Shakshuka

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

Shakshuka is made by simmering a spiced tomato and pepper sauce in a skillet, then cracking eggs directly into wells in the sauce and covering to poach them until the whites are set but yolks are still runny. The whole process takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.

Jump to Recipe

Shakshuka is one of the few breakfasts that arrives at the table still looking like it has unfinished business. A skillet of tomatoes, peppers, garlic, cumin, and paprika bubbles around six eggs, with soft yolks waiting to be dragged through the sauce by a piece of crusty bread. It is breakfast, lunch, or dinner depending entirely on what time you became hungry.

The sauce deserves more attention than the eggs at first. Onion and red bell pepper need several minutes to soften before the garlic and spices go in, and the crushed tomatoes should simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens and a little oil begins separating around the edges. If the base is watery, the eggs spread instead of sitting neatly in the wells you make for them. Cover the skillet once the eggs are added and start checking around five minutes; set whites and still-jiggly yolks give you the best contrast.

Feta is optional, but its salty tang works especially well with the sweet tomato and warm cumin. Parsley or cilantro brightens the whole pan. Serve it directly from the skillet and put bread nearby, because pretending a fork is the best tool for the last inch of sauce is how unnecessary sadness enters a perfectly good morning.

Prep10 minutes

Cook25 minutes

Total35 minutes

Serves4 servings

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (more to taste)
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 teaspoon sugar
6 large eggs
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
Fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, chopped, for serving
Crusty bread or pita, for serving

Instructions

1Heat a large (12-inch) cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and let it warm until it shimmers, about 1 minute.
2Add the diced onion and red bell pepper to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the onion is translucent, about 7-8 minutes. Don't rush this step — a properly softened base is what makes the sauce sweet and deep rather than sharp.
3Add the minced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir continuously for about 1 minute until the spices are fragrant and toasted. They will start to stick slightly to the pan — that's correct.
4Pour in the crushed tomatoes with all their juices. Add the sugar. Stir everything together and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
5Reduce heat to medium-low. Let the sauce simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes until it thickens slightly and the oil begins to separate at the edges. Taste and adjust salt and cayenne.
6Using a large spoon, create 6 small wells in the sauce, spacing them apart. Crack one egg carefully into each well. Season each egg lightly with salt and pepper.
7Cover the skillet with a lid or tight-fitting foil. Cook for 5-8 minutes, checking at the 5-minute mark. The whites should be fully set and opaque. The yolks should still be soft and slightly jiggly in the center for a runny yolk, or cook 2 minutes longer for a fully set yolk.
8Remove from heat. Scatter feta crumbles over the top if using, then sprinkle generously with chopped parsley or cilantro. Serve immediately from the skillet with crusty bread or pita for scooping.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 4 servings.

320Calories

15 gProtein

17 gCarbohydrates

22 gTotal Fat

6 gSaturated Fat

4 gFiber

9 gTotal Sugars

520 mgSodium

345 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Crush the canned tomatoes by hand before adding them — squeeze each one through your fingers directly over the pan. It gives you a chunkier, more interesting texture than anything a can opener and a spoon would produce, and it's oddly satisfying.
Watch the eggs from the five-minute mark like they owe you money. The difference between a runny yolk and a chalky one is about ninety seconds and full attention. Lift the lid, check, put the lid back. Don't walk away.
If your sauce looks thin after twelve minutes of simmering, let it go another two or three. A watery shakshuka is just tomato soup with eggs in it, and that's a different conversation.

Substitutions

red bell pepper → poblano pepper Adds mild heat and a slightly smokier flavor — use when you want more complexity without turning up the cayenne

whole peeled canned tomatoes → crushed tomatoes (28 oz can) Saves the hand-crushing step; sauce will be smoother and more uniform

feta cheese → goat cheese or labneh Goat cheese melts in slightly softer; labneh adds a tangy creaminess closer to the traditional finish

olive oil → avocado oil Higher smoke point, neutral flavor — works fine if olive oil isn't on hand

fresh parsley or cilantro → fresh basil Not traditional but works well if you're already thinking of this as an Italian-leaning tomato dish

Storage Instructions

Store leftover sauce (without eggs) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat the sauce on the stovetop over medium-low and crack fresh eggs in — previously cooked eggs do not reheat well and will turn rubbery. If you have leftover cooked shakshuka with eggs already in it, refrigerate for up to 2 days and reheat gently on the stovetop covered over very low heat, though the yolks will no longer be soft.

Make Ahead

The tomato sauce can be made completely in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Reheat the sauce in the skillet over medium heat until bubbling, then proceed with the egg-poaching step. This makes it a genuinely fast weekday meal — the actual eggs-in-sauce portion only takes about 8 minutes once the sauce is hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes. Cook the onion, pepper, spice, and tomato sauce ahead and refrigerate it. Reheat the sauce in the skillet, make the wells, and add the eggs only when serving so the whites set while the yolks stay where you want them.

How do I store the leftovers?

Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat the sauce on the stovetop over medium-low and crack fresh eggs in — previously cooked eggs do not reheat well and will turn rubbery. If you have leftover cooked shakshuka with eggs already in it, refrigerate for up to 2 days and reheat gently on the stovetop covered over very low heat, though the yolks will no longer be soft.

Can I freeze it?

Freeze the tomato-pepper sauce without the eggs. Thaw and reheat the sauce in a skillet, then crack in fresh eggs and finish the shakshuka normally.

Can I adjust it for what I have on hand?

Yes. Tested adjustments on this recipe include red bell pepper → poblano pepper; whole peeled canned tomatoes → crushed tomatoes (28 oz can); and feta cheese → goat cheese or labneh.

What's the most common mistake to avoid?

Crush the canned tomatoes by hand before adding them — squeeze each one through your fingers directly over the pan. It gives you a chunkier, more interesting texture than anything a can opener and a spoon would produce, and it's oddly satisfying.