medium-high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and starting to brown. Stir in the garlic and paprika and cook for one minute. Add the diced tomatoes, strained tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
• Off the heat, carefully break the eggs, one at a time, into a small bowl and slide them onto the vegetable mixture. Crumble the feta around the eggs, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the egg whites are firm but the yolks are still runny. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve from the pan with the pita bread.

GREEN SHAKSHUKA WITH AVOCADO AND LIME

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until softening, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 5 minutes more.
• Raise the heat to medium-high, add the chard stems, and cook to release some liquid, 5 minutes. Add the chard leaves, in batches, adding more as they wilt, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until completely wilted, 3 to 5 minutes more. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, pour in the half-and-half and stir loosely together.
• Make eight small hollows in the cooked chard with the back of a spoon. Gently crack an egg into each hollow. Cover with a lid or foil and cook on medium-low until the eggs are just set, but still soft, about 7 to 9 minutes. Remove the lid, sprinkle with salt, pepper, cotija, avocado, jalapeño and cilantro. Serve with smoked hot sauce, toasted tortillas and lime wedges.

SHAKSHUKA

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

SHAKSHUKA (BAKED EGGS WITH SPICY TOMATO SAUCE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• To make the spicy tomato sauce, in a large saucepan over low heat, combine the olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, Maras pepper, and hawayej. Simmer until the tomatoes are soft and melted, about 15 minutes. It is important to cook the sauce slowly so the tomatoes are soft enough to puree but don't reduce too much. Set the sauce aside to cool slightly.
• Using an immersion blender and starting at low speed, puree the sauce, gradually increasing the speed as the mixture becomes smoother and resembles a silky tomato soup. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate up for up to 1 week or use immediately.
• When you are ready to make the shakshuka, gently reheat the sauce and pour it into a 9x13-inch glass baking dish or six soufflé ramekins or small cazuelas (4 to 5 inches in diameter and at least 1-inch high).
• To make in a 9x13-inch dish, first crack each egg into a small bowl or ramekin to ensure that the yolks stay intact. Using the back of a spoon, make a divot for each egg and slide it into the sauce, one at a time, so that it doesn't float on top; leave a little space between each egg.
• To make in individual baking dishes, set the ramekins onto a baking sheet. Ladle about 1/2 cup sauce into each dish and, using the back of a spoon, make a divot for the egg. To ensure that the yolks stay intact, first crack each egg into a small bowl or ramekin, then slide it into the sauce.
• Lightly season the eggs with salt and transfer to the oven. Bake until the egg whites are just barely set and the yolks are very loose, about 20 minutes.
• Remove the shakshuka from the oven. Scoop one egg on top of each pita bread and carefully spoon a generous amount of tomato sauce from the pan over the top of the egg. Place 1 teaspoon of zhoug on top of each serving and pass around additional zhoug at the table. If serving the shakshuka individually, top each shakshuka with 2 teaspoons of zhoug and serve them with a spoon and the bread on the side so that you can use the bread or spoon to scoop up the sauce. Serve immediately with additional zhoug.

BROCCOLI RABE, SHAKSHUKA STYLE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy 12- to 14-inch skillet; cast iron is best. Add onions, bell peppers and jalapeños and sauté on medium about 10 minutes until vegetables are tender and starting to color. Stir in garlic, cook for a minute or two, then stir in potatoes. Reduce heat a bit and sauté another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper and add thyme.
• Add broth and cook on medium-low until much of it has evaporated and potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add broccoli rabe. Cook, stirring occasionally until broccoli rabe has wilted, softened and reduced. Fold in chile flakes and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Turn off heat. Smooth top of vegetables and use the back of a soup spoon to make 4 or 6 evenly spaced shallow depressions in the mixture.
• Light broiler and adjust a rack fairly close to the heat. Just before serving, break an egg into each of the depressions in the vegetables. Place skillet under the broiler until whites are set and yolks are still runny (they'll wiggle if gently touched), 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Dust each egg with cheese and serve.

CHEF JOHN'S SHAKSHUKA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt. Cook and stir until mushrooms release all of their liquid and start to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in bell peppers and jalapeno pepper. Cook and stir until peppers begin to soften up, about 5 minutes. Season with cumin, paprika, turmeric, black pepper, and cayenne. Stir and cook to "wake up" the flavors, about 1 minute. Pour in crushed tomatoes and water. Adjust heat to medium and simmer uncovered until veggies are softened and sweet, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes. Add more water if sauce becomes too thick.
• Make a depression in the sauce for each egg with a large spoon. Crack egg into a small ramekin and slide gently into each indentation; repeat with the rest of the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until eggs are to your desired doneness.
• Top with feta cheese and parsley.

BAKED COD SHAKSHUKA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Set a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat to shimmering, then add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeno, paprika, cayenne, cumin, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and begin to brown, about 3 minutes.
• Add tomatoes along with their juices, season with another pinch of salt and twist of black pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer, partially cover, and cook until vegetables soften and the liquid has mostly reduced, about 15 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Season the fish on all sides with salt and pepper and partially submerge in the sauce, leaving space between the pieces. Spoon some sauce over each fillet. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook, uncovered, until the flesh of the fish turns opaque and begins to flake, about 15 minutes. Garnish with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil and serve.

TUNISIAN SHAKSHUKA WITH SHRIMP

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron skillet or heavy pan over medium. Add 1 teaspoon garlic and sauté until tender, about 1 minute. Add shrimp to pan, season with salt and pepper and sauté until shrimp turns pink all over, 4 to 5 minutes, then set aside.
• In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the onion and the rest of the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until onion becomes translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, tomato paste and harissa to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes.
• Add the ras el hanout, caraway, coriander and 1/2 cup warm water and stir to thoroughly combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
• Set the shrimp on top of the sauce, spacing evenly apart, and using a spoon, make shallow craters in the tomato mixture for the eggs. Crack the eggs into the craters, cover, and let simmer 6 to 8 minutes, or until eggs are cooked to your liking. Serve with warm baguette, and olives, pickled peppers and cornichons, if desired.

SHAKSHUKA WITH FETA (NY TIMES)

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. 2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook gently until very soft, about 20 minutes. 3. Add garlic and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes; stir in cumin, paprika and cayenne, and cook 1 minute. 4. Pour in tomatoes and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; simmer until tomatoes have thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in crumbled feta. 5. Gently crack eggs into skillet over tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with hot sauce.

SHAKSHUKA WITH FETA

Steps:

• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, harissa, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, another good pinch of salt and a few turns of black pepper. Cook until it's all dreamy-smelly, another 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, followed by the chopped tomatoes and sugar, and simmer until slightly thickened, 10 minutes more. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings.
• Make 8 little wells in the sauce and crack in the eggs. Simmer until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 10 minutes. (You can either baste the eggs with sauce during cooking or just let them be in a sunny-side-up situation.) Off the heat, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the eggs with a little salt and pepper. Scatter the feta and parsley over all.

SHAKSHUKA (MIDDLE EASTERN BREAKFAST DISH)

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Mix in the crushed tomatoes and hot pepper sauce. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Make 4 wells in the tomato mixture, and crack the eggs into each well. Do not stir. Cover and cook until eggs are desired consistency, about 3 minutes for soft yolks. Carefully remove the eggs from the skillet and serve with the tomato sauce.

GREEN SHAKSHUKA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a wide, shallow frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leeks with a pinch of salt and cook for 4 mins until softened. Add handfuls of spinach to the pan, stirring until wilted.
• Stir in the peas, garlic, cumin, herbs and some seasoning. Cook for a few mins until it smells fragrant, then create four gaps and crack two eggs into each. Cover and cook for 10 mins or until the whites are set but the yolks are runny - they will carry on cooking slightly as you take them to the table.
• Season the eggs with flaky sea salt, dollop spoonfuls of the yogurt interspersed with the harissa, and scatter over a few mint leaves. Serve with a pile of flatbread for scooping.

ISRAELI SHAKSHUKA

Steps:

• You need a large nonstick deep sauté pan that has a cover. Sauté onions in olive oil until opaque and tender.
• Add red bell pepper and continue sauteeing until it softens up.
• Reduce heat to low. Add the fresh chopped tomatoes, cook until they are breaking apart.
• With a slotted spoon, add the chunkiest parts of the contents of the "Pomi" - the majority of the sauce should remain in the carton. Add the jalapeno now also.
• Cook for 30-40 minutes, partially cover, and stir every once in a while. If it starts to look dry, add some of the sauce from the carton, slowly , as you need it. Add the salt and pepper - I like a lot because I love salt on tomatoes.
• The final product should be a thick sauce that just looks like a whole lot of tomatoes stuck together - with very little to no juice, that is about 1-1 1/2 inches high.
• Crack open the eggs on top of the shakshuka, one by one, giving each their own space. The whites should overlap, but the yolk should be spaced about 4 fingerwidths from each other. My pan can fit 6-8 eggs very comfortably.
• Cover tightly with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.

SHAKSHUKA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-low heat, followed by the onions, peppers and garlic. Cook, stirring gently from time to time, until soft, about 20 minutes. Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika, piment d'Espelette, salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes and chopped parsley, reserving a handful for garnish, and let the mixture simmer about 5 minutes.
• Using the back of a spoon, create a crater in the tomato mixture and gently crack an egg into the crater; repeat with the remaining 5 to 7 eggs. Continue cooking on the stovetop until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 4 to 6 minutes. Alternately, transfer the skillet to the oven for 5 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. Garnish with reserved parsley.

EGGS IN PURGATORY: SHAKSHUKA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. When it shimmers, add onion and cook until just softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, harissa, and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add peppers and stir to coat. Add tomatoes and salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes.
• Stir in half of the parsley, break the eggs over the tomatoes. Cover and continue to cook for about 7 to 8 minutes, until the eggs are set. Sprinkle remaining parsley, season with freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately with pita bread or baguette.