How to Make Shakshuka for the Laziest Brunch Ever
2025-02-02 · 7 min read
Shakshuka is the laziest impressive meal you will ever make. It is eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce, served in the same pan it was cooked in, eaten with bread for dipping. One pan, about twenty minutes, feeds four people, and it looks like you spent an hour. It is the brunch dish that rewards minimal effort with maximum satisfaction.
Start by heating olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add a diced onion and cook until soft, about five minutes. Add three or four cloves of minced garlic and a diced bell pepper. Cook for another two minutes. Now add a teaspoon each of cumin, paprika, and a half teaspoon of chili flakes. Stir the spices into the vegetables and let them bloom for thirty seconds. Your kitchen will smell incredible.
Pour in a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes and stir everything together. Season with salt and a pinch of sugar to cut the acidity. Let the sauce simmer for about ten minutes until it thickens slightly. You want it loose enough to poach eggs but thick enough to hold them in place. This is the moment to taste and adjust. More salt, more spice, more heat: do it now.
Use a spoon to create shallow wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each one. You want four to six eggs depending on the pan size and how hungry your crowd is. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for five to eight minutes, until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. The residual heat will continue cooking them once you remove the lid, so pull it earlier than you think.
Finish with a handful of crumbled feta, a drizzle of olive oil, and fresh cilantro or parsley. Serve it straight from the skillet with crusty bread, pita, or challah for soaking up every bit of that sauce. Shakshuka comes from North African and Middle Eastern traditions and has become a global brunch staple because it is delicious, inexpensive, and requires no technique beyond basic stovetop cooking.
