Shakshuka: Eggs Poached in Spiced Tomato

This shakshuka recipe is the ultimate one-pan meal: eggs gently poached in a rich, spiced tomato and capsicum sauce. It's a staple across North Africa and the Middle East, brilliant for a lazy brunch or a fast dinner, and made almost entirely from pantry staples.

Why you'll love this shakshuka

• One pan, minimal washing up.
• Pantry-friendly — built on a jar of passata and a few spices.
• Brunch or dinner — endlessly satisfying either way.
• Vegetarian and easily scaled up or down.

What is shakshuka?

Shakshuka (from an Arabic word meaning “a mixture”) is a dish of eggs poached in a simmering sauce of tomatoes, peppers, onion and spices. Its origins are North African — most likely Tunisian or Libyan — and it spread through the Middle East and became a beloved staple in Israel, where it's an all-day cafe favourite.

At its heart it's peasant food: cheap, warming and infinitely adaptable. Cumin and paprika give it warmth; a spoon of harissa gives it fire. It's traditionally cooked and served in the same pan, eaten straight from it with plenty of bread for scooping up the sauce and runny yolks.

Ingredients you'll need

• Onion, red capsicum and garlic — the fresh base of the sauce.
• Tomato passata — or a tin of chopped tomatoes.
• Cumin and sweet paprika — the warm spice base.
• Harissa — optional, for heat and depth.
• Eggs — and feta and fresh herbs to finish.

How to make shakshuka, step by step

1. Soften. Cook the onion and capsicum in olive oil until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and harissa and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Simmer. Pour in the passata, season, and simmer 10 minutes until thickened.
3. Poach the eggs. Make wells in the sauce and crack in the eggs. Cover and cook gently 5–8 minutes until the whites set but the yolks stay runny.
4. Serve. Scatter with herbs and feta and serve straight from the pan with crusty bread.

Tips for the best shakshuka

• Keep the heat low once the eggs go in so the yolks stay soft.
• Make wells for the eggs so they nestle into the sauce.
• Reduce the sauce well before adding eggs — a watery base makes watery shakshuka.

Variations

Stir through wilted spinach, add chickpeas to make it heartier, or crumble in spicy sausage. A green shakshuka swaps the tomato for a base of greens and herbs.

Make ahead & storage

Make the tomato sauce base up to 3 days ahead (or freeze it), then reheat and poach fresh eggs to serve. Leftover sauce is great on pasta too.

What to serve with shakshuka

All it needs is crusty bread or warm flatbread, plus a dollop of hummus and a simple salad.

Shakshuka FAQ

Where is shakshuka from? North Africa, most likely Tunisia or Libya, now popular across the Middle East and Israel.

Can I make it dairy-free? Yes — just leave off the feta.

What do I serve with shakshuka? Plenty of bread for scooping, and maybe a fresh salad.

Can I make it ahead? Make the sauce ahead and poach the eggs fresh when serving.

Shop the ingredients

Grab passata, spices and harissa — in Artarmon or online. Serve with fresh bread from our bakery.

Hero photo by Joe Mahoney (CC BY 2.0) via Wikimedia Commons.