Shakshuka Recipe
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This Shakshuka is a spicy and savory breakfast also known as Eggs in Cheesy Purgatory. With just a few ingredients and very easy to follow steps, this recipe of baked eggs in a delicious spicy tomato sauce, fully loaded with cheese, is the perfect start to any day!
Shakshuka, also known as eggs in purgatory, is basically a dish of eggs poached in a tomato sauce, onions and spices. It’s a very popular Middle Eastern dish. I also love to add lots of fresh mozzarella cheese, because tomato sauce without cheese? I think not!
Shakshuka Recipe
- Quick Breakfast Idea
- Simple Easy Steps
- Delicious Tangy Flavor
- Impressive
This Shakshuka is perfect for weekends for breakfast, brunch or lunch. I love to serve this right from the skillet with some crusty bread. It’s delicious and truly decadent. And, let’s not forget about the cheesy part. I used fresh mozzarella cheese, cut it in slices and then added it around the eggs. As this bakes the cheese melts, turning this dish into cheesy goodness. To me this is the perfect start to any day.
Ingredient Notes
- Cheese – Fresh Mozzarella cheese melts beautifully in this recipe, but you can work with either feta or goat cheese as well. You can use either shredded mozzarella or you can buy a mozzarella ball and cut it into slices.
- Eggs – I used six fresh eggs to add to the recipe.
- Onion and Garlic – This is what’s going to flavor our tomato sauce.
- Sauce – I used my homemade marinara sauce, but your favorite store-bought marinara sauce works as well.
- Oil – Olive oil or any vegetable oil.
- Basil – Fresh roughly chopped basil leaves to garnish.
- Salt & Pepper – To taste.
How To Make Shakshuka
- Prep oven: Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook onion and garlic: In a large ovenproof skillet heat the olive oil and add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion becomes soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds just until the garlic becomes aromatic.
- Make the sauce: Add the marinara sauce, chopped basil, red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. For more heat add more red pepper flakes. Bring the sauce to a boil the remove the skillet from the heat.
- Add the eggs and cheese: Gently crack the eggs in the skillet over the tomatoes and top the fresh Mozzarella cheese around the eggs.
- Bake and serve: Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the eggs are just set. Garnish with additional basil and serve warm.
FAQ’s
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Shakshuka?
It’s a simple breakfast recipe made of spiced tomato sauce and poached eggs. Its origin is Middle Eastern, some say Israel is the birth place of this delicious recipe, but there are quite a few places in North Africa that make this delicious recipe.
How can I serve it?
As I mentioned, I love to serve this right out of the skillet with a great French baguette or other crusty bread. However this is also great served with a salad and turn it into dinner. The great thing about Shakshuka is that it’s also quite versatile. Use Feta cheese instead or even blue cheese. This is a great simple dish perfect for breakfast, brunch or dinner!
Expert Tips
- I cooked my eggs so that the yolk was still runny, but you can cook them however you prefer.
- While store bought marinara sauce works very well with this recipe, I preferred to use my homemade recipe of Marinara Sauce to keep the flavors as bold and fresh as possible.
- If you would like to add a bit more texture to your dish, you can sub the mozzarella with crumbled feta or goat cheese, then serve it with a pita on the side to dip into that heavenly sauce.
Leftovers
This recipe is best served fresh. If you do end up with any leftovers, you can let your dish cool down at room temperature, before adding it to an airtight container. You can store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
More Delicious Recipes To Try
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Shakshuka
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 cups marinara sauce (store-bought)
- 4 leaves basil (fresh, chopped)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
- 6 eggs
- 4 ounce Mozzarella cheese (fresh, cut into slices)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Prep oven: Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook onion and garlic: In a large ovenproof skillet heat the olive oil and add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion becomes soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds just until the garlic becomes aromatic.
- Make the sauce: Add the marinara sauce, chopped basil, red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. For more heat add more red pepper flakes. Bring the sauce to a boil the remove the skillet from the heat.
- Add the eggs and cheese: Gently crack the eggs in the skillet over the tomatoes and top the fresh Mozzarella cheese around the eggs.
- Bake and serve: Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the eggs are just set. Garnish with additional basil and serve warm.
Equipment
Notes
- I cooked my eggs so that the yolk was still runny, but you can cook them however you prefer.
- While store bought marinara sauce works very well with this recipe, I preferred to use my homemade recipe of Marinara Sauce to keep the flavors as bold and fresh as possible.
- If you would like to add a bit more texture to your dish, you can sub the mozzarella with crumbled feta or goat cheese, then serve it with a pita on the side to dip into that heavenly sauce.
- This recipe is best served fresh. If you do end up with any leftovers, you can let your dish cool down at room temperature, before adding it to an airtight container. You can store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
The ingredients don’t list tomatoes, yet it says crack the eggs over the tomatoes. Please specify.
Over the marinara sauce which is basically tomatoes. 🙂
eggs add an extra yummy to it. yahoo i like it
Joanna, thank you!
The recipe you make looks delicious, it will be great for breakfast, thank you very much.
I omitted making the marinara sauce separately. A simple base of tomatoes (whole or crushed) with onions and garlic makes the best marinara sauce. I simply added a bottle of good quality imported tomato purée and fresh basil. It was a dish my Italian parents loved, but I hated as a kid. Thanks for reminding me! Brings back lots of great childhood memories.
Shakshuka features poached eggs in a hearty, spiced tomato and pepper sauce. I top mine with tangy feta cheese and fresh cilantro or parsley.
I have made this twice now. Thank you so much for the amazing recipe. Definitely a new favorite.
Yummy!! I love shakshuka and this reminds me that I have to make it again. I am not very good at cooking hot breakfast/brunch (not a morning person so granola or oatmeal always win). But we make a shakshuka adaption for dinner with sausage slices and served over rice. Basil sounds like a yummy addition!
This inspired me to make a Thai fusion version. I gave you credit in the post.
http ://healthythairecipes.com/eggs-in-thai-red-curry-purgatory
I used approx. a 16oz jar of my own tomato juice/sauce. I use no sugar and very little salt in my canned tomato products. This turned out fantastic. I used a Dutch oven sans lid. Worked so well. My favorite part was how fluffy the egg whites turned out. I usually eat the yolks, but leave the whites. It was just the opposite for this recipe. Thank you.
Thanks Sue, great to see your comments and hear that you enjoyed making the eggs and having the whites as well. It is a yummy recipe
hi Jo
i need more info about what kind of skillet you use. is it an iron skillet?
i bought one iron skillet because i thought ok is very handy in the kitchen but is so heavy! i dont feel like use it . it supposed to be that heavy? maybe is a stupid question but i never heard before of this kind of pan.
thanks
We used a oven proof skillet that was stainless steel. You can use any skillet that is oven safe for this. No question is stupid….thanks for asking them and letting us answer and help out
Just pre-ordered your book! Congratulations from a fellow author! Can’t wait til August!!!
Thank you Marcelle!!! That was very kind of you. 🙂
Could you make this in a pyrex if you didn’t have an oven safe pan?
If the pyrex pan is safe for the stove top then sure, because remember first you have to cook the sauce on the stove top, unless you transfer it to the pyrex pan.
I’ve been wanting to try Eggs in Purgatory for a while. I’ve seen a few different recipes, but this looks pretty easy to handle. I think I might make it for dinner tonight 🙂
Sarah
The Midwest Darling
It is easy to make, and great for dinner. 🙂
Wow can’t wait to make this weekend ! 😉
You’ll love it!