Shakshuka (Poached Eggs in Spiced Tomato Sauce)

Shakshuka belongs to the breakfast tables of Tunisia and Libya, where it has simmered for generations — a thick tomato and pepper sauce with eggs poached right in the pan. It needs nothing but bread to be a complete meal, and it has crossed every border to become one of North Africa’s great gifts to the world. Every home has its own version, every version is the best, and it is the breakfast that stretches into brunch and back again.

Sunny eggs in a smoky red sea

The sauce is the foundation: slowly cooked onions and peppers sweetened by the tomatoes, warmed by cumin, paprika, and a flick of heat. The eggs poach until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft, ready to be dragged through the sauce with torn bread. It is forgiving, one-pan, and endlessly adaptable — add feta, olives, or chickpeas to the sauce and make it yours. The only rule is good bread, and plenty of it.

Craving more? Explore all North African Kitchen recipes.

Part of the Middle Eastern pantry tradition — see the full guide to 20 essential Middle Eastern pantry ingredients.

North African recipes →