Shakshuka has been one of my favorite dishes throughout my life. It's a perfectly spiced dish of tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and poached eggs. I figured it was time to develop my own recipe for this delicious dish, and make it sous vide style.
Here is the fruit of my labor. A delicious shakshuka with perfect sous vide eggs.
Time and Temperature
After loads of R&D, we’ve found that cooking the eggs sous vide at 75C/167F for 14 minutes is the perfect combo. This time and temperature produces that perfectly runny yolk that you dream of in your shakshuka. Ensure you have a reliable sous vide that accurately regulates the temperature of the bath or your results may vary (check out the Anova or Joule). Although we recommend this specific time and temperature for this recipe, feel free to check out our cooking guide for other options here.
Special Equipment
Sous Vide Machine - This one is obvious. To cook sous vide, you’re going to need a device to precisely regulate the temperature of the bath water. The two best sous vide machines in the game right now are the Anova Precision Cooker and the Breville Joule. The main difference between the two is that with the Anova you can control the device both manually and with a mobile device, and with the Joule you can only control the device by using your mobile device. Either way, both sous vide machines are top class and you can’t go wrong with either choice.
12-quart Container – Although you can use a basic stockpot for your sous vide cooking needs, I highly recommend buying a large plastic container. They are inexpensive and spacious, so you won’t have to worry about cooking a big roast in a small pot. I recommend a 12 quart Rubbermaid container, as it is BPA free, sturdy, and large enough for just about anything you will be cooking.
Container Lid – If you are going to buy a plastic container, I highly suggest buying a compatible lid for it. When you sous vide for a long duration, the heat of the water causes evaporation. With a lid, it eliminates a majority of the evaporation so you can cook for 72 hours care-free.
Cast Iron Skillet – In this recipe you'll need a pan that you can cook on then stick in the oven. We recommend investing in a cast iron skillet due to it's heat retention capabilities. Furthermore, cast irons are also extremely handy for searing just about any and all sous vide meat. Lodge offers the best quality and price, which is why it is our favorite cast iron brand.
Check out our full list of recommended gear here.
Shakshuka with Sous Vide Eggs Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 1 large red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 28 ounce can of whole plum tomatoes
- 4 ounces crumbled feta
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon red chili flakes
Instructions
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Heat oven to 425F, and set sous vide machine to 75C/167F.
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Place 6 large eggs in the bath for 14 minutes.
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Heat oil in a large cast iron on medium-low heat. Add sliced onion and bell pepper to the skillet. Cook onion and pepper mixture until very soft, about 20 to 25 minutes. Add garlic and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Add in cumin, paprika, chili powder, red chili flakes and cayenne, and cook 1 minute.
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Pour in plum tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste; simmer until the tomato mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in crumbled feta and cook until cheese is creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
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Place skillet in oven and bake for 5 minutes. Remove skillet from oven, and crack eggs into the skillet over tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh baked bread, pita bread, or challah and enjoy this incredibly delicious blend of flavors.
Sara says
Perfect shakshuka recipe. The sous vide eggs are the exact consistency you want with this dish.
Rachel says
My family is in love with this recipe. Reminds us of the shakshuka my grandma made us. Thank you!
Scott says
Great recipe! Thank you!
Tom says
Is the oven time really necessary? Would a little more simmer time stove top work OK too? Seems a waste to heat the oven for 5 mins cook time
Jason Veselak says
Hi Tom, thanks for the feedback. I think simmering the eggs on the stove top will work perfectly fine.
Brenda Carpenter says
I’m new to this and was confused about cracking eggs and then baking? Eggs will crack and go in to pan?
Jason Veselak says
Hi Brenda, thanks for reaching out. I actually updated the post because I agree that it was confusing. I had that line in because cooking eggs at 145F for 45 minutes leaves the whites rather runny, so I wanted to give an option to bake the eggs a little extra to solidify the whites. However, with recent experimentation, I've found that cooking the eggs at 167F for 14 minutes reduces the amount of runny whites. So you are all good to just add the eggs as is to the shakshuka. Enjoy!