Meatball Shakshuka

How good does this sound? Meatballs in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce, topped with runny eggs.

Today I am sharing a recipe for shakshuka, a North African dish consisting of eggs and in a spiced tomato and pepper mixture. I love this dish and it’s something I often order at restaurants because it’s incredibly flavorful and fun to eat.

There are many versions of shakshuka and each one will taste different, as each cook has their own preferences in the use of spices and seasonings. This meatball shakshuka has some modern twists with the feta cheese and well, the addition of meatballs. Nonetheless, it’s an incredibly delicious meal that is based on the wonderfully tasty North African dish. Shakshuka traditionally does not contain meatballs, but it’s a great addition to the dish for an extra layer of flavor and protein. Spiced meatballs are commonly eaten in the North African region so it works well. This dish is best served fresh out of the oven, sizzling hot, with toasted bread on the side, and enjoy any time of the day. Dip your bread into the runny egg yolks and enjoy the flavor explosion that shakshuka is.

I like to prepare the all-in-one dish in a cast iron pan since the pan helps brown the meatballs and the overall presentation looks nice. My cast iron pan is such a staple in the kitchen so if you don’t have one already, I highly recommend investing in a good quality one.

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Meatball Shakshuka

yield: 4 – 6 servings

total cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

For meatballs:

• 350 g. or 1 2/3 c. ground beef (80/20)
• 4 g. or 2 tsp. cumin
• 4 g. or 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 g. or 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 g. or 1/2 tsp. coriander
• 2 g. or 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 egg
• 25 g. or 1/4 c. breadcrumbs

For tomatoes and toppings:

• 12 g. or 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 670 g. or 24 oz. canned whole, diced, or crushed tomatoes
• 4 g. or 2 tsp. cumin
• 4 g. or 2 tsp. paprika
• 1-2 g. or 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 g. or 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 large eggs
• chopped cilantro to top
• crumbled feta to top
• Toasted bread to serve

Directions:

1. Combine meatballs ingredients and mix. You may make the meatballs now or let the meat marinade in the fridge overnight for best flavor. Form the meatballs. I shaped them relatively small.
2. Brown the meatballs in a cast iron skillet and cook until halfway done. Remove meatballs from pan and set aside.
3. Add 1 tsp. olive oil into the meatball grease and add garlic. Saute for 20 seconds. Add the onions and pepper and saute for about 5 min. Add in the canned tomatoes and seasonings and combine. Add the meatballs into the sauce and allow the mixture to come to a simmer.
4. Using your cooking spatula, make four wells in the tomato mixture and crack an egg in each well. Cover the pan with a lid and allow the mixture to simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. This should be enough time to fully cook the meatballs and just the whites of the eggs.
5. Remove the lid and sprinkle cilantro and feta on top. Serve the shakshuka immediately with a side of toasted bread.

*Nutrition facts are estimates.

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