Easy Shakshuka with Lamb Meatballs & Fig Salami

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 eggs are poached in the sauce and baked with lamb meatballs mixed with fig salami.

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 Middle East, Mediterranean, and now in America too.

Our version is a shakshuka with lamb meatballs seasoned with Aleppo pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic, and grated fig salami. Instead of making the sauce, we’re using roasted red pepper and tomato dip.

Shakshuka recipe with Lamb Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

Meatballs

• 1 lb. ground lamb

• ½ cup grated Fig Salami with Aleppo Pepper & Pistachio

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper

• ½ teaspoon ground oregano

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• 2 large grated garlic cloves

• 2 teaspoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sauce:

• 1 jar (17oz) Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Dip

• ½ to 1 Tablespoon crushed smoked chili flakes

  • Add depending on how hot/spicy you like your food

• Pinch Smoked Paprika Sea Salt

• 6 eggs

• Garnish with fresh mint

INSTRUCTIONS

Meatballs:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Use roast setting if you have it.

2. In a medium bowl, add the ground lamb, grated fig salami, sea salt, Aleppo pepper, ground oregano, ground cumin & grated garlic. Mix well to combine.

3. To measure evenly in equal balls, use a small ice cream scoop to make the meatballs.

4. Place the scoops in the baking tray and after you are done, shape into balls.

5. Brush olive oil onto each meatball.

6. Roast the lamb meatballs for 10 minutes.

Sauce:

1. Reduce the oven to 380F degrees.

2. In a personal serving mini-saucepan (or in a larger fry pan, for a larger quantity), add the roasted red pepper and tomato dip, and crushed smoked chili flakes. Mix to combine.

3. Place in lamb meatballs. Make wells and crack one egg in each well. Sprinkle the eggs with Sea Salt with Smoked Paprika.

4. Put the mini-saucepan in the oven, and bake for about 10-12 minutes. Start to check after 10 minutes to see if the egg whites are set, and the yolk is to your liking.

   
   

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Working with the Ingredients

Lamb is a great protein to cook, especially for special occasions when you want to impress family and friends. We know for some people lamb is a bit strong in flavor. This is where the fig salami with pistachio and Aleppo pepper add a sweet layer of flavor that will complement the lamb, and at the same time reduce the gamey taste.

For the spices, our basic spices like oregano and cumin are joined with Aleppo pepper to stay around the same flavor profile of the fig salami.

Photo Steps 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. We 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 use our Vegan Fig Salami with Pistachio & Pepper, Navarino Icon's Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Dip, and Salt Odyssey's 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 used 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 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.

Enjoy!