Traditional Shakshuka (North African & Middle Eastern Style)
Eggs gently poached in a spiced tomato, harissa, and bell pepper sauce that truly a standard in our kitchen. A one-pan breakfast-for-dinner situation that I highly recommend adding bread for scooping.
Equipment
- Large skillet or sauté pan with lid (10–12 inch)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp 30 ml olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced (about 150g)
- 1 red bell pepper diced (about 150g)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp 30–45g harissa paste, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp 15g tomato paste
- 1 can 28 oz / 794g crushed tomatoes
- ½ tsp salt plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Pinch coconut sugar optional, balances acidity
- 6 large eggs
- Fresh parsley or cilantro chopped, for garnish
- crumbled feta optional
- Crusty bread or gluten-free bread for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6–8 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Stir in the harissa, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, and tomato paste. Cook for 1–2 minutes, letting the spices toast slightly.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, and coconut sugar (if using). Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 12–15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
- Taste and adjust salt or harissa to your heat preference.
- Use a spoon to make 6 small wells in the sauce. Crack an egg into each well.
- Cover and cook for 6–8 minutes, until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still soft (longer if you prefer firmer yolks).
- Remove from heat. Top with parsley, feta if using, and a crack of black pepper.
- Serve immediately, straight from the pan, with bread for scooping.
Notes
No harissa on hand? Sub 1 tbsp tomato paste + ½ tsp cayenne + ½ tsp smoked paprika. Crushed tomatoes can be swapped for canned whole tomatoes, hand-crushed. Chickpeas, sautéed spinach, or chopped preserved lemon are all traditional-adjacent additions if you want to bulk it up.
Harissa brands vary wildly in spice, so start at 2 tbsp and build up!
Storage: Sauce (without eggs) keeps in the fridge up to 4 days or freezes up to 3 months. Reheat and poach fresh eggs when ready to serve, as the eggs don't reheat well.