Harissa Shakshuka
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This is comfort in a dish! Harissa shakshuka is a spicy tomato stew with perfectly cooked eggs. It has roots in Middle Eastern and North African cuisine, and now it has a spot on your breakfast table, too.
Once you've tried this harissa shakshuka recipe, you should give this chorizo shakshuka and green shakshuka a try, too!
Table of contents
Whether you're having this for brunch, breakfast, or dinner, this saucy dish is warm and simmering, with perfectly runny yolks. A little harissa paste is added to the rich tomato sauce so that's it's got a bit of a bite. The best part (besides being irresistible) is that there's lots to go around AND it's all made in one pan or your favorite cast iron skillet.
This dish does have a little heat, however, if you want to dive in slow, you can reduce the amount of harissa used in this recipe to adjust to your liking.
What is shakshuka?
Humans have been making and enjoying shakshuka for centuries. It's a testament to just how delicious shakshuka is.
It's a savory breakfast dish, full of soul-warming ingredients like onion, garlic, bell peppers, and tomatoes. The spice profile of ground cumin, turmeric, and paprika with the harissa paste has the aromatics dancing through your kitchen. And the entire dish is topped with eggs that are cracked and cooked right into the dish.
It's usually served with crusty bread or pita bread to soak up that delicious sauce.
How to make harissa shakshuka
Just 4 simple steps until you're in shakshuka bliss:
- Cook the veg in the spices: Heat the olive oil and add the onions. Then add the bell peppers and cook. Next comes the garlic, harissa, cumin, paprika, and turmeric which are cooked for 1 minute.
- Tomato time: Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, honey, red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Bring it to a simmer then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer. Just before adding the eggs, stir in the crumbled feta cheese.
- Add your eggs: Make 8 small holes in the sauce, making sure that the bottom of the pot isn't showing. Crack an egg into each hole.
- Cook the eggs: Put the pan back onto medium-low heat and cover the pan. Cook the eggs until the egg whites are cooked and the yolks runny.
The full list of ingredients and recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.
Tips to make perfect harissa shakshuka
A couple of notes to consider so that you'll absolutely nail the recipe and impress yourself and your family with this dish:
- Harissa can vary widely in spiciness. We usually use Mina harissa, which is widely available and mildly spicy. Taste your harissa before adding it and if it tastes really spicy, use less.
- The easiest way to add your eggs to the small holes is by cracking an egg into a small bowl and then pouring it into the hole in the sauce.
- When you add the tomatoes you can put a lid half on the frying pan to prevent splatters, but don't cover the pan all the way or it won't thicken.
How to make shakshuka ahead of time
If you're planning on serving shakshuka with harissa for a big meal and likely have a thousand other things that also need your attention in the kitchen, you can absolutely prep this in advance.
To do this, make the harissa shakshuka recipe up until you add the eggs. Don't add the eggs in advance as they simply won't taste as good reheated. The stew, however, is perfect for reheating and the extra time to sit before serving will actually allow the other flavors to meld together even more! Let the stew cool before you put it in the fridge.
When mealtime rolls around, put the stew back on the stovetop and allow it to come to a bubble. Now's the time to add your eggs and cook them until the whites have cooked and the yolks are gorgeous and runny.
Recipe FAQ
What can I substitute the harissa for?
If you don't have harissa at home or can't find it at your local supermarket, you can substitute it for garlic chili sauce, some sriracha, or hot sauce to give it some nice heat!
How do you serve shakshuka?
You can put the frying pan or cast iron skillet right on the table (on a trivet to protect the table) and allow family and guests to serve their own, family-style. You can dish out for everyone, however, it takes away from the impressive shakshuka display. Serve with your favorite bread (like our no yeast bread)or pita and enjoy!
How should I store shakshuka?
It's best eaten fresh, as the eggs will not keep well. You can keep the stew/tomato sauce (without the eggs) in the fridge for 3 days and in the freezer for a couple of months.
TIP: when we've had leftover shakshuka, we break the eggs up into the sauce and serve it on spaghetti noodles. With the eggs broken up, you hardly notice them and it turns into a delicious pasta!
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Harissa Shakshuka Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (you can get away with less if you're using a non-stick pan)
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 2 medium bell peppers (diced)
- 5 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 2 teaspoons harissa paste (see notes)
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1-2 teaspoons sea salt (to taste)
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ¼ cup feta cheese
- 8 large eggs
- Black pepper, minced parsley, and some feta cheese (to serve)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until they are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers, reduce the heat to medium, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, or until the peppers and onions are very soft. Add the garlic, harissa, cumin, paprika, and turmeric and cook for 1 minute more.3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 large onion, 2 medium bell peppers, 5 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons harissa paste, 1 ½ teaspoons cumin, 1 ½ teaspoons paprika, ½ teaspoon turmeric
- Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, honey, red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring it to a simmer then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring several times. You can put a lid half on the pan to prevent splatters, but don't cover the pan all the way or it won't thicken. Stir in the feta cheese then taste and add more salt if desired. Remove the skillet from the heat.28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1-2 teaspoons sea salt, ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper, ¼ cup feta cheese
- Make 8 small holes in the sauce, making sure that the bottom of the pot isn't showing. Carefully crack an egg into each hole. It is easiest to do this by cracking an egg into a small bowl and then pouring it into the hole in the sauce.8 large eggs
- Put the pan back onto medium-low heat and cover the pan. Cook the eggs for 5-7 minutes, until the whites are cooked and the yolks runny. Serve the harissa shakshuka with black pepper, minced parsley, and some feta cheese sprinkled over the top.Black pepper, minced parsley, and some feta cheese
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our breakfast recipes!
