Chorizo Shakshuka

Chorizo Shakshuka is a bold twist on the traditional poached eggs suspended in a thickened tomato sauce dish. Chipotle en adobo peppers add smokiness, making it ideal for pairing with your favorite tortilla chips.

I love a good hearty weekend breakfast. Something warm and cozy to tuck into. Something that dirties only one pan because the only thing I want to concern myself with after indulging in a steaming hot plate of this chorizo shakshuka is napping.

Jump to:

• What is Shakshuka?
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Leftovers
• Top Tip
• Chorizo Shakshuka

What is Shakshuka?

Believed to be a North African dish (though its exact origins are contested), shakshuka (or shakshouka) is a dish that consists of eggs poached in a thickened tomato sauce. Other ingredients typically include fresh peppers, onions, and garlic, and spices like cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper. It’s a one-pan comfort food wonder. 

Shakshuka is one of those dishes that is surprisingly flavorful and flexible. Tomatoes make an amazingly complex and flavorful base for most any dish. When paired with the bold spices in shakshuka the tomato base really dazzles the tastebuds with layers of flavor. Plus, once you’ve got a basic recipe down, shakshuka is super customizable (as you’ll see with my version for Chorizo Shakshuka). 

The real beauty of shakshuka is that it’s mealtime transcendent, making it appropriate for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I mean eggs are inserting themselves everywhere these days and I’m so down with that. Just pair shakshuka with a carby side of your choice and (insert mealtime of choice here) is served - in one hot, steamy pan. 

Ingredients

This shakshuka with chorizo recipe is incredibly easy to make. You only need a handful of ingredients to achieve an amazingly bold and comforting dish - I’m in awe of how good it is for how few ingredients are required - and I hope you will be too. Pick up the following ingredients for chorizo shakshuka:

• Chorizo
• Yellow or white onion
• Red bell pepper
• Garlic cloves
• Ground cumin
• Whole canned tomatoes
• Chipotle en adobo peppers
• Large eggs
• Parsley or cilantro (optional, garnish)

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cook chorizo in a pan over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, until fully cooked. Remove chorizo from pan and spread across paper towels to absorb excess grease. Leave behind a little bit of the grease to cook the vegetables in.

Add diced onion and bell pepper to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the minced garlic and continue cooking for another minute, stirring constantly. 

Buzz the chipotle en adobo peppers in a food processor for 30 seconds and add to the pan along with the cumin. Add the whole tomatoes and canning liquid, squeezing the tomatoes with your hands first to break them up. I like the rusticness of differently sized pieces of tomato here.

Add the chorizo back in. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer for around 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

Remove pan from heat. Create 5-6 “wells” in the sauce. Crack a large egg into each little well. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes, uncovered, on the top rack of your oven. You want the eggs to still be jiggly and the whites to appear somewhat set - the eggs will continue cooking upon removal from the oven.

Garnish with parsley and cotija or feta cheese. Serve family-style with tortilla chips or toast. 

Hint: When hand-squeezing the tomatoes, consider doing so in a high-sided container then adding the smushed tomatoes to the pan as it’s a messy business.

Substitutions

Here are some handy substitutions should you want to tweak this Chorizo Shakshuka recipe.

• Vegetarian - leave the chorizo out to return this dish to its vegetarian roots (or use soyrizo instead; I’ve seen soyrizo at Trader Joes).
• Peppers - if you don’t have chipotle en adobo peppers, use a fresh jalapeno to add some heat. It won’t have the smokiness canned adobo peppers bring, but consider adding a few dashes (or ½ teaspoon) of smoked paprika when going this route.

Variations

This shakshuka with chorizo recipe is so versatile! Here are some variations you might want to consider.

• Spicier - this recipe has a decent bit of heat, but if you are a true chile head and want it even hotter, add a few dashes of chili pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the dish.
• Not so spicy - reduce the amount of chipotle en adobo peppers to one or leave them out completely. Add ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika to contribute smokiness. 
• Sides - carbs make the perfect side for this dish. I opted for tortilla chips but toast (whole grain, French, Texas), buns, biscuits, and croissants would also be good options. 
• Garnishes - a simple sprinkle of fresh parsley or herb of your choice works well here (think basil, oregano, cilantro). Crumbly cheese like cotija or feta are a nice addition, and if you want to add a bit of reprieve from the heat, drizzle with crema or serve with sour cream. 

Equipment

For this shakshuka with chorizo recipe, you will need an oven-safe pan. I used a nonstick 11-inch Le Creuset pan. A cast-iron pan would also be an excellent choice.

Storage

Store leftovers in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I don’t typically have leftover eggs or save them if I do (I organically recycle any leftover eggs instead). 

Leftovers

Leftovers can be reheated in a covered pan over medium heat. Make sure to stir occasionally. You can serve leftover Chorizo Shakshuka with over-easy eggs and carby side of your choice, or repurpose the leftovers into a Marinara-type sauce for pasta or use as a chili base. 

Top Tip

Keep an eye on those eggs as they cook and take them out sooner than you think you should, otherwise you won’t get those runny yolks. 

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