Shakshuka (eggs in spiced tomato sauce)
Works in the UK and the US. This version uses UK words and measures (hob, grams, gas marks); the US version uses stove, cups and °F. · US version of this page
Eggs gently cooked in a pan of peppers and spiced tomatoes, popular across North Africa and the Middle East – sauce-making and cooking eggs until set.
- Serves 4
- About 40 min
- Hob
- Best for: KS3 (ages 11–14)
- Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- 2 red or yellow peppers
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp mild paprika
- 2 tins of chopped tomatoes (400 g)
- 4 medium eggs – contains eggs
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 4 slices of wholemeal bread, or flatbreads, to serve – contains gluten
Need a different amount? Use the recipe finder to change the servings.
Equipment
- chopping board
- cook's knife
- garlic crusher
- tin opener
- large frying pan with a lid
- wooden spoon
- small cup
- ladle
Safety first
- Wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds, tie back long hair and put on a clean apron.
- Ask about allergies before anyone cooks or tastes. This recipe contains: gluten, eggs.
- Wash your hands after cracking eggs.
- Carry knives pointing down, put them down flat, and never leave one in the washing-up water.
- Turn pan handles inwards and keep the area around the hob clear.
Allergens: Cereals containing gluten, Eggs. Some brands may also contain sesame, soya, milk. Always read every label and ask about allergies before anyone cooks or tastes.
Method
- Peel and slice the onion, cut the peppers into thin strips and crush the garlic.
- Teacher-led: Heat the oil in the pan over a medium heat and cook the onion and peppers until soft and sweet. (8 min)
- Teacher-led: Stir in the garlic and spices for 1 minute. (1 min)
- Teacher-led: Open the tins carefully, add the tomatoes and simmer until the sauce is thick. (10 min)
- Teacher-led: Make 4 dips in the sauce with the back of the ladle. Crack each egg into the cup first (to catch any shell), then slide it into a dip. Wash your hands.
- Teacher-led: Cover and cook gently until the egg is set all the way through, with no runny egg left. (9 min)
- Scatter with chopped parsley and serve from the pan with bread for dipping.
What this recipe teaches
Knife skills: the claw grip, Shallow frying and stir-frying, Boiling and simmering, Cooking eggs safely, Presenting food. Steps marked “Adult” are always done by an adult; steps marked “Teacher-led” are done by an adult for primary-age children and closely supervised for older pupils.
Nutrition per serving
| Energy | 1046 kJ / 250 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 12.1 g |
| of which saturates | 2.3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 26.1 g |
| of which sugars | 12.8 g |
| Fibre | 6.1 g |
| Protein | 11.9 g |
| Salt | 0.52 g |
Worked out from the raw ingredients (optional ones and pinches not counted) using CoFID 2021 (McCance and Widdowson’s Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset, Public Health England). Brands vary – check labels.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0: McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset 2021, Public Health England.
Eatwell Guide groups in this recipe: Fruit and vegetables; Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates; Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins; Oil and spreads. Learn about the Eatwell Guide.
Curriculum links
- KS3 D&T – Cooking and nutrition: “cook a repertoire of predominantly savoury dishes so that they are able to feed themselves and others a healthy and varied diet”
- KS3 D&T – Cooking and nutrition: “become competent in a range of cooking techniques [for example, selecting and preparing ingredients; using utensils and electrical equipment; applying heat in different ways; using awareness of taste, texture and smell to decide how to season dishes and combine ingredients; adapting and using their own recipes]”
Try the interactive lesson
Step by step: a quick safety check, questions marked by Classfern, timers for each cooking step, then an honest look at how it went – a teacher or parent judges the cooking, and learners rate their own work. Photos of the finished dish stay at home.
Use the code your teacher gave you – never your name. Progress is kept on this device.