Middle Eastern
Skillet Shakshuka
Eggs poach in a cumin and paprika tomato sauce with peppers, then feta and herbs go on top. The sauce needs to be thick enough to hold each egg in place before you cover the pan.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Why you’ll love it
- The sauce has to reduce before the eggs go in, or the whites spread across a watery pan.
- Cumin and paprika are bloomed in oil so they taste toasted instead of raw.
- A lid sets the whites with steam while the yolks stay soft if you pull the pan on time.
- Feta and herbs are added after cooking, so they stay distinct on top of the sauce.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and bell pepper until softened, about 8 minutes.
- 2
Stir in the garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and salt. Cook 30 seconds, until the spices smell fragrant.
- 3
Add the tomatoes and simmer, stirring now and then, until the sauce is thick enough to hold a well, about 10 minutes. It should look like a stew, not a soup.
- 4
Make 4 wells in the sauce. Crack an egg into each well.
- 5
Cover and cook over medium-low until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. For firm yolks, cover 2 minutes longer.
- 6
Scatter the feta and cilantro over the top. Serve from the skillet.
Pro tips
- If the sauce is splattering and still thin, give it more simmering time before you add the eggs. This is the step that decides whether the dish works.
- Crack each egg into a small cup first so a broken yolk does not end up in the pan by surprise.
- Warm pita or toast is a common side. The skillet is complete without it.
Easy substitutions
- cilantro
- flat-leaf parsley
- feta
- crumbled goat cheese
- cayenne
- 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper for a milder heat
Storage and reheating
Storage
The sauce keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Eggs are best the day they are cooked.
Reheating
Warm leftover sauce and eggs, covered, over low heat until hot, about 5 minutes. The yolks will firm up. Fresh eggs in reheated sauce are better if you have them.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 250
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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