Shakshuka Recipe (VIDEO)
This easy Shakshuka is a one-skillet meal that can be served for breakfast or dinner. Eggs poached in a rich garlicky tomato sauce for a hearty and satisfying breakfast. This is delicious any time of day but it’s perfect for a memorable family breakfast on the weekend.
All you need to enjoy this Shakshuka recipe is some Pita Bread or Focaccia to soak up the extra sauce.
![Shakshuka is a one-skillet meal, great for breakfast or dinner. Eggs poached in a hearty tomato sauce with sausage is the perfect breakfast. Shakshuka in skillet served with toast](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Breakfast-Shakshuka-1.jpg)
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Shakshuka
Everyone loves one-pan breakfasts like Frittatas, or a Breakfast Casserole because they are easy and you don’t end up with a sink full of pots and pans to tackle after breakfast. I love that this shakshuka recipe comes together in one skillet and you serve it right out of the pan.
We visited the Seattle area a couple of weeks ago and stayed with my husband’s cousin, Angelina. Their family made us this Shakshuka for breakfast and everyone loved it. He had 2 skillets going at once to feed a crowd. When my 12-year-old son got in line for refills, I knew I had to re-create this yummy dish at home. It has been on our rotation ever since.
We especially love to serve it for holiday weekends like Easter. Even though it’s a simple recipe, it really feels special.
Shakshuka Video Tutorial
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What is Shakshuka?
The word “Shakshuka” means ‘mixture’ and is essentially eggs poached in a tomato sauce with other vegetables. Shakshuka originated in North Africa but there are so many variations of it across the middle east. It’s also called ‘eggs in purgatory’ in Italy, or ‘huevos rancheros’ in Mexican cuisine. It’s quite popular throughout Egypt and Palestine.
Shakshuka is also widely enjoyed in Israel among the Jewish community and it has various names including shakshouka, shaksuka, shakshouki. If you are looking for a Shakshuka recipe that came out of Israel, our Spicy Israeli Shakshuka is delicious.
![Shakshuka is a one-skillet meal, great for breakfast or dinner. Eggs poached in a hearty tomato sauce with sausage is the perfect breakfast. Cutting through a soft egg in breakfast Shakshuka skillet](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Breakfast-Shakshuka-5.jpg)
Ingredients
- Breakfast Sausage – this ingredient isn’t usually added to shakshuka but I think it’s brilliant and adds tons of flavor and protein to the dish. You can use your favorite breakfast sauce, but we’ve had great results with Simple Truth and Hemplers brands. You could also use a spicy sausage or Italian sausage.
- Unsalted Butter – used to saute onion. You can sub with olive oil if you prefer.
- Onion – we use a yellow onion, but a Vidalia or sweet onion would also work
- Garlic – 4 minced cloves should be about 1 1/2 Tbsp. It mellows out in the pan but adds a wonderful garlicky flavor to the tomato sauce.
- Tomatoes – use canned whole peeled tomatoes.
- Salt – brings out the flavor of tomatoes
- Sugar – balances the acidity of tomatoes. A little goes a long way – all you need is 1/4 tsp sugar.
- Eggs – You can fit 5 to 6 eggs in a skillet to give them room to poach in the tomato sauce. Don’t overcrowd the pan with too many eggs.
- Parsley – use a generous amount. The heat will soften the parsley
- Parmesan cheese – add freshly grated parmesan over individual plates when serving.
![Shakshuka is a one-skillet meal, great for breakfast or dinner. Eggs poached in a hearty tomato sauce with sausage is the perfect breakfast. Ingredients for making breakfast shakshuka](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Breakfast-Shakshuka.jpg)
How to Make Shakshuka
- Cook Sausage – brown sausage in a 12-inch skillet with 1 Tbsp oil and transfer to a plate.
- Sautee onion – melt 4 Tbsp butter in the same skillet and saute onion until golden. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes into the pan with their juice and break them up with your spatula. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until saucy.
- Crack eggs – Once the sauce is thick enough to create wells, use a spoon to make indents in teh sauce and crack an egg into each well.
- Add sausage and parsley, scattering them around the eggs. Cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes or until eggs have reached their desired doneness.
![Shakshuka is a one-skillet meal, great for breakfast or dinner. Eggs poached in a hearty tomato sauce with sausage is the perfect breakfast. Step by step how to make Shakshuka](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Breakfast-Shakshuka-7.jpg)
When is Shakshuka done? Shakshuka is done cooking when the egg whites are set and the egg yolks are still loose. You’re essentially making poached eggs in tomato sauce. Keep in mind, the eggs will continue to cook slightly in the sauce even after the heat is turned off so do not overcook the eggs.
![Shakshuka is a one-skillet meal, great for breakfast or dinner. Eggs poached in a hearty tomato sauce with sausage is the perfect breakfast. Shakshouka with eggs poached in tomato sauce with sausage and parsley](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Breakfast-Shakshuka-2-1.jpg)
Common Questions
You can omit the sausage completely and it will still work well as a vegetarian breakfast, just season to taste. If you prefer, you can substitute it with sautee diced red bell pepper, or substitute it with Italian sausage or even Chorizo sausage for a spicy shakshuka.
It’s best to use a non-reactive 12-inch pan such as a stainless steel skillet, a non-stick skillet, or an enamel-coated pan. Simmering a tomato product for a long time in a cast iron pan can make your sauce taste metallic.
This Shakshuka is not spicy, but you can make it spicy if you prefer by adding a spicy sausage, red pepper flakes, or jalapeno (as we did with our Israeli Shakshuka)
Get whole peeled tomatoes. Organic Muir Glen brand or Italian San Marzano tomatoes work great.
![Best tomatoes for shakshuka Canned whole tomatoes on a spoon](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Breakfast-Shakshuka-2.jpg)
Make-Ahead
A finished Shakshuka is best enjoyed fresh, but you can make the tomato sauce ahead of time. Stir in the meat then let it cool, cover and refrigerate. Reheat on the stovetop until simmering, then crack in the eggs, add parsley, and proceed with the recipe instructions.
To Serve
We love to serve this for breakfast topped with grated parmesan with a side of toasted bread. This is also a smart way to make day-old or stale bread taste great again. Use French Bread or sliced Dutch Oven Bread. If you’re going all-out for a special occasion, pair it with:
Pro Tip: To Toast Bread, slice bread and butter on both sides. Place a large pan over medium heat and toast bread until golden brown on both sides.
![Shakshuka is a one-skillet meal, great for breakfast or dinner. Eggs poached in a hearty tomato sauce with sausage is the perfect breakfast. Shakshuka served in a bowl with toasted bread](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Breakfast-Shakshuka-6.jpg)
This Shakshuka feels like a special breakfast and it’s so easy to make. I hope it makes it into your regular breakfast rotation. For us, it’s right up there with Fluffy Waffles, French Toast, and Crepes. It’s been a few years since we fell in love with Shaksuka and my son keeps requesting it for breakfast.
More Egg Breakfast Recipes
Easy Breakfast Shakshuka Recipe
![Shakshuka breakfast served in skillet](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Breakfast-Shakshuka-SQ-1-150x150.jpg)
Ingredients
For the Shakshuka:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lb breakfast sausage
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, (1 cup chopped)
- 28 oz canned whole peeled tomatoes, with their juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 4 garlic cloves, (1.5 Tbsp minced)
- 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 5 large eggs
To Serve (optional):
- Parmesan grated over the top to serve
- Sliced Bread, buttered and toasted on a skillet
Instructions
- Place a large 12-inch non-reactive skillet over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and breakfast sausage. Sauté 5 minutes or until browned, breaking it up with a spatula, then transfer to a plate.
- Melt in butter, add diced onion and sauté 4-5 minutes until soft and golden. Add garlic and stir another 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes with their juice and roughly break up the tomatoes with a spatula. Stir in 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp sugar to the pan, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes into smaller pieces. Simmer until tomatoes are no longer watery but saucy and thick enough to create wells for the eggs.
- Crack in 5 eggs into wells and lightly sprinkle salt on each egg.
- Sprinkle cooked sausage around eggs then top with parsley. Cover and simmer on low heat 5-8 min (depending on desired doneness – check at 5 min) or until whites are cooked through and yolks are still soft and moist. Remove from heat and serve with freshly grated parmesan and toasted bread.
So good. I suggest trying this with fresh garden veggies: quartered tomatoes, jalapenos and chopped cilantro.
I had great success. The toms cooked down perfectly to a yummy sauce. The chopped cilantro added so much. Was a mighty popular dinner for our fam. Oh, the toasted bread got thumbs up as well.
Hi Aunt J! I’m so glad you loved this recipe. Thank you for sharing with us.
Looks delicious. I’m not a fan of poached eggs. I know, I know. I should try it before I think I won’t like it. Would it ruin the recipe if I used scrambled eggs?
Hi Mary, I haven’t tested that yet but I think that’s fine.
I rarely leave reviews-I just don’t have a lot of time to do it and it’s not at the top of my list. This recipe is fabulous! My whole family loved it, even my picky, adult son-it is sooo flavorful and rich. I love to season and added 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoky paprika, 1/8 tsp pepper, and 1/4 tsp chili powder. The flavors were amazing!!! We ate the whole pan, lol. Thank you, Natasha, for the delicious recipe!
Hi Rana! I’m so glad to hear that it was enjoyed. Thank you for sharing your experience.
My new favorite word, Shakshuka! I’ve read the recipe, and now I must make this, I must eat this! Thanks Natasha! This will be a Winner! Winner! Winner! I’m sure! I’m certain it will be another Natasha’s Kitchen family favorite!
Hi Steven! I hope you love it!
Hi, my family and I are such big fans of recipes and your cooking. When we tried this recipe, this dish immediately became our number one favourite. Although I am just a child(13 years), I have a huge obsession for cooking. I hope to grow up with great cooking skills like yours ☺️
That is amazing, Anahera! Keep up the great work. Thank you for trying my recipes, I’m glad that your family is enjoying them.
How can there be a simple way to get to print the recipes that a want. I just watched your recipes fire the egg in the tomatoes with sausage. But can’t find the print button.
Hi Charles, that the top of the page you’ll see a “jump to recipe” button. If you click on that, it will take you to the recipe card where you can click on the printer icon in the right upper corner. I hope that helps! 🙂
I just cannot resist a good one pan meal – this one has fast become my favorite breakfast! Super easy and even the kids love it!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, April!
when you eat this on a piece of baguette, its just like making a warm bruschetta for breakfast and it is one my of my most favorite things! thank you for sharing
Yum! I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Jess!
I’ve made this many times for breakfast! My whole family loves it so much.
That’s wonderful, Jenn! I’m glad it’s a hit.
I made this for our Valentine’s Day Breakfast, Amazing! 🤤💕
Glad you enjoyed it, Happy Valentines!
Made this for Christmas breakfast for my daughter in law who is avoiding dairy. It was such a hit and so pretty!!! ❤️❤️ Wish I could post a picture. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!
Hi Jill! That’s wonderful. I’m so glad it was a hit. I love to see pictures. You can always tag me on Instagram of Facebook. #natashaskitchen
Natasha this was delicious!!! We had it for breakfast this morning. Didn’t have breakfast patties so we used some Polska Kielbasa. Yummy!!! Thanks for all the great recipes you show us!!! Donna here in Tillamook, Oregon (formerly CDA, ID)!!!
I bet this was so delicios with Polska kielbasa! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Donna!
Thank you so much, made this for dinner tonight. All I can say is it was wonderful! Wanted to tell you about an addition I made, which was delicious. I cooked 1/2 cup of pearl couscous and folded it into the tomato mixture, prior to adding the eggs. Love your recipes!
You’re so welcome! Thanks for sharing that with us, good to know that it worked so well in this recipe.
I made this for my wife last night – she really liked it! The directions were easy to follow. I’ll be making this for years to come. Thanks!
Yay, great to hear that! Thanks a lot for sharing that with us.
I Just love the way you cook you make it easy to understand also so family oriented and you involve your kids comment
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Valerie!
DELICIOUS!!! So easy to make and so tasty! My daughter loved it and had seconds. All of your recipes are easy to make, delicious and are a family favorite. Thank you for sharing!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
I can’t seem to find breakfast sausage here in Australia, could I use pork sausages and take the meat out?
Hi Sally, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
I’ve never heard of this dish until I saw your recipe. I just made it for breakfast this morning and I loved it! Thank you for sharing different recipes. I enjoy watching your videos and trying something new 🙂
You are ver welcome! I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try.
Natasha, Natasha, Natasha you always share the best recipes! I made this shakshuka and it was AMAZING! I always look forward to your post on Facebook. Your my favorite. Thanks for sharing this.
Oh ! Will you show your son cooking sometime?
Thank you for your kind words, Maryann. I appreciate that, I’ll try as he’s sometimes interested to join but hopefully I can include him soon!
I made this for dinner 2 nights ago. I was a bit skeptical about my husband liking it. He can be so fussy about new recipes. He absolutely LOVES it and can’t stop talking about loving it.
So yummy!
Yay, that’s fantastic! I’m glad to hear that he loves this recipe, thanks for sharing that with us.
Hey Natasha … just a small correction that i would like to clear.
Shakshuka is NOT an israeli dish, and Israel is not famous of making it. Its originally Palestinian and Egyptian dish. You know that Palestinian is occupied by Israel and unfortunately Israel is trying to steal every single tradition the Palestinian has and belong this tradition to themselves so they can remove them all as a Palestinian tradition. As well as hummus, falafel, kunafah…etc , so if you don’t mind if you can modify this information from the description it will be much much appreciated. Thank you .. i love u load btw 😍
Thank you so much, I really appreciate that. 😊 I learned something.
Shakshuka is a Tunisian dish ,not Palestinian or Egyptian . And Israel has they are own traditions ,
they don’t need to steal anything from Palestinian .
Delicious over rice and sourcream! I’m excited for my leftovers today!
Mmm yum! I love the idea of serving over rice. Thanks for sharing your serving tip.
Simply divine! It’s a lovely family dish. My daughters enjoyed this and we scraped off everything. Thanks for sharing your recipe, Natasha.
I added red bell pepper after I sauté the sausage and added 1 teaspoon of Cajun and Paprika to give it a bit more exotic flavour. One of the best dishes that we had for awhile.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Joyce! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Shakshuka was so easy to make and tasty! I wish I could attach a picture.
Thanks for your good review, Kim! You cannot attach photos here but feel free to share them on Facebook.
This recipe was amazing I want to share a recipe with you Natasha my mom made this meal since we were little. Rosemary chicken roasted with roasted grapes and shallots
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, smashed
4 chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in
salt and pepper to taste
3 fat shallots, sliced lengthwise
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar ( sherry vinegar, or apple cider vinegar, or any flavorful complementary vinegar)
1 lb seedless grapes ( red), divided into small clusters
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
Serve with Ginger Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F
If making the Ginger Whipped Sweet Potatoes, get them simmering in a pot.
Heat oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add smashed garlic clove and swirl, to season the oil. Season the skin side of the chicken generously, with salt and pepper, and place skin side down in hot skillet. Season the other side of chicken with salt and pepper, and remove the garlic. Sear skin side until golden and crispy, 6-7 minutes, turning heat to medium. Flip. Place the shallots between the chicken and drizzle with the vinegar. Top with the grape clusters, nestling between and around the chicken. Sprinkle with rosemary and place in the oven for 20 minutes or until internal temp reaches 170F.
While it’s baking, finish making the ginger whipped sweet potatoes.
When chicken seems done, place skillet back the stove and bring it to a quick simmer (just to make sure juices are cooked.) Spoon the whipped sweet potatoes onto plates, top with crispy chicken and divide shallots and grapes among the plates. Spoon some flavorful pan sauce over everything.
Enjoy!
Thank you so much for sharing this with me, Demian! It sounds amazing!
I was busy last night so my husband made it. He also added a bit of sour cream (always tweaking the recipes! LOL) We had it over left over rice. Great easy, simple & tasty recipe! Thanks!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Annie!
Please post recipe for the ginger whipped sweet potatoes
Hi Stanley, that sounds yummy and I will keep it in mind. We do have some sweet potato recipes you might love in the meantime.
This shakehuka was fantastic my family loved this dish it is so easy and we all loved the way you prepared this meal thank you for sharing this recipe
That’s so great, Demian! I’m so glad you all enjoyed it!
Hey Natasha I am vegetarian so is there any substitute for the meat ?
Hi Uma! You may enjoy the Israeli Shakshuka Recipe instead.
Is there any way to make this recipe for one? Can I reheat leftovers?
Hi Cora! Yes, you can adjust the recipe. I recommend clicking “Jump to recipe” at the top of the post, it will take you to our printable recipe where you’ll have the option to change the number of servings. Hover over the number of servings highlighted in red and slide it to how many servings you would like to make. I hope that helps!
I cooked it slightly too long so the eggs weren’t runny but it still turned out great. Thumbs up from me and my daughter!
That is the best when kids love what we parents make. That’s so great!
OK My husband and I were skeptical about eggs in tomatoes. WOW!!!!! This was amazingly delicious. He even had 2nds. Thank you for sharing.
It’s such a treat! I’m so happy to hear you both enjoyed this recipe, Barb!
Italian Shakshuka is known as Uova in Purgatorio (Ova ‘mpriatorio in Neapolitan), or Eggs in Purgatory. In any language… good eats!
Nice, thanks for sharing that info with us, Joe.
Have always enjoyed shakshuka but never with sausage. I’ll try chorizo sometime. Thanks.
Please share with us how it turns out if you try it, Bill.
Oh my word! This is so good! I left out the sugar and the toast to make it lower carb. I also sautéed diced bacon with the onions. Thank you for sharing! Delicious!!
Yum! That sounds delicious, Sarah! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Yummy!! Found a new favorite! It’s loaded with flavor, hearty, & you can eat for any meal!
This one is so so good!
My absolute favorite! My husband devoured it!
I’m so glad you found your new favorite, Deanna! That’s so great!
Putting the ingredients on my shopping list right! I can’t wait to make it for my egg loving husband. Delicious!!
I hope you love it, Beth!!
This is delicious. Natasha’s recipes are so good.
Hi Diana! Thank you for your lovely review! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!