Shakshuka is a flavorful north African baked egg dish with sautéed peppers, tomatoes and spices, topped with poached eggs and herbs. It’s one of those dishes that sounds fancy and complicated but is actually very simple and delicious. It’s the perfect dish for a cozy fall dinner or a savory brunch with friends. Plus, it has the added bonus of being a healthy vegetarian option with tons of flavor. Meatless Monday anyone? This particular version does include chorizo though because… well it’s delicious.
Simple Ingredients, Tons of Flavor
The first time I had this dish at a restaurant, I was convinced it must have hundreds of spices I had never heard of. After realizing my obsession for this savory egg dish was getting expensive, I was determined to make it myself. I was thrilled when I realized that the ingredients are spices most of us have in our kitchen and vegetables that are staples for many meals.
Weeknight Favorite- Quick & easy
This is a combination of recipes plus my own touches. See here: Smitten Kitchen and Feasting at Home.
If you’re looking for a simple cozy weeknight or brunch meals and are willing to go outside of the box, this is the perfect choice. It will impress in both flavor and appearance and get you major chef points.
*Scroll to the bottom here if you want the simple print out version of the recipe!
Directions
Before you do anything else — preheat the oven to 400 degrees. This way it can heat up while you prepare everything and you won’t be stuck, like I was, pacing around waiting for it to warm up.
Once all the ingredients are assembled, grab a large cast iron skillet and heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and chorizo and cook until onions start to become translucent and chorizo is browning, about 5 minutes.
Add the sliced peppers and garlic, turn heat down to medium-low and cook for 5 more minutes, until peppers are tender. Then add all spices and let cook for 2 more minutes.
Next throw the tomatoes, 1 tbsp harissa, water and some wine ( wine makes everything better) and let that baby simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes while you finish folding clothes, or if you’re like me, pretend to fold clothes while acting like you’re a judge on The Voice. Be sure to add or broth more water if it gets too dry or thick. You want a stew-like consistency. After tomatoes cook down, taste — it should be full-flavored. Adjust spices if necessary.
Now, the best part! Once the sauce has cooked down some and you’ve tried it for flavor, crack four eggs directly into the sauce, top each with a little salt & pepper and put your skillet directly into the oven. *if you don’t have a cast iron skillet, be sure your pan does not have a plastic handle before putting it in the oven.
Pull the skillet out of the oven after only 7 short minutes, and the egg is and the sauce looks vibrant. I highly recommend throwing some crumbled goat cheese and fresh cilantro or basil on top . This is also the time to top with a little more spice- add some extra red pepper flakes for some added heat.
Dig in!
The tomato sauce is warm and comforting, like you’re eating your favorite soup, and addition of the vegetables & chorizo and spices provides a little crunch and depth of flavor. The acidity of the tomatoes works great with the creaminess of the goat cheese and poached egg. It feels like a warm hug on a crisp night. This has snow storm recipe written all over it! Can you tell I’m wishing for lots of snow this year.
Best of all, you can eat it with whatever you like. I suggest toasted pita bread or naan to dip into it or some roasted asparagus.
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 35 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 jalapeno deseed for less heat
- 1 yellow onion
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1 28 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes I used a low-salt version
- 1 tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 1 tbsp italian parsley or cilantro chopped
- 4 extra large organic eggs could use 6 if feeding more!
- 2 links chorizo diced
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp red wine
Ingredients
Optional
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- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Dice the onion and Chorizo and sauté over medium heat in olive oil. Cook until onions start to become translucent and chorizo is browning, about 5 minutes.
- Add sliced red bell pepper and chopped garlic to the pan and turn down to medium-low heat. Cook for 5 more minutes until peppers are tender.
- Add all spices- salt, cumin, smoked paprika, chili flakes and some cracked pepper and let cook for 2-3 more minutes.
- Add canned tomatoes, 1 tbsp harissa, water and a splash of red wine (optional but add's a fullness to the sauce) and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. You want a stew like consistency and for it to be full flavored. Add more spices per your taste, as needed.
- Crack four eggs directly into the sauce and top each with a dash of salt and pepper.
- Put the skillet directly into the oven for 6-7 short minutes.
- After 7 minutes or once the egg looks poached pull out of the oven and top with fresh basil or cilantro and some crumbled goat or feta cheese.
- Serve with a piece of crusty french bread, toasted naan or some grilled veggies!