Shakshuka – Eggs Poached in Spiced Tomato-Pepper Sauce
Eggs gently poached in a cumin- and paprika-spiced tomato and bell pepper sauce, a North African breakfast classic.
Shakshuka is a staple across North Africa, a skillet of tomatoes and peppers simmered down with cumin and smoked paprika until thick enough to cradle a few cracked eggs. The eggs poach right in the sauce, so the whites set while the yolks stay soft, ready to be scooped up with a piece of bread or eaten on their own.
Bell pepper and onion get a proper sauté before the tomatoes go in, which builds real depth rather than relying on the spices alone. A scatter of fresh parsley at the end keeps it looking, and tasting, bright.
This is a vegetarian breakfast that leans into a Mediterranean pattern of eating, olive oil, tomatoes, and vegetables doing most of the work, with eggs as the protein anchor. It's easy to scale up for a slow weekend breakfast shared straight from the skillet.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 0.5 tsp chili flakes — to taste
- 6 eggs
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- to taste salt and pepper
Most ingredients here are everyday market staples across West Africa. A handful of specialty items may be easiest to find at a local open-air market or an African grocery store if you're elsewhere.
Instructions
- 1Heat olive oil in a wide skillet and sauté onion and bell pepper until softened, about 6 minutes.
- 2Add garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and chili flakes; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 3Pour in crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes until thickened.
- 4Make small wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each.
- 5Cover the skillet and cook for 6-8 minutes until egg whites are set but yolks remain soft, or longer for firmer yolks.
- 6Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm, straight from the skillet.