Shakshuka

by Heidi Published: Feb 19, 2025

This shakshuka recipe features eggs cooked in a savory, spiced tomato and red bell pepper sauce with feta for a flavorful and easy one-pan dish that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner.

Shakshuka recipe in skillet foodiecrush.com

I love dishes that are versatile enough to be eaten any time of day. Recipes like my chilaquiles with eggs, Dutch baby (that can be made savory or sweet), and croque monsieur are all examples of effortless meals that work morning, afternoon, or night. Shakshuka is yet another dish that I love not only for its versatility but for its simplicity. This North African and Middle Eastern dish has become quite popular in The States, and if it’s on the brunch menu, 9 out of 10 times, I’m ordering it. This shakshuka recipe starts with a jammy red pepper and onion mixture at its base, then canned tomatoes are added and kissed with garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, and harissa. That all cooks down and thickens up nicely before you gently cook some eggs in the sauce, and finish it off with lots of feta and fresh parsley (or cilantro), and serve it up with some crusty bread (essential).

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This shakshuka recipe cooks in one pan, it isn’t fussy, and you don’t need a laundry list of ingredients to achieve its awesome, big flavors
It’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner!
It’s super flavorful, hearty, healthy, and vegetarian adding more reasons to eat healthy

What’s in Shakshuka

Extra-virgin olive oil—for sautéing the peppers and onions
Red bell pepper—red bell pepper and onions make up the base of shakshuka
Yellow onion—gets sautéed with red bell pepper until soft and a little jammy
Kosher salt—always, for flavor
Garlic—for big flavor in our shakshuka sauce
Paprika—you can use sweet or smoked (I used smoked)
Coriander—I love the floral
Cumin—I use ½ a teaspoon because the harissa I use is quite cumin-forward, but you could easily use a full teaspoon if you love cumin
Harissa paste—harissa paste varies brand to brand, so I recommend tasting your harissa first, before adding your spices
Canned whole plum tomatoes—some recipes have you use fresh tomatoes but I prefer canned (I like using San Marzano plum tomatoes) because they don’t take as long to cook down
Eggs—you can fit up to 6 in a large skillet, but you could always do fewer eggs if you wanted
Feta cheese—use the good stuff (a block of feta in brine, that you can crumble up yourself)
Fresh parsley—or cilantro (for color and freshness)

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Shakshuka recipe steps to make foodiecrush.com

How to Make Shakshuka

Sauté the peppers and onions. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet (I use a 10-inch) over medium-low and sauté the bell pepper and onion until the veggies have softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for just a minute.
Bloom the spices. Add the paprika, coriander, cumin, and harissa paste, and stir and cook for another minute (adding the spices before you add the tomatoes and their juices helps activate their natural oils and bring out more flavor).

Simmer the tomatoes and thicken the sauce. Add the tomatoes and use a wooden spoon or a potato masher to mash them. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
Poach the eggs in the sauce. Use the back of your spoon to create 6 little wells in the sauce for the eggs to nestle into. Carefully crack an egg into each well and season each with a tiny sprinkle of salt. Cover the skillet with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and let the eggs cook undisturbed until the whites have set (about 5-8 minutes).
Season and serve. Sprinkle the crumbled feta over the skillet, and top with fresh parsley or cilantro before serving.

*Tip : When cooking the eggs, you want eggs where the whites are just set, and the yolks are runny. However, if you like your eggs cooked more firm, cook them a minute or two longer for a jammy, but not runny yolk.

FAQ and Recipe Tips

What country is shakshuka from? Shakshuka is a North African dish that is said to have originated in Tunisia or Morocco, although some say Yemen. It’s also popular in the Middle East, and is commonly eaten in Israel.
Is shakshuka like huevos rancheros? Shakshuka is similar to huevos rancheros in that they are both dishes where eggs are cooked in tomato sauce. They both have different flavor profiles and spices though.
What’s the difference between eggs in purgatory and shakshuka? These dishes are very similar. Both feature eggs cooked in a tomato mixture, though eggs in purgatory is a Southern Italian dish and uses different herbs and flavor profiles than shakshuka (think Italian flavors like basil and Parmesan).
Harissa paste varies brand to brand. Some brands are more cumin-forward, like New York Shuk, which is what I used. I suggest tasting your harissa paste before adding your cumin (you may want to add more or less).
If you want a spicy tomato sauce, add some chili powder, cayenne, or red pepper flakes

Ingredient Additions and Substitutions

Add some sautéed kale or spinach after your onions and peppers cook
Add sliced avocado on top
Microgreens would be another yummy and colorful addition for serving on top of your shakshuka
Marinated artichokes would be a tasty addition
Instead of harissa paste, you could use red pepper flakes or chili powder (season to taste/your desired heat preference)

Storage Tips

Shakshuka is not a dish that keeps well, given that reheating is tricky since you don’t want to risk overcooking your eggs. If you do end up with leftovers, they will keep for a day or two, stored in the refrigerator, but I suggest removing the eggs and setting them aside while reheating the sauce.

What Do You Eat Shakshuka With?

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.

This shakshuka recipe features eggs cooked in a savory, spiced tomato and red bell pepper sauce with feta for a flavorful and easy one-pan dish that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner.

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Course Breakfast

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword Shakshuka

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 3 -4

Calories 437kcal

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red bell pepper , seeded, cored, and chopped
1 medium to large yellow onion , chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt , divided
3 garlic cloves , minced
1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
1 teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon harissa paste
1 28 ounce can of whole plum tomatoes , in their juices
6 eggs
¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup chopped parsley or cilantro

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Instructions

Heat a large skillet (I use a 10-inch) over medium-low and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the bell pepper and onion, and season with ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir and sauté until the veggies have softened, about 20 minutes, stirring periodically. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Add the paprika, coriander, cumin, and harissa paste, and stir and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and stir to combine. Use a wooden spoon or a potato masher to carefully break up the tomatoes. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
Use the back of your spoon to create 6 little wells in the sauce for the eggs to nestle into. Carefully crack an egg into each well and season each with a tiny sprinkle of salt. Cover the skillet with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and let the eggs cook undisturbed until the whites have set (about 5-8 minutes). You want to cook the eggs until the whites have just set and the yolk is still runny. Remove the lid, sprinkle the crumbled feta over the skillet, and top with fresh parsley or cilantro before serving.

Notes

*crisp up your bread in a skillet with some olive oil (½ tablespoon oil per slice)

Nutrition

More Egg Recipes to Try

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