Easy Shakshuka Recipe with Feta

This shakshuka recipe is one of our favorite ways to have eggs for dinner, and it’s equally great for brunch. It’s a quick, easy, one-pan meal that’s full of comfort and flavor.

Why we love this recipe

Shakshuka is world-class easy comfort food. It comes together quickly, and you can even make the sauce in advance if you like. Chez Cope, we don’t always eat shakshuka, but when we do, we usually eat it for dinner. That said, it makes a fabulous brunch or breakfast too.

Our version has tons of flavor (whether or not you add the feta), and it’s got a satisfying amount of heat without being too spicy.

What is shakshuka?

Shakshuka (sometimes spelled shakshouka) is a savory dish of eggs poached in a tomato stew typically flavored with onions, red peppers, garlic, cumin, and other spices.

Theories of shakshuka’s precise origin vary, with possible roots in Morocco, Tunisia, Ottoman Turkey, and Yemen. For a long time, shakshuka has been served in many households throughout the middle east and north Africa.

More recently, thanks in part to the popularity of culinary giants like Ottolenghi and  Zahav, shakshuka has proliferated more widely throughout the world.

As is true of many Middle Eastern foods, shakshuka is a real indication of historic migration and also, I like to think, of how similar we all are despite the many ways in which we sometimes put our differences first.

Shakshuka ingredients

To make this easy recipe, you’ll need a handful of ingredients, most of which are easy to keep in stock. You’ll use:

• Olive oil
• Onion
• Red bell pepper
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic
• Ground cumin
• Smoked paprika
• Red pepper flakes
• Canned chopped tomatoes
• Feta (optional)
• Eggs
• Parsley

How to make shakshuka

Shakshuka is an easy one-pan meal. You can see all the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post. You will:

• Find a nice wide pan with a lid. (We like to use this one or this one.)
• Pour in the olive oil and warm it over medium heat.
• Sauté the onion and red bell pepper.
• Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant.
• Pour in the tomatoes and simmer until slightly thickened
• Stir in the feta, if you’re using it.
• Use a spoon to make a small well for each egg, one at a time, and crack the egg into it.
• Cover the pan and simmer until the eggs are set.
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Tips for shakshuka with feta

• If you want to get a head start, you can make the sauce well ahead of time and just reheat it to a simmer before dropping the eggs in.
• Leftovers store well tightly sealed in the fridge for about a week.

Continue to Content

Yield: Serves 4

Easy Shakshuka Recipe with Feta

Print

Shakshuka makes a good dinner and a fabulous brunch or breakfast too. If you want to get a head start, you can make the sauce well ahead of time and just reheat it to a simmer before dropping the eggs in.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 26.6-ounce box chopped tomatoes
• 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 8 eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Crusty bread or pita for serving

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a heavy 12-inch frying pan with tall sides and a lid (which you'll use later). Add onion and red bell pepper along with a good pinch of the salt and some freshly ground black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until somewhat tender. Add garlic, cumin, paprika and pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, two minutes more. Add tomatoes and remaining salt and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in feta.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and, working one at a time, use a spoon to make a small well for each egg and crack egg into it. Cover pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until whites are set. (See note.) Remove from heat and sprinkle with parsley and more salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread or pita.

Notes

Alternatively, you can cook this dish in a 400°F oven from this point forward. The eggs should set in 10-ish minutes there, too, maybe a little less. Start checking at the 5 minute mark.

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Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 415Total Fat: 29gCarbohydrates: 22.5gFiber: 5.2gProtein: 20g

Did you make this recipe?

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