Easy Shakshuka Recipe with Feta
Easy shakshuka with feta 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.
Servings: 4
Calories: 415kcal
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced small
- 1 red bell pepper diced small
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt divided
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 28- ounce 794-gram can diced tomatoes (with all their juices)
- 3 ounces (85 grams) feta cheese, crumbled
- 8 eggs
- ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley or cilantro
- Crusty bread or pita for serving optional
Instructions
- Heat the 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 half the salt and the freshly ground black pepper.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes, until somewhat tender.
- Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and red 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.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. 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.
- Remove from heat and sprinkle with parsley or cilantro.
- Serve with crusty bread or pita, if you like.
Video
Notes
- A good old yellow onion works great here, but this is not a fussy recipe. You can swap in a red onion or a couple of shallots if that's what you've got on hand. Dice it nice and small so it almost melts into the sauce. I aim for ¼-inch (smaller for shallots).
- You can use red, orange, or yellow bell pepper for this recipe. I like to use red when I have it, just because the color melts into the tomato sauce. Their flavors are basically indistinguishable. Dice the pepper nice and small, too.
- The recipe calls for a fair amount of garlic, and you can add more if you like — I often do. Chop it evenly but somewhat roughly (as opposed to mincing), so that it won't burn.
- The sauce packs a deep savory flavor from a combination of ground cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes. As written, this recipe has a very mild heat. You can add more red pepper flakes to suit your preference.
- You can use one 28-ounce can or one 26.5-ounce box of diced tomatoes (sometimes sold as chopped tomatoes), including all their juices. Different brands vary in consistency — the liquid may be thinner or thicker. They'll all work just fine. If your brand is on the thicker side, you may want to simmer the sauce with a lid on to prevent further thickening, and perhaps even add a little bit of water before doing so. Simmer for the full time period regardless, so the flavors have a chance to bloom. The goal is to end up with a sauce thick enough to allow you to create divots for the eggs.
- Good-quality eggs with beautiful golden yolks make this recipe the best version of itself. How long to cook them is a matter of personal preference — keep in mind that they will continue to firm up a bit as they sit in the hot pan. I prefer the whites set and the yolks a bit runny.
- I like to use a mild, cow's milk feta that crumbles well and isn't too soft. In this case, you can add it to the sauce right before or right after you put in the eggs. With softer varieties, you may want to add them at the end, right before sprinkling on the herbs. You can leave the cheese out and still end up with a beautifully flavored dish. Or try substituting fresh goat cheese for another great variation.
- I like to use chopped fresh cilantro when we have it, for a big burst of freshness and flavor. Flat-leaf (Italian) parsley works well too, if you prefer. If I have scallions in the fridge, I'll often slice a couple and add them as well.
- Shakshuka is fabulous exactly as-is (and even without the feta, if you prefer). But it also takes beautifully to additions. My favorites are a few ounces of diced Spanish-style chorizo (which you can sauté along with the onion and pepper), a can chickpeas (drained, rinsed, and dried), or a can of black beans (same deal). If using beans, stir them in right before adding the eggs.
- 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.
- If you prefer, you can cook this dish, covered, in the center of a 400°F oven from step 8 forward (after cracking in the eggs). The eggs should set in 10-ish minutes there, too, maybe a little less. Start checking at the 5 minute mark.
Nutrition
Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 22.5g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 29g | Fiber: 5.2g