Shakshouka

Name: Shakshouka
Prep time: 11 min
Cook time: 19 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Saudi Arabian
Ingredients: 250g Tomato; 40 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 4 Egg; 4 sliced Garlic Clove; To taste Black Pepper; To taste Salt

By The Spice & Simmer Kitchen · Published May 3, 2026

A one-pot Miscellaneous recipe with Saudi Arabian flavors, built for busy weeknights when you want real food without a sink full of dishes. Comes together in roughly 54 minutes, serves about 4, and uses ingredients you can find at any normal grocery store. The technique is simple: build a base in your pot, layer in the main ingredients, simmer until everything has had time to talk to each other, and serve straight from the pan. If you're cooking for picky eaters, this one tends to land — the flavors are recognizable, the texture is comforting, and there's nothing weird hiding in the ingredient list. Perfect for the kind of evening where you want dinner on the table by 7pm and the kitchen empty by 7:30.

Step-by-step instructions

First, pan fry the black pepper and garlic over a dry medium heat until fragrant.
Add a good amount of extra virgin olive oil and infuse for a minute.
Once the oil heats up, add the tomatoes and salt, and cover with a lid. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and mash the tomatoes. Reduce until you reach the desired consistency of choice.
Make craters for the eggs and lower the heat. Carefully crack the eggs into the craters, making sure it touches the pan and not the tomato sauce.
Cover the eggs and leave it for 5 minutes without lifting the lid.
Remove from the heat and let the residual heat steam the eggs for 1-2 minutes.
Serve with flatbread. Enjoy!

Why this works on a weeknight

Shakshouka genuinely fits a 30-minute weeknight window, which is why it earned a spot in our Skillet & One-Pan collection. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is grocery-store standard, and the active cooking time is short enough that you can answer a text message in the middle without ruining dinner.

Cleanup notes

This is a single-pan recipe, so the cleanup is exactly one pan, one cutting board, and one knife. While the dish rests, fill the pan with hot soapy water — by the time you are done eating, the residue lifts off with a single pass of a sponge. Skip the steel wool on cast iron; a stiff brush and warm water are all you need to keep the seasoning intact.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a dry pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Shakshouka actually improves overnight as the flavors keep talking to each other, so doubling the recipe and packing tomorrow's lunch is a high-leverage weeknight move.

Filed under 🥘 Skillet & One-Pan Miscellaneous Saudi Arabian ⚡ 30-Min Dinner