Shakshouka

Why this dinner works

Most weeknight one-pot dinners ask you to choose between two evils: a five-ingredient bowl that tastes like the inside of a saucepan, or a recipe so layered it eats your entire evening. Shakshouka sits comfortably in the middle. It draws on Saudi Arabian traditions where building flavor in stages — aromatics, then spice, then the slow swell of liquid into starch — is just how dinner gets made on a regular Tuesday.

The whole thing comes together in about 71 minutes in a single soup pot, which means dinner from idea to table is shorter than most podcast episodes. We've leaned on the everyday 6 ingredients listed below, but in the notes after the recipe you'll find the small swaps and shortcuts that make this dish forgiving when your fridge is half-empty.

Method

1. Step 1. 1
2. Step 2. First, pan fry the black pepper and garlic over a dry medium heat until fragrant.
3. Step 3. 2
4. Step 4. Add a good amount of extra virgin olive oil and infuse for a minute.
5. Step 5. 3
6. Step 6. Once the oil heats up, add the tomatoes and salt, and cover with a lid. Simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Step 7. 4
8. Step 8. Remove the lid and mash the tomatoes. Reduce until you reach the desired consistency of choice.
9. Step 9. 5
10. Step 10. 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.
11. Step 11. 6
12. Step 12. Cover the eggs and leave it for 5 minutes without lifting the lid.
13. Step 13. 7
14. Step 14. Remove from the heat and let the residual heat steam the eggs for 1-2 minutes.
15. Step 15. 8
16. Step 16. Serve with flatbread. Enjoy!

Cook's notes

One pan, fewer dishes. Use the widest, heaviest soup pot you own with a tight-fitting lid. The wider base means faster browning at the start; the lid traps the gentle steam that finishes the dish without scorching the bottom.

Salt as you go. Season the aromatics, season the protein, season the liquid before it reduces. By the time you taste at the end, the only adjustment is usually acid — a squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, a final crack of pepper.

Make it ahead. Like most one-pot dinners with saudi arabian roots, the leftovers are arguably better the next day. Cool quickly, refrigerate within two hours, and reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen things back up.

Pairings & serving

This one feels best in a 4-bowl spread with a sharp green salad and something cold to drink. If you want to stretch it for unexpected company, double the liquid and a single starchy ingredient — rice, pasta, potatoes, depending on the recipe — and the whole pan grows without much extra work.

Watch it cooked

If you're a visual learner, there's a free walkthrough of this dish on YouTube.

Original recipe inspiration: source.