Shakshuka – Spicy Mideastern Egg Dish with a Wild Game Twist
Shakshuka: this simple, spicy dish is as fun to eat as it is to say. Imagine a skillet sizzling with tomatoes, onions, peppers, feta cheese, and garlic, spiced just right and crowned with poached eggs. Now add ground venison, my twist on the classic shakshuka recipe. After all, I’m a wild game chef with a lot of deer meat to cook up! (Ground beef will work just fine in this recipe, too.)
What is Shakshuka?
In general, shakshuka is a hearty, comforting dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. It packs enough flavor to wake up any breakfast table, and it’s great for lunch or dinner, too.
But where did this tasty egg dish come from, and how did it win the hearts—and stomachs—of people around the world?
A Comforting Dish with Deep Roots
Shakshuka (also spelled shakshouka or chakchouka) means “a mixture” in Arabic. That’s a perfect description of its bold, simmering ingredients. Most food historians trace it back to North Africa, specifically Tunisia. There, it was a popular, humble dish made with affordable pantry staples and cooked in a single pan.
From North African, shakshuka reached the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Then this savory egg dish spread to the rest of the world.
Shakshuka Goes Global (and Southern!)
Today, shakshuka is more than just a North African or Middle Eastern specialty. It’s a global sensation, including right here in Alabama.
- In Israel, shakshuka is a beloved breakfast staple, often served in cafes with warm, crusty bread for dipping. Israeli-style shakshuka often includes harissa (a chili paste), cumin, and sometimes eggplant or feta cheese.
- In Morocco and Libya, versions of the dish may include spicy merguez sausage or olives for extra depth.
- In Turkey, a similar dish called menemen swaps out the chunky tomatoes for a softer, scrambled texture and leans into herbs like oregano and parsley.
- In Spain and Italy, while shakshuka isn’t traditional, similar tomato-egg combinations appear in rustic farmhouse cooking.
- In recent years, this traditional dish has jumped continents. You’ll now find shakshuka on brunch menus from New York to Melbourne, often with regional twists—think kale and goat cheese, or a Mexican-inspired version with black beans and jalapeños.
This shakshuka recipe translates well as a Southern dish during the spring and summer months. It shines on Southern breakfast tables when tomatoes are ripe from the vine, jalapeños and red peppers dot the entire garden, and fresh herbs are plentiful. Not surprisingly — you’ll see when you taste it — this recipe has become one of our family’s favorite “New South” dishes. You can find this in my latest cookbook, Love Language of the South.
Why We Can’t Get Enough of Shakshuka
What makes shakshuka so irresistible? It’s the perfect marriage of a simple egg breakfast with spicy flavor. The tomato base is rich and tangy, and the whole dish can be customized to use ingredients you have on hand. Plus, it’s a one pan dish that you serve up straight from the skillet.
So wherever you are, grab a spoon—or better yet, a hunk of bread—and dig into this timeless comfort food. Shakshuka is a dish that speaks every language.
What are the ingredients in this dish?
Here are the ingredients for my shakshuka recipe with some ideas for substitutions.
- a half dozen large eggs
- ground meat — venison or beef
- canned or fresh tomatoes
- feta cheese
- onion and garlic
- olive oil for sautéeing onions and garlic
- chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and fresh jalapeño or serrano peppers (you can substitute red bell pepper to reduce the spiciness)
- spices: cumin, sweet or smoked paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg (optional red pepper flakes)
- honey for drizzling and fresh cilantro and scallions for garnish
- Greek yogurt and hot sauce to serve on the side
What do you eat shakshuka with?
This shakshuka recipe is complete with protein and vegetables, so bread may be all you need to add. I like to serve it with with garlic naan bread, pita bread, or any crusty fresh bread. For Mideast flair, you could add a side of falafel or chickpea salad.
You can store shakshuka leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, keeping the honey, cilantro, and yogurt separate. It should reheat beautifully for dinner or the next day’s breakfast.
Stacy Lyn’s Shakshuka with Ground Meat
Breakfast Shakshuka
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 1 pound ground venison or beef
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1- quart tomatoes drained and diced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 bunch cilantro roughly chopped, plus extra for serving
- 4 ounces feta crumbled
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 Jalapeno pepper thinly sliced
- Greek yogurt for serving
- hot sauce for serving
Instructions
- In a large deep skillet or sauté pan on stove, heat oil over medium high. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, stirring often until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Increase the heat to high and add the ground meat. Cook until browned all the way through.
- Add the chipotle peppers, tomatoes, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, cilantro, and feta and stir well with the other ingredients. Reduce to medium heat and cook the tomato mixture until slightly thickened.
- Make 6 indentations into the skillet mixture with the back of a large spoon. Crack each egg into an indentation. Cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until both the egg whites and yolks are fully cooked. Drizzle with the honey and sprinkle with cilantro, scallions, and jalapeno chili. Serve with garlic naan, Greek yogurt, and hot sauce.
