Do you love a good shakshuka for breakfast or dinner? If so, you’ll love this quick and easy Middle Eastern mainstay served as-is or with your favorite gluten-free bread. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
Shakshuka is a savory dish popular in Israel, North Africa, and throughout the Middle East. The traditional dish is made with simmering tomato sauce, bell peppers, onions, and poached eggs nestled inside a savory tomato mixture.
I enjoy shakshuka whenever I visit Israel. It’s one of the few safe dishes found at most restaurants. I loved the special dish so much that I recreated the magic at home.
You’ll love how the smoky cumin and paprika mix with fire-roasted tomatoes and fresh vegetables to form a flavorful, satisfying, and comforting dish. You, too, will understand why I ordered it everywhere I went. It’s delicious and addicting, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s good for you, too.
Shakshuka is naturally gluten-free, so it’s safe for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance to enjoy any time. I recommend serving it with warm gluten-free toast and calling it a meal!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this quick and easy 30-minute shakshuka recipe:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil (plus extra for a garnish drizzle)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 28-ounce can of fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 6 large eggs
- Fresh parsley and/or fresh cilantro for garnish
Directions
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for one minute. Add the oil to the hot pan, then add the onion and red bell pepper and saute until the onion is soft and starts to brown around the edges.
Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper (to taste) and saute for one minute or until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the crushed tomatoes and lower the heat to medium. Simmer the sauce for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Form six “wells” inside the sauce using the back of a large spoon. Crack an egg into each well.
Cover and simmer for 4-6 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to your desired level of doneness. I was striving for a nice medium egg, partially set but still runny, which took about five minutes.
Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, if desired, and top with fresh parsley and cilantro.
Notes
Pan Preference: There are differing opinions on the best kind of pan to use. Some recommend using cast iron pans, but others say cast iron brings out the dish’s acidity. I used a nonstick skillet to avoid any controversy.
Cooking the Eggs: You’ll want to adjust the time you simmer the mixture depending on how cooked you like your eggs. For a slightly runny egg, simmer for five minutes. For a harder egg, simmer for 6-7 minutes.
Canned Tomatoes: I used crushed tomatoes because they cook the quickest, but you can also use canned versions of diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes. It may require extra simmering time to break down the tomatoes fully. I highly recommend using fire-roasted tomatoes to enhance the flavor, but plain canned tomatoes will work.
Spice It Up! Many shakshuka recipes call for harissa paste, which adds a wonderful spiciness to the dish. I didn’t include it in my simple recipe because it’s hard to find in the U.S. Trader Joe’s carries it occasionally, but it’s not labeled gluten-free, even though it doesn’t appear to contain any gluten ingredients. If you want to add harissa paste, add 1-2 tablespoons of it when you add the crushed tomatoes. It’s spicy, so slowly add it to taste.
You might also be able to find dried harissa spice at the grocery store. Add 1/4 teaspoon at a time. Alternatively, you could add 1/2-1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to spice it up as well.
Bread: Shakshuka tastes excellent when served with toasted gluten-free bread, particularly gluten-free pita or naan. I make delicious gluten-free naan.
More Recipes
Love Brunch? Check out my list of 15 Tasty Gluten-Free Brunch Recipes.
If you’re more of a breakfast person, check out my list of 51+ Easy Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes and Ideas.
If you love Jewish food, check out my list of 18+ Gluten-Free Recipes For People Who Love Jewish Food.
30-Minute Gluten-Free Shakshuka
Equipment
- 1 medium non-stick skillet pan with cover or cast iron pan with cover
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil plus extra for a garnish drizzle
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 28 ounces fire-roasted crushed tomatoes canned
- 6 eggs large
- fresh parsley and/or cilantro chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for one minute. Add the oil to the hot pan, then add the onion and red bell pepper and saute until the onion is soft and browns around the edges.
- Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper (to taste) and saute for one minute or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and lower the heat to medium. Simmer the sauce for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Using the back of a large spoon, make six “wells” inside the sauce. Crack an egg into each well.
- Cover and simmer for 4-6 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to your desired level of doneness. I was striving for a nice medium egg, partially set but still runny, which took about five minutes.
- Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, if desired, and top with fresh parsley and cilantro.
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