Shakshuka on the braai with boerewors, bacon & thyme
A breakfast favourite to cook on the fire at the campsite
Whenever we go away for the weekend as a family, I always make a big pan of shakshuka to share. It is easy to make in a large volume and so perfect to cook for a larger group of people. While it takes a bit of time to prepare, there’s no better way to start the morning than with a fire.
Ingredients to make shakshuka with boerewors, bacon & thyme
500 g boerewors (cut into bite-size pieces)
200 g streaky bacon, roughly chopped
2 medium onions, sliced
1–2 green or red bell peppers, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1–2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried)
2 tins (400 g each) chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp chilli flakes (optional for heat)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
10–12 eggs
Olive oil or a knob of butter for frying
Fresh parsley or coriander for garnish
(Optional) 1 lemon for lemon zest
How to prepare shakshuka on the braai
Get a medium-hot fire going with glowing coals. Place the skillet on the grill to heat.
Add a bit of oil and fry the bacon until crispy. Remove and set aside.
Add the boerewors pieces to the same pan and brown them well. Once cooked through, set them aside with the bacon. Chop in bite-sized pieces
Slice the onions and chop the peppers. Add all vegetables to the pan. Cook for about about 5–7 minutes until soft and slightly caramelised.
Next, add the finely chopped garlic and the spices (paprika, cumin, and thyme). Cook for another minute until fragrant.
Pour in the tins of chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Add a pinch of salt, pepper, and chilli flakes (if using). Stir well, then simmer uncovered for about 10–15 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Add the boerewors and bacon back into the sauce and stir. Simmer for another 5 minutes to let the flavours blend.
Now it’s time to add the eggs. Make small wells in the sauce with a spoon and crack the eggs directly into each one.
Cover the pan with a lid or foil, and cook gently until the eggs are set to your liking — about 5–8 minutes for runny yolks, longer for firm eggs.
Optionally, grate some lemon zest over the shakshuka.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley or coriander, and serve straight from the pan with toasted bread, roosterkoek, or vetkoek.
Enjoy! Please tag me on Instagram if you’ve made this recipe, I’d love to see it!
You can also try my pork sausage shakshuka recipe.
More braai recipes
Below the newsletter block, you will find some more braai recipes.
If you’re not familiar with the word braai, this is the word South Africans use for a barbecue. South Africans love a good braai broodjie. I share my tips and tricks on how to make the best braai broodjie in this recipe. After Christmas gammon leftovers are also delicious on a braai broodjie - try this gammon leftover recipe.
In terms of meet options, I’ve got you covered too: You can cook whole chicken on the braai, a leg of lamb, grill lamb loin chops or ostrich fillet kebabs.
If you live in the Western Cape, in or around Cape Town, you will be well familiar with putting snoek on the braai. Traditionally often served with apricot jam, my recipe includes a variation with plum jam, which is equally delicious.
About Shawn Godfrey
Photo credit: Niki M Photography
Shawn Godfrey is an entrepreneur based in Cape Town, South Africa. After the Covid-19 lockdown saw his business in financial distress, cooking was the creative outlet that helped to keep him sane. To keep track of his recipes, and encourage friends and families to join him, he starts his instagram account The Roasted Dad.
Fast-forward to late 2021 - on a whim Shawn (encouraged by his wife Lianne) enters MasterChef South Africa. It is a crazy time of life: running a 200 people business and struggling to keep it profitable, two small children with a third on the way, and about to move into a new house. But when Shawn gets selected to be one of the 20 contestants participating in the fourth season of MasterChef South Africa, he decides to go all in. Leaving his 7-month-pregnant wife to look after their then three and one-year-old children, he battles it out and comes back home five weeks later with the trophy and a million rand prize money in his pocket.
It all started with an Instagram account, but The Roasted Dad is so much more now. Shawn has stayed his entrepreneurial self and whilst he hosts Private Dinner Parties and Cook-with-Me Demos, does Restaurant Take-Overs, he still runs the lighting company and several other businesses.
On his blog, Shawn shares Restaurant Reviews and Accommodation Reviews, and gives an insight into the wild and wonderful life he leads together with his wife Lianne, and their three children Aiden (7), Olivia (5) and Harvey (3).
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In this recipe, I give away my secrets making a delicious whole chicken on the braai. My top tip is to cook the chicken on a fire, to get the skin crispy and full of smoky flavour, but to finish it off in the oven on a low heat, so that the meat becomes succulent and doesn’t dry out.