Moroccan Shakshuka

Name: Moroccan Shakshuka
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: North African
Ingredients: 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 (28 oz) can (794 g) crushed tomatoes; 1 tbsp ras el hanout; 1 tsp Hungarian sweet paprika; 3/4 tsp fine sea salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 5 large eggs; Cilantro, for topping; Serrano pepper, for topping (optional)

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This healthy Moroccan shakshuka is perfectly spiced and comes together in less than an hour. It’s made with ras el hanout and eggs poached in a thick and hearty sauce. It’s perfect for breakfast or brunch and it’s a tasty way to pack in lots of extra veggies.

Moroccan shakshuka on a pan with a glass of water and pita bread

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Ingredients
How to Make This Moroccan Shakshuka
FAQ
Shakshuka Variations
More Recipes You’ll Love
A Few Tips
📖 Recipe

Shakshuka is a traditional North African egg dish that consists of peppers, spices, and a rich tomato sauce. It’s topped with poached eggs that are cooked in the simmered sauce then eaten with pita or crusty bread. Our version of shakshuka is made with ras el hanout which is a Moroccan spice blend made of several different spices ranging from cumin and coriander to ginger and allspice. With a rich spice blend like this, this dish comes together easily and is packed with tons of flavor. If you’re looking for something simple and healthy for breakfast or brunch, this Moroccan shakshuka is sure to hit the spot!

North African egg dish with a pita bread and a spoon

Ingredients

Olive Oil: This is for sautéing the vegetables. You can also use grapeseed or sunflower oil.
Yellow Onion: You’ll need 1 diced medium yellow onion.
Red Bell Pepper: You’ll need 1 large red bell pepper.
Canned Crushed Tomatoes: We like crushed tomatoes the best since they give a thick, saucy texture. You can also add fresh tomatoes if you like.
Garlic: You’ll need 4 cloves minced or pressed garlic.
Ras El Hanout: This Moroccan spice blend is a combination of several different spices such as coriander, paprika, cumin, etc. This gives this shakshuka recipe most of it’s flavor.
Hungarian Paprika: Make sure it doesn’t say “smoked” as Hungarian paprika tends to have a sweeter flavor. Hungarian paprika can range from mild to spicy. We use the mild kind, but if you like a lot of spice, feel free to use the spicy one.
Salt & Pepper: You’ll need ¾ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of pepper (more or less to taste).
Eggs: You’ll need 5 large eggs.
Cilantro: Top off your shakshuka with fresh cilantro for a pop of color and flavor.

Shakshuka with a spoon in it and a piece of pita bread

How to Make This Moroccan Shakshuka

If this dish seems intimidating to you, don’t fret! Everything is cooked in one skillet and most of the cook time comes from simmering the sauce. Plus, there’s minimal cleanup once it’s all done!

Step 1: First, add the olive to a cast iron skillet or large pan and heat it over medium heat. Then sauté the onions, peppers, and garlic. Next, add the crushed tomatoes and spices and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Step 2: Once simmering, lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes to allow the sauce to reduce and thicken.

There are lots of recipes out there that use tomato paste, but we find that it doesn’t need it as long as you simmer the sauce long enough to thicken up. If you like, you can even add fresh tomatoes to the sauce to make it a bit chunkier.

Moroccan shakshuka with a pita and a glass of water

Step 3: Once the shakshuka sauce has reduced, take your spoon and form little wells in the sauce to make room for the eggs. Then crack the eggs into them and cover the pan with a lid. Depending on how runny you want your eggs, it should take between 5-8 minutes for them to cook.

Lastly, top with fresh cilantro and serranos and enjoy with a warm piece of pita bread!

Moroccan shakshuka on a plate with a fork

FAQ

What’s a good ras el hanout substitute?

If you don’t have this spice mix, you can substitute it for garam masala or curry powder. The taste won’t be exactly the same, but it’s sure to be just as delicious.

What do you eat with shakshuka?

Serve it with a warm piece of pita bread or naan. Toasted wheat or sourdough bread pairs nicely with it too.

How long does Shakshuka last?

We wouldn’t recommend eating shakshuka longer than 1 day after making since it has eggs. If you do store it, place it in an airtight container in the fridge. Then reheat it on the stove when you’re ready to serve. Just note that the eggs won’t have the same silky texture as before.

Shakshuka Variations

Add Vegetables: Add a few bunches of spinach or kale for an extra serving of veggies.
Add More Protein: Lamb, lentils, beef, white beans
Potatoes: Add potatoes chunks for a heartier shakshuka

More Recipes You’ll Love

This shaksuka recipe tastes amazing with labneh on a slice of pita bread. Try it out and let us know what you think!

A Few Tips

Undercook your eggs just a little bit. The residual heat from the sauce will continue to cook your eggs while they’re in the skillet. So cooking them just under your preference prevents them from being overcooked. This is especially important if you like your yolks runny. Nothing worse than slicing into a fully cooked yolk expecting it to be nice and silky!
Make sure your sauce is nice and thick. This helps to make room in the sauce for the eggs. If your shakshuka sauce is too thin, those little wells you make might not hold.
Make sure your skillet is large enough. Since we’re making a big batch of tomato sauce, you want to make sure your skillet is large enough to hold all that liquid and vegetables. And a fitted lid is essential for poaching the eggs and getting that silky texture.
Feel free to add more eggs. We only use 5 in this recipe, but if you want to serve more people, you should be able to fit in a few more eggs depending on how large your pan is.