Breakfast

Classic Shakshuka

Name: Classic Shakshuka
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: North African
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1/4 tsp chilli flakes, optional; 800 g canned whole tomatoes, crushed by hand; salt and black pepper to taste; 5 eggs; fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped, to garnish; crumbled feta, optional; warm bread or pita, to serve

Eggs poached in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce, one skillet start to finish.

Vegetarian Gluten-Free Nut-Free

Skillet of shakshuka with poached eggs in tomato sauce, garnished with herbs — Serve straight from the skillet with bread for scooping.

Prep10 min

Cook25 min

Total35 min

Servings 3 servings

DifficultyEasy

A North African and Eastern Mediterranean breakfast of eggs gently poached in a thick, cumin-scented tomato and pepper sauce. Scoop it up with warm bread straight from the pan.

Ingredients

For the sauce

3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp chilli flakes, optional
800 g canned whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
salt and black pepper to taste

To finish

5 eggs
fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped, to garnish
crumbled feta, optional
warm bread or pita, to serve

Instructions

Warm the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and bell pepper until softened. 8 min
Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and chilli flakes, and cook briefly until fragrant. 1 min
Pour in the crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer until thickened. 12 min
The sauce should hold its shape on a spoon before the eggs go in, or they'll swim instead of poach.
Make small wells in the sauce with a spoon and crack an egg into each one.
Cover and cook over low heat until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft. 6 min
Scatter with parsley and feta if using, and serve straight from the pan with warm bread.

Notes

For a firmer yolk, extend the covered cooking time by 2 minutes.
The sauce alone keeps 3 days refrigerated -- make it ahead and poach eggs fresh to order.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 portion (about 2 eggs with sauce)) -- estimated, not lab-tested.
Nutrient	Amount
Calories	340 kcal
Total Fat	22 g
Saturated Fat	5 g
Carbohydrates	18 g
Fiber	5 g
Sugar	9 g
Protein	16 g
Sodium	520 mg
Cholesterol	310 mg
Values are estimates based on standard ingredient data, not laboratory analysis.

Photo: Unknown, CC0 1.0. Cropped to 3:2 and re-encoded as WebP/JPEG for web delivery.