Shakshuka Poached Eggs Tomato Sauce (Printable)

Poached eggs simmered in aromatic spiced tomato sauce with peppers, onions, and garlic. Perfect Middle Eastern breakfast ready in 35 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large onion, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
06 - 1 small chili pepper, finely chopped

→ Spices

07 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
08 - 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
10 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
11 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Eggs

12 - 4 large eggs

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
14 - 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet with lid over medium heat until shimmering.
02 - Add diced onion and bell pepper to the heated oil, cooking for 5 to 7 minutes until softened and translucent.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and chili pepper, sautéing for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add crushed tomatoes, cumin, paprika, coriander, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
05 - Simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and flavors meld.
06 - Make 4 evenly-spaced wells in the tomato sauce using the back of a spoon.
07 - Crack one egg into each well, then cover the pan with the lid and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until egg whites set while yolks remain runny.
08 - Remove from heat and garnish with fresh chopped parsley or cilantro and crumbled feta cheese.
09 - Transfer to serving bowl and serve immediately with warm flatbread or crusty bread for dipping.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's a complete breakfast protein that tastes like you spent hours cooking when it takes barely half an hour.
  • The sauce can simmer ahead of time, so you're just cracking eggs and dinner-for-breakfast is ready.
  • One pan means one cleanup, and honestly, that alone makes mornings better.
02 -
  • The eggs will continue cooking slightly after you remove the pan from heat, so pull it off the stove when the whites look just barely set but the yolk still moves—this is the difference between perfect and overdone.
  • Room temperature eggs crack more gently into the sauce and cook more evenly than cold ones straight from the fridge.
03 -
  • Keep the heat medium to medium-low once you add the tomatoes—a rolling boil will splatter sauce everywhere and cook the eggs unevenly.
  • If you're feeding a crowd, make multiple skillets simultaneously rather than trying to crowd everything into one pan; the eggs need space to cook properly.
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