Breakfast · North-African
Shakshuka with Set Yolks
Eggs baked into a spiced tomato and pepper sauce until fully set, with feta and cilantro on top.
- Hands-on
- 30 min
- Hands-off
- 25 min
- Oven preheat
- 10 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Makes
- 8 eggs in sauce
- Serves
- 8
15 minutes chopping, about 25 minutes on the stove (the sauce simmers 15 of those), then the eggs bake. Runny-yolk shakshuka takes 5-8 minutes in the oven; we bake on until the yolks are firm, which takes several minutes longer, so check every 2 minutes. The oven heats while you chop.
Oven 200 °C · 180 °C fan (400 °F)
Pan large ovenproof skillet that holds 8 eggs in the sauce (US: large ovenproof skillet that holds 8 eggs in the sauce)
- easy
- vegetarian
- gluten-free
- brunch
- vegetarian
- one-pan
Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means
Scaling? Halve everything for 4 eggs in a smaller ovenproof pan. The egg time depends on how deep the eggs sit in the sauce, so go by the doneness check, not the clock. Some items (like eggs) don’t halve neatly: beat them, then measure out half.
Ingredients
You need: large ovenproof skillet (no plastic handle), wide enough for 8 eggs · wooden spoon · small cup for cracking eggs · oven mitts · instant-read thermometer (optional)
Contains: egg · milk
Method
Heat the oven
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F).
Ready when: The oven has reached 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F).
Soften the vegetables and spices
Heat 45 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil in the ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and red pepper, the 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp each chili powder, cumin and paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1/4 tsp cayenne. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes.
Ready when: The onion and pepper are starting to soften and the spices smell toasty; nothing is scorching.
Cook the tomato paste
Stir in 3 tbsp tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
Ready when: The paste darkens slightly and coats the vegetables.
Simmer the sauce
Add the 1.2 L (5 cups) chopped plum tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook about 15 minutes, stirring now and then.
Ready when: The sauce has thickened: a spoon drawn through it leaves a trail that fills in slowly.
Add the eggs
Make 8 hollows in the sauce with the back of a spoon. Crack each egg into a small cup first (so you can fish out any shell), then slide it into a hollow.
Bake until fully set
Wearing oven mitts, move the skillet to the oven. Bake 5 to 8 minutes, then keep baking and check every 2 minutes until the eggs are completely set. The handle stays very hot once it's out: drape a mitt or towel over it.
Ready when: Whites are opaque and firm all the way to the edges and the yolks are firm when pressed gently with a spoon, not runny. With a thermometer, the eggs read at least 71°C (160°F).
Otto tried this firstOtto grabs the skillet handle bare-handed straight from the oven. It stays scorching for a long time: keep a mitt on it.Finish and serve
Scatter 40 g (1/3 cup) crumbled feta and 4 tbsp (1/4 cup) chopped cilantro over the top and serve straight from the pan.
Swaps
- Instead of red bell pepper: a yellow bell pepper verified (another egg-board version uses yellow pepper)
- Instead of cilantro: fresh basil or parsley verified (other established versions finish with basil or parsley)
Make ahead, store & reheat
- Storage
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat
- Reheat until steaming hot all the way through, 74°C (165°F).
If something goes wrong
- Sauce is watery and the eggs sink Why: The sauce didn't simmer long enough.
Simmer until it's thick enough that a spoon leaves a slow-filling trail before adding the eggs. - Whites set but yolks still runny Why: The usual oven time is for soft yolks.
Keep baking and check every 2 minutes until the yolks are firm.
Good to know
- Crack each egg into a cup first: it's easy to spot a bit of shell and slide the egg neatly into its hollow.
- Serve with crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
Safety
- This version cooks the eggs until both whites and yolks are firm. Runny yolks are common in shakshuka but are not fully cooked; they're riskier for young children, older adults, pregnant people and anyone with a weakened immune system.
- The skillet and its handle stay extremely hot after the oven. Keep a mitt on the handle, set the pan on a heat-proof surface, and keep kids' hands away.
- Raw egg spreads germs: wash hands and the cracking cup after handling.
- Choose feta made from pasteurized milk.