No. 03Mexican · Breakfast

Mexican-Inspired Shakshuka

Name: Mexican-Inspired Shakshuka
Yield: 2–4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive or avocado oil; 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced; 1 red bell pepper, finely diced; ¼ cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained and chopped; 1–2 serranos or jalapeños, finely diced (seeds in for heat, out for milder); 3–4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 1 tsp tomato paste; 1–2 chiles in adobo, minced, plus 1 tsp of the sauce (optional, but makes the dish); 1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand; Salt and black pepper, to taste; 4–6 eggs; ½ cup crumbled feta or cotija; Small handful of cilantro, chopped; 1 lime, cut into wedges; A drizzle of the same oil, to finish; 6–8 tortillas, any size, flour or corn (I use flour); A few glugs of the same oil, for tossing; Flaky salt

Let's get this out of the way: nobody in Mexico calls this shakshuka. I'm taking creative liberties. After more trips to Mexico than I'll admit to, I started cooking everything through that lens, and shakshuka was first in line: chiles in adobo, cotija, lime, and homemade tortilla chips for scooping straight out of the pan. My husband has a deeply strange aversion to baked eggs, and even he admits this one is stellar.

Vegetarian Jump to recipe

Mexican-inspired shakshuka with feta and cilantro in a cast-iron pan, with tortilla chips — Shot on my phone.No. 03

Serves: 2–4
Total: 40 min
Hands-on: 15 min
Season: Year-round

Ingredients

For the shakshuka

3 tbsp olive or avocado oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
¼ cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1–2 serranos or jalapeños, finely diced (seeds in for heat, out for milder)
3–4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp tomato paste
1–2 chiles in adobo, minced, plus 1 tsp of the sauce (optional, but makes the dish)
1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
Salt and black pepper, to taste
4–6 eggs
½ cup crumbled feta or cotija
Small handful of cilantro, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges
A drizzle of the same oil, to finish

For the tortilla chips

6–8 tortillas, any size, flour or corn (I use flour)
A few glugs of the same oil, for tossing
Flaky salt

TAP TO CHECK THINGS OFF.

Method

Heat the oven to 400°F.
Make the chips first. Cut the tortillas into chip-sized pieces. Whatever shape your tortillas allow is fine; nobody's grading you. Toss with a few glugs of oil and a generous pinch of flaky salt, spread in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway, until crisp and golden.
While the chips bake, build the base. Heat the oil in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet (cast iron is ideal) over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, roasted red peppers, and serrano with a pinch of salt. Cook 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is soft and just starting to caramelize.
Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, tomato paste, and chiles in adobo (with a teaspoon of the sauce, if using). Cook 1 minute, until fragrant and the spices toast lightly in the oil.
Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-low for 15–20 minutes, breaking the tomatoes down further with a spoon, until the sauce is thick and jammy: a spoon dragged through it should leave a clean trail. Taste and adjust.
Make 4–6 shallow wells in the sauce with the back of a spoon. Crack an egg into each well. Scatter the feta or cotija across the top.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake 6–10 minutes, until the whites are just set but the yolks still jiggle.
Pull the pan from the oven. Scatter cilantro across the top, squeeze a lime wedge over everything, and finish with a drizzle of oil. Bring it to the table with the chips and the rest of the lime wedges.

From my kitchen

Yes, I know. Shakshuka is North African, and Mexico has its own brilliant egg dishes (huevos rancheros, I see you). This is a mash-up and I'm comfortable with that.
Chiles in adobo are the secret weapon: smoky, deep, slightly sweet. A can keeps for weeks once opened. I freeze leftovers in small portions and break off a chunk whenever I need it. Skip them if you don't have them; the recipe still works, just less smoky.
One oil is plenty. Olive and avocado oil are interchangeable here, so use whichever bottle you have for the sauce, the chips and the finish.
Feta brings tang, cotija brings salt. Both are great. Use whichever is in the fridge.
For a milder pan, seed the chiles and skip the adobo. For a hotter one, leave the seeds in and add a second serrano.
The sauce holds for 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in the skillet, add the eggs and cheese, and finish in the oven. Breakfast in 15 minutes.

To drink

A pitcher of agua fresca, cold beer, or strong coffee. I'm not an avocado girlie personally (gasp!), but my friends tell me sliced avocado would be great on the side.

Richly yours, H

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