Wake up your kitchen with this Easy Moroccan Shakshuka — perfectly spiced eggs simmered in a rich tomato and pepper sauce. It’s bold, warming and ready in 25 minutes, making it ideal for breakfast, brunch or a quick cosy dinner.
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Craving more bold breakfasts? Try my Chilli Scrambled Eggs.
Looking for something creamy tonight? My Truffle Mushroom Pasta is a winner.
Why You’ll Love This Moroccan Shakshuka
- Ready in 25 minutes
- Uses simple, everyday ingredients
- Rich Moroccan flavours without being too spicy
- Perfect for breakfast, brunch or even a light dinner
- One-pan dish = minimal washing up
From My Kitchen
Shakshuka is one of my favourite “comfort-but-fresh” dishes — it’s warming, aromatic and packed with flavour, yet so easy to make. My Moroccan-inspired version leans into harissa for deeper warmth.
Over time, I’ve fine-tuned this dish to avoid the two most common problems: overcooked eggs and a watery sauce. In this recipe, you’ll cook everything slowly enough to build flavour while keeping the eggs perfectly soft and glossy.
Ingredient Notes (From My Kitchen)
A glance so you know what really matters for flavour:
- Harissa: This is key for Moroccan depth. Mild gives warmth; hot adds more punch.
- Peppers: Red peppers work best because they add natural sweetness.
- Tomatoes: Tinned chopped tomatoes are perfect; the sauce thickens nicely
- Eggs: Medium or large both work —cover the pan for even cooking
- Parsley or coriander: Fresh herbs brighten the whole dish.
- Onions & Garlic: provide the base of flavour to the dish
How to Make Moroccan Shakshuka
- Build the Flavour Base
Softened onions, red peppers and garlic cooking in olive oil form the base of the dish.
- Add Rose Harissa
Bloom the spices to release flavour — this adds the signature Moroccan depth.
- Add Tomatoes & Simmer
Let the sauce reduce until thickened and spoonable.
- Add Eggs
Make small wells and pour in your eggs from ramekins for accuracy.
- Cover & Poach
Cook gently for soft, jammy yolks or longer for firmer eggs.
Tips From My Kitchen
- Don’t rush the base. Soft onions and peppers make the sauce sweeter and richer.
- Cover the pan. This steams the tops of the eggs so they set without drying.
- Stop the eggs overcooking: remove the pan just before eggs are set — the heat of the sauce finishes them.
- Prefer runny eggs? Check from 5 minutes.
- Make serving easier: I use a wide serving spoon to scoop under the eggs without breaking the yolks.
- Use cast iron if you have it: it keeps heat more even.
- Taste the sauce before adding eggs. Adjust salt, pepper or harissa.
- Simmer slowly for flavour. A rushed sauce = watery shakshuka.
- Use fresh eggs: using the freshest eggs you can find allows them to set up evenly in the sauce
What Could Go Wrong
- The eggs overcook and turn rubbery – Remove the pan early and let residual heat finish them.
- The eggs won’t set on top – Cover the pan, it traps steam and cooks the tops evenly.
- The sauce is watery – Simmer longer before adding eggs. Add tomato paste if needed.
- Eggs spread everywhere – Your sauce isn’t thick enough. Reduce it a little more.
- The sauce tastes too acidic – Add ½ tsp sugar or a small knob of butter.
- Too spicy – Mix in yoghurt or extra tomatoes.
- Tastes bland or flat – Bloom spices for at least 1 minute before adding tomatoes.
- Bottom burns – Reduce heat early, especially with cast iron.
- Grey yolks – Heat is too aggressive — cook low and slow.
- Metallic taste – Happens with unseasoned pans — switch to enamelled or seasoned cast iron.
- Crunchy peppers – Cook onions & peppers for the full 6–7 minutes before tomatoes.
- Cloudy eggs – Your sauce boiled — reduce the heat.
Serving Suggestions
This shakshuka is best enjoyed with something to scoop up all that sauce:
- Toasted sourdough
- Crusty bread
- Flatbreads
- Crispy potatoes
Serve alongside another breakfast favourite from my Breakfast Hub.
If you’re serving brunch for a crowd, pair it with my Brioche Bread & Butter Pudding.
Prefer something cosy for dinner? Try my Truffle Mushroom Pasta — equally comforting and simple.
If you’re serving with sourdough, toast it in a non-stick frying pan for a crisp edge.
Storage & Reheating
Make ahead tip: Prepare the sauce in advance and add fresh eggs when ready to eat.
Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Reheat: Warm gently in a covered pan over low heat. Avoid microwaving — eggs can turn rubbery.
Shop My Recipe
These are the exact tools I use to make this recipe
• Cast iron skillet – caramelises the tomatoes and holds heat evenly
• Small ramekins – for cracking eggs cleanly before adding to the sauce
• Wooden spoon set – ideal for sautéing without damaging the pan
• Garlic press – speeds up prep and gets a consistent garlic mince
• Measuring spoon set – perfect for spices and harissa
Want to learn more about traditional shakshuka? This guide from Serious Eats explains its origins and variations.
FAQ’s
Yes — make the sauce ahead and poach the eggs when ready to serve.
Freeze the sauce only. Do not freeze cooked eggs.
A cast iron skillet gives the best flavour and even heat, but any deep non-stick or stainless steel pan works.
Reduce the rose harissa and add a pinch of sugar to balance the heat.
Watch How Easy It Is To Make Shakshuka
Try Another Recipe
Hungry for more easy, flavour-packed meals? Try one of these next.
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Easy Moroccan Shakshuka – Rich, Warming & Bursting With Flavour
Equipment
- 1 sieve
- 1 26 inch frying pan
- 1 chefs knife
- 1 wooden spoon
- 4 ramekins
- 1 set of measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 400 g tin of tomatoes
- 1 small onion
- 1-2 tsp harissa paste (sub 2 tsp smoked paprika and 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds)
- ¼ tsp dried chili flakes
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 red pepper
- small Handful chopped coriander
- small Handful chopped parsley
- 4 large eggs (preferably free-range)
Instructions
- Chop onions, red pepper and garlic
- Gently sauté onions and peppers for around 5 mins to soften over medium heat, then add garlic and chilli
- Cook for a minute then add the spices and cook spices out for a couple of minutes before adding the tin of tomatoes
- Stir and simmer gently for a few minutes
- Makes holes for eggs to poach in the tomato sauce. Add each egg to a sieve if necessary to drain away any watery egg white before adding to each hole, then cover the pan with a lid or plate and cook for between 5-8 minutes for runny egg yolks or until eggs are done to your liking
- Season the eggs with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh parsley and coriander then serve
Notes
- To help keep the yolks runny, spoon some of the tomato sauce over the egg whites before covering the pan with a plate. This will help cook the whites quickly and make it easier to get runny yolks.
- Keep the heat on low when you add the eggs, once you cover the pan with a plate, you are cooking the eggs from below with the gas and steaming them from above, overdone eggs can happen very quickly!
🛒 Shop the Recipe
Make this Moroccan Shakshuka just like I do:
The ingredients I use:
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Hi, I’m Paul, a cook and aspiring chef living with OCD, anxiety and depression. Scoffs & Feasts is where I share the low-effort meals that get me through the heavy days, and the bigger cooks that quiet my mind on the better ones. No perfect kitchens here. Let’s cook through the noise together.
