Easy Shakshuka recipe with Lamb Meatballs & Fig Salami (2024)

5 from 4 reviews

This Easy Shakshuka is the perfect meal to eat for breakfast, lunch, or even dinner with a slice of crusty bread to dip into the spicy tomato and roasted red pepper sauce. The egg(s) is poached in the sauce and baked with lamb meatballs mixed with fig salami.

Hello my friends. Today's recipe is the famous dish that originated in North Africa, and is extremely popular in the Middle East, eaten for breakfast or brunch. Shakshuka is a tomato-based sauce mixed with red pepper, onion, and garlic, and an egg(s) poached in the sauce. This meal is a beloved vegetarian dish around the region and now in America too.

My version is an easy shakshuka with lamb meatballs seasoned with Aleppo pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic, and grated fig salami. Instead of making the sauce, I'm using a roasted red pepper and tomato dip.

Basically shakshuka is poached eggs in a spicy tomato and red pepper sauce. You can make this easy shakshuka in under 30 minutes. The only prep work that you have to do is make the lamb meatballs, which takes only 5 minutes to mix and make the meatballs, plus 10 minutes to bake.

What is my Inspiration for Making this Easy Shakshuka?

I first saw shakshuka years ago on Pinterest, but last year was the first time that I tried it at a local restaurant calledCafe Roval that I found through Instagram. The food in this restaurant is super delicious with contemporary Mediterranean influences. Their shakshuka dish consists of smoked tomato, chilis, house-made lamb sausage, and egg, served with a country toast. I was so amazed by the flavor profile that I tried to get the recipe from the chef. I was unsuccessful, but my quest didn’t end there. As soon as I got home, I started to research and play with different seasoning until I got to the recipe that I’m presenting to you today.

Lamb is my favorite protein to cook, and I now know how to cook a perfect lamb. You can be confident the lamb recipes here at Spoonabilities are foolproof with a ton of flavor with a delicious taste. For special occasions, this is my go-to meat to cook when I want to impress my family and friends. I know for some people lamb is a bit strong in flavor. This is where I came up with the idea to use fig salami with pistachio and Aleppo pepper to add a sweet layer of flavor that will complement the lamb, and at the same time reduce the gamey taste.

For the spices, I keep with my basic spices that I use like oregano and cumin, and additionally I add Aleppo pepper to stay around the same flavor profile of the fig salami.

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How to Make this Easy Shakshuka

The steps to make this easy shakshuka are:

1. First, make your meatballs. In a large bowl, add the ground lamb, ground oregano, sea salt, Aleppo pepper, ground cumin, and the grated garlic. Mix to combine. Make the balls using a medium ice cream scoop and shape it nicely. Bake them for 10 minutes.

2. Select the vessel that you want to bake your shakshuka. I selected two: a personal serving pan and a medium size one.
3. For each individual serving, add the roasted red pepper and tomato dip, the smoked chili flakes, three lamb meatballs, and one egg. Season the egg with smoked paprika sea salt. Bake it for 10 minutes or until the egg yolk is to your liking.

4. Garnish with a few leaves of mint. The mint is an excellent pairing for lamb! Now you are ready to eat with a piece of crusty bread.

Cooking Notes & Substitutions

• We used , the Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Dip, and the smoked paprika sea salt for this recipe. Here are some substitutions:
  • Instead of the fig salami, you can use dried fig, and finely chopped pistachio.
  • Instead of the dip, you can use the ingredients from the traditional recipe: red pepper, canned chopped tomatoes (fresh tomatoes), garlic, onion, and the spices that I’m using in this recipe.
  • Instead of the smoked paprika sea salt, you can use regular paprika and sea salt.
• If you don’t like lamb, just substitute chicken, pork, or beef meatballs.
• You could cook the lamb in the sauce with the egg at the same time, and you can save 10 minutes. The only problem is the lamb will release some fat, and the sauce could be a bit greasy. But still will add more flavor.
• You don’t need to bake in the oven. You can do it on the stovetop, but cover the pan with a lid to help cook the eggs.
• To keep longer in the refrigerator, put the sauce and the lamb meatballs in separate containers and only use what you need each day. Just add the egg.
• The lamb meatballs can be eaten without the sauce. Spread plain Greek yogurt on a plate, season with salt & pepper, and fresh herbs.

Want More Lamb Recipes?

If you are a lamb lover like me, check out two other recipes using ground lamb:

• Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Piquillo Pepper Pesto

Like I said before, this easy shakshuka is perfect for breakfast or brunch, but you can eat it for dinner too. I hope you get to make this recipe and share about it with us, leaving us a comment below or via social media tagging @Spoonabilities and using the hashtag #Spoonabilities.

Enjoy your week!

Carlos Leo
Your Recipe Concierge

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