Spicy Harissa Shakshuka with Feta Cheese

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.

This harissa shakshuka is all about bold, layered flavor. The tomato base is rich and saucy, simmered with onion, garlic, and bell peppers, then spiced with cumin, turmeric, and paprika. A spoonful of harissa adds a smoky heat that gives the whole dish a little edge without overpowering it.

What I really love here is the addition of feta. It’s not traditional, but it works so well—the salty, creamy bites melt slightly into the sauce, balancing the spice beautifully. With the eggs nestled right into the pan, their yolks stay soft and runny, adding even more richness to each spoonful.

It’s warm, comforting, and full of character, all made in one pan. I like serving it with crusty bread or pita to scoop up every bit of that flavorful sauce—it’s the kind of dish that’s hard to stop eating.

Two other variations you might enjoy are my chorizo shakshuka and my green shakshuka with lemon-dill pesto.

How to make shakshuka ahead of time

If you’re planning to serve this harissa shakshuka for a big meal, you can prep most of it in advance.

Cook the recipe through to the point where you would add the eggs, then let the sauce cool and refrigerate it. The tomato-and-harissa base reheats beautifully, and the extra time actually helps the flavors deepen and come together.

When you’re ready to serve, warm the sauce on the stovetop until it’s gently simmering. Then add the eggs and cook until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft and runny.

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Spicy Harissa Shakshuka with Feta Cheese

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 55 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr

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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.

4

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 (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, 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

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. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving = ¼ of the recipe, Calories: 326kcal (16%), Carbohydrates: 21g (7%), Protein: 15g (30%), Fat: 21g (32%), Saturated Fat: 5g (31%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 372mg (124%), Sodium: 1933mg (84%), Potassium: 664mg (19%), Fiber: 4g (17%), Sugar: 13g (14%), Vitamin A: 3420IU (68%), Vitamin C: 100mg (121%), Calcium: 101mg (10%), Iron: 3mg (17%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.

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