This Moroccan-style shakshuka is made with eggs poached in a tomato red pepper sauce and comes together in just 30 minutes. It's the perfect dish to serve with a crusty loaf of bread and works as a breakfast, lunch or dinner.
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As a kid, I spent many summers in Morocco visiting family. I'm lucky to have priceless memories of warm beaches, busy medinas, and of course, the food.
I grew up eating versions of this shakshuka made by my dad, aunts, and grandma. It's a staple in Moroccan cuisine and across North Africa, with roots in Tunisia.
This version features a sauce made with a blend of crushed tomatoes, roasted red peppers, Moroccan spices and herbs.
Ingredients
Here is everything you will need to make this dish:
- olive oil
- whole cumin seeds
- small yellow onion, minced
- garlic, minced
- crushed tomato
- roasted red bell pepper, drained and chopped roughly
- ras el hanout
- salt
- pepper
- cilantro, minced
- parsley, minced
- eggs
- crusty bread to serve with
- optional toppings: additional cilantro, parsley, crumbled feta cheese
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Toast the cumin seeds. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat before adding cumin seeds. Toast for a minute or until they begin to bloom and become fragrant, making sure to move them around with a spoon to prevent any burning.
Did you know? Toasting your cumin seeds in oil creates explosive pockets of that delicious cumin flavor.
Build the sauce. Add minced onion to the pan and sauté until translucent before adding garlic and cooking until fragrant, making sure not to overcook or burn the garlic.
Next add crushed tomatoes, chopped roasted peppers, ras el hanout, salt, pepper, cilantro, and parsley.
Stir and bring everything to a boil before lowering and covering partially with a lid. Simmer on low for 15 minutes to cook out that canned tomato flavor.
Tip: crack each egg into a ramekin before adding to the sauce to prevent any shells making it into the shakshuka.
Poach the eggs. Using a spoon, create one well in the sauce. Crack one egg into the well, reaping this process until you've added all of your eggs. Cover and continue to cook for 5 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your desired done-ness.
How to know when the eggs are done: The whites should be no longer jiggly, but it's entirely up to you how well done you want your yolks.
Serve. Top the shakshuka with additional fresh herbs and crumbled feta cheese (optional). Serve with crusty bread and enjoy.Keep reading for some more fun topping ideas.
Add Meatballs (Optional)
In my grandmother's kitchen, this dish actually starts with leftovers. Leftovers from one of the most delicious Moroccan tagines that's made with a similar fresh tomato sauce and flavorful meatballs.
To make my grandmother's version with meatballs, simply follow this recipe and poach your eggs directly into the tagine or skillet.
This version makes a super filling and hearty breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Toppings
While this dish is delicious as is, it's fun to dress it up with some colorful toppings. Here are my favorites:
- Feta Cheese - crumble some feta or goat cheese over top for a creamy and pungent addition
- Yogurt Sauce - a little dollop of greek yogurt adds a flavor profile similar to cheese, with a little less of the heaviness
- Fresh Herbs - I definitely recommend topping your shakshuka with some leftover parsley or cilantro sprigs to freshen things up
And don't forget to serve with slices of crusty bread (you can use this Moroccan Khobz or Krachel) to soak up all of that delicious sauce.
What to Eat it With
While shakshuka is definitely a meal on it's own, there's always room at the table for some sides. Here are my favorite Moroccan dishes to serve alongside:
- Bread - you can use your favorite bread or (as mentioned above) try a few of my favorites are this traditional Moroccan khobz and these sweet brioche rolls (krachel)
- Side salads - there are so many delicious veggie-heavy Moroccan salads that go well with this, a few of my favorites being this warm lentil salad, this roasted pepper salad, and beet salad
- Drinks - especially if you're enjoying this dish as a breakfast, the spices pair deliciously with a cup of Moroccan coffee or orange juice
Storage
Shakshuka is best served fresh, however the sauce can be made ahead. Store the sauce in an air tight container for up to 5 days. When ready to serve, heat up in a skillet and crack eggs in to make fresh.
This recipe does not stand up well to freezing.
Bismillah,
30 Minute Shakshuka (Moroccan Style)
This Moroccan-style shakshuka is made with eggs poached in a tomato red pepper sauce and comes together in just 30 minutes. It's the perfect dish to serve with a crusty loaf of bread and works as a breakfast, lunch or dinner.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 sesrvings 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Entree, Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Poached, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Moroccan, North African
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup roasted red bell pepper, drained and chopped roughly
- 1 (28oz) can crushed tomato
- 2 tsp ras el hanout
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp cilantro, minced
- 1 tbsp parsley, minced
- 4-5 eggs
- Crusty bread to serve with
- Optional toppings: additional cilantro, parsley, crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Toast the cumin seeds. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat before adding cumin seeds. Toast for a minute or until they begin to bloom and become fragrant.
- Build the sauce. Add minced onion to the pan and sauté until translucent before adding garlic and cooking until fragrant. Next add chopped roasted peppers, crushed tomatoes, ras el hanout, salt, pepper, cilantro, and parsley. Stir and bring everything to a boil before lowering and covering partially with a lid. Simmer on low for 15 minutes.
- Poach the eggs. Using a spoon, create wells in the sauce where the eggs will go. Crack the eggs into the wells one at a time, cover and continue to cook for 5 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your desired done-ness.
- Serve. Top the shakshuka with additional fresh herbs and crumbled feta cheese (optional). Serve with crusty bread and enjoy.
Keywords: shakshuka, Moroccan shakshuka