This is a straightforward shakshuka built around pantry staples — canned tomatoes, roasted peppers, and eggs — cooked together in one skillet in about 40 minutes. The spiced tomato sauce does most of the work, and the eggs finish right in the pan, so there’s almost nothing to clean up. It works for breakfast, but it’s just as good for a fast weeknight dinner when the fridge is looking thin.
Why this recipe works
Two things make this version reliable. First, cooking the tomato paste with the spices for a full 3 minutes before adding any liquid drives off the raw, tinny edge and concentrates the flavor — skip that step and the sauce tastes flat. Second, pulling the skillet off the heat before adding the eggs gives you a few extra seconds of control. The sauce is hot enough to start cooking the whites immediately, but you’re not racing against a screaming-hot pan while trying to crack eight eggs without breaking yolks. Covering the pan for the final cook traps steam, which sets the whites from the top down and lets you hit that window of opaque whites and still-runny yolks without guesswork.
About the ingredients
- Piquillo peppers: These are the one ingredient most people don’t have on hand. Jarred roasted red peppers (the kind packed in water or brine) are a direct swap — drain them well and pat dry so they don’t water down the sauce. Fire-roasted canned peppers also work.
- Canned tomatoes: Whole peeled tomatoes crushed by hand give you more texture than diced. If you only have diced, they’re fine — the sauce just ends up a little smoother.
- Feta: Skip the pre-crumbled kind if you can; it’s drier and less creamy. A block of feta crumbled by hand melts slightly into the hot sauce in a way the pre-crumbled version doesn’t. That said, pre-crumbled still works — skip the garnish if it feels like one extra step, it’s not worth the extra dish.
- Cayenne: Start with less than the recipe calls for if you’re cooking for kids or spice-sensitive eaters. You can always add more at the table.
What can go wrong
- The sauce reduces too fast and scorches on the bottom: This usually means the heat is too high after you add the tomatoes. Medium-low is genuinely low — if your burner runs hot, use a diffuser or shift to the smallest burner you have.
- Egg whites are still translucent but yolks are already firm: The lid is trapping too much heat. Crack it slightly for the last 2 minutes to let some steam escape and slow the cook on the yolks.
- The eggs slide around and don’t stay in the indentations: The sauce needs to be thick enough to hold a well before you add the eggs. If it looks thin after 15 minutes of simmering, cook it uncovered for another 3 to 5 minutes before making the indentations.
- Watery sauce after the eggs are done: Canned tomatoes vary a lot in moisture content. If the sauce looks loose when you lift the lid, remove the eggs with a large spoon and simmer the sauce alone for 2 to 3 minutes, then return the eggs briefly to warm through.
- Uneven egg cooking across the pan: Eggs near the edge of the skillet cook faster than those in the center because the pan is hotter there. Rotate the pan a quarter turn halfway through if your burner has a hot spot.
Keeping and reheating
The sauce keeps well — store it separately from any leftover eggs if possible. Sauce on its own will last up to 4 days in the fridge and freezes well for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Reheat the sauce gently in a skillet over medium-low heat, then crack fresh eggs directly into it; reheated cooked eggs turn rubbery and aren’t worth eating. If the eggs and sauce are already combined, refrigerate for up to 2 days and reheat covered in a skillet over low heat just until warmed through — don’t rush it or the yolks will overcook completely.
Traditional Shakshuka: Eggs Poached in Spiced Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium onions chopped fine
- 2 medium yellow bell peppers stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1½ teaspoons salt plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1½ cups jarred piquillo peppers or roasted red peppers chopped coarsely
- 1 can diced tomatoes (14-ounce)
- ¼ cup water
- 2 pieces bay leaves
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 8 large eggs
- 2 ounces feta cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering (the oil should ripple and shimmer but not smoke). Add onions and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add garlic, tomato paste, cumin, turmeric, 1½ teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and cayenne. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste darkens and becomes fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in piquillo peppers, tomatoes and their juice, water, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Off heat, discard bay leaves and stir in ¼ cup of cilantro. Transfer 2 cups sauce to blender and process until smooth, about 60 seconds. Return puree to skillet and bring sauce to simmer over medium-low heat.
- Remove skillet from heat. Using the back of a spoon, make 4 shallow indentations (about 2 inches / 5cm wide) in the surface of the sauce. Crack 2 eggs into each indentation and season the eggs with salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the egg whites are just set and opaque but the yolks are still runny, 5 to 10 minutes. Check at 5 minutes — the whites should wobble slightly when the pan is gently shaken. Sprinkle with feta and remaining cilantro and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned?
Yes, but the sauce will take longer to thicken and the flavor will be less consistent depending on the season. Use about 1½ pounds of ripe plum tomatoes, roughly chopped, and expect to add 5 to 10 extra minutes of simmering time to get the sauce to the right consistency.
What if I don’t have a 12-inch skillet?
A wide, deep pan with a lid is what you actually need — a 10-inch skillet works if you reduce to 6 eggs and make 3 indentations instead of 4. Avoid anything too shallow, since the sauce needs room to simmer without splashing.
Can I make the sauce ahead of time?
Yes, and it actually improves overnight as the spices settle in. Make the sauce up to 3 days ahead, refrigerate it, then reheat in the skillet and add the eggs fresh when you’re ready to eat.
Is there a dairy-free version?
Just leave out the feta — the dish is complete without it. A drizzle of good olive oil over the finished eggs adds a little richness in its place.
My eggs always overcook. How do I get runny yolks reliably?
Check at exactly 5 minutes and gently shake the pan — the whites should be set at the edges but still wobble slightly in the center over the yolks. Pull the pan off the heat at that point; residual heat will finish the whites in about 60 seconds while keeping the yolks loose.
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