Tunisian Shakshuka With Shrimp

Updated Sept. 28, 2020

Tunisian Shakshuka With Shrimp
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(832)
Comments
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The Arabic word shakshuka loosely translates to “all mixed up” in English, and rightly so, as the dish usually includes a colorful array of ingredients that are traditionally served in a cast-iron skillet. Made with eggs poached in a bright, peppery tomato sauce, it is a staple of Tunisian home cooking. Shrimp shakshuka is popular on the Mediterranean Coast, where shrimp are fresh and plentiful, but you could substitute merguez or skip the protein entirely for a vegetarian option. It is easy to make and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2tablespoons olive oil
  • 3garlic cloves, minced (about 3 teaspoons)
  • ½pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2large beefsteak tomatoes, diced
  • 1green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
  • 2tablespoons tomato paste
  • ½teaspoon harissa paste
  • ½teaspoon ras el hanout
  • ½teaspoon ground caraway
  • ¼teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½cup warm water
  • 4large eggs
  • Toasted baguette, for serving
  • Kalamata olives, Calabrese peppers and cornichons, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

291 calories; 14 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 22 grams protein; 739 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron skillet or heavy pan over medium. Add 1 teaspoon garlic and sauté until tender, about 1 minute. Add shrimp to pan, season with salt and pepper and sauté until shrimp turns pink all over, 4 to 5 minutes, then set aside.

  2. Step 2

    In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the onion and the rest of the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until onion becomes translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, tomato paste and harissa to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add the ras el hanout, caraway, coriander and ½ cup warm water and stir to thoroughly combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Set the shrimp on top of the sauce, spacing evenly apart, and using a spoon, make shallow craters in the tomato mixture for the eggs. Crack the eggs into the craters, cover, and let simmer 6 to 8 minutes, or until eggs are cooked to your liking. Serve with warm baguette, and olives, pickled peppers and cornichons, if desired.

Ratings

4 out of 5
832 user ratings
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Comments

Agree with Tim, I put the shrimp in at the end when I was cooking the eggs. Also didn’t have ras al hanout but Wikipedia listed a couple dozen ingredients, so I improvised with what I had... still turned out awesome!

This was delicious! Next time I will not cook the shrimp in the beginning. They were overcooked. There’s enough time at the end for them to cook.

Ras el hanout is a new spice combination for me. I had to Google it, turned out I have everything needed in my spice cabinet. This dish was fun to make and turned out beautifully with just the right amount of spice. I only have harissa powder so I used double the amount and it seemed to be fine. Also added green beans that needed to be eaten, doubled the shrimp and left out the eggs because we had those last night. I will make this again, maybe next time with chickpeas and teff.

Made this again with Haddock in lieu of shrimp. Maybe even better than the original. Also upped the amount of harissa and ras al hanout by about 50%. A real winner and very flexible.

Excellent. Used canned diced tomatoes and pasata in lieu of the fresh T’s and paste. I quickly seared the shrimp as I find it enhances their shrimpy flavor. Added them back a few minutes before serving. A winner.

Very nice and spicy. Really liked. Added some pieces of zucchini (3/4 cup) and chicken stock instead of water. Delicious and easy.

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Credits

Adapted from Jamel Charouel Sr.

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