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Shakshuka with Chorizo & Feta
Shakshuka with chorizo and feta is one of those dishes that manages to feel both rustic and a little bit dramatic in the very best way. Eggs poach gently in a rich tomato and pepper sauce, chorizo brings smoky heat, and feta softens everything with its salty creaminess. It is the sort of breakfast or brunch that wakes you up properly and makes the whole kitchen smell like something worth getting out of bed for.
Shakshuka with Chorizo
This shakshuka with chorizo and feta is my go-to when I want something hearty but still packed with veggies and flavour. The smoky heat from the chorizo turns the rich tomato base into something magical, while the eggs poach gently right on top. A little crumble of feta brings a salty, creamy finish that makes every bite dreamy. It’s all done in one pan, perfect for brunch, lunch or a lazy dinner. I love serving it with toasted sourdough to mop up every last bit.
Ingredients
- 100 g Chorizo, finely diced
- 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
- 1 Red Pepper, finely sliced
- 2 x 400 g tin diced Tomatoes
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground Cumin
- 4 Eggs, large
- 100g feta, crumbled
- Toast, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (conventional).
- In an ovenproof skillet, cook the chorizo over medium heat until starting to colour, about 5 minutes.
- Add the onion and red pepper and saute for 4-5 minutes, or until soft.
- Add the garlic and cumin and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Stir through the diced tomatoes and bring to a steady simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes have cooked down and thickened.
- Make four pockets in the sauce and crack one egg into each pocket. Sprinkle the eggs and sauce with crumbled feta.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your preference.
- Serve straight from the skillet with crusty toast.
Notes
- Shakshuka is a North African and Middle Eastern classic that's equally brilliant for breakfast, brunch, or a quick weeknight dinner. The chorizo takes it in a slightly Spanish direction and adds a smoky, paprika-rich depth that works beautifully with the tomato sauce.
- I use this ovenproof skillet for shakshuka. It goes from stovetop to oven seamlessly and looks great served straight to the table.
- Spanish chorizo is best here as it releases its smoky, paprika-rich oils as it cooks, which flavours the entire sauce. Fresh chorizo sausages won't give you the same result.
- The chorizo is already quite salty, so season carefully and taste before adding extra salt.
- Watch the eggs closely in the oven. The difference between a runny yolk and a hard yolk is only a minute or two. Check from 8 minutes and pull them when the whites are just set but the yolk still has a wobble.
- Feta scattered over the top adds a lovely salty, creamy contrast to the rich tomato sauce. Don't skip it.
- For extra depth, add a pinch of smoked paprika or a teaspoon of harissa paste when cooking the garlic and cumin.
- This is a one-pan dish, which means minimal washing up. Serve it straight from the skillet at the table for maximum effect.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, though the eggs will continue to cook as the sauce cools. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat.
- The tomato sauce base freezes well for up to 2 months without the eggs. Defrost in the fridge overnight, reheat on the stovetop, and add fresh eggs when ready to serve.
What I Cook With
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 323Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 230mgSodium: 871mgCarbohydrates: 17gNet Carbohydrates: 0gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gSugar Alcohols: 0gProtein: 19g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
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Shakshuka with Chorizo & Feta, and A Nigella-Inspired Morning
I originally discover Shakshuka (also known as Eggs in Purgatory) through Nigella‘s Nigellissima back in 2012. Although truth be told, I think it might have been the TV show that pulled me in first (I’ve got the book too, of course) and it’s one of those dishes that has lingered in the back of my mind ever since. On certain Saturday mornings, when the light hits the kitchen just right and I’ve got a quiet day ahead, all I want is something hot, spicy and full of flavour to kick things off. And this Shakshuka with Chorizo & Feta is always the one I turn to.
There’s something incredibly comforting about starting your day with a skillet of poached eggs nestled in a rich, spiced tomato and pepper sauce. It’s warming, it’s filling, and it jolts you awake in the best possible way. And while traditional Shakshuka doesn’t usually include chorizo or feta, I find both are absolutely worth the deviation. The chorizo gives everything a bit of smokiness and depth, while the salty, creamy feta scattered on top takes the edge off the heat. Served up with crusty toast, it’s one of those breakfasts (or brunches) that feels worthy of a little victory dance.
The origins of Shakshuka span North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, which is probably why the flavour is so vibrant and unapologetic. It’s not subtle food – it’s bold and spicy and unashamedly saucy, the sort of dish that makes you sit up a little straighter in your chair. I love how the oil from the chorizo seeps into the sauce and how the eggs gently poach until the whites are set and the yolks are still just the right side of runny. This version isn’t authentic, but it is utterly delicious.
The Chorizo Twist
I know, I know. Chorizo in Shakshuka is not exactly traditional. But sometimes rules are made to be broken. The spicy sausage adds so much richness to the dish that it’s hard to go without once you’ve tried it. I dice it quite finely so that every bite of sauce ends up with a bit of smoky meatiness. As it cooks, the chorizo releases its paprika-stained oils, which meld beautifully with the onions, peppers and garlic. It builds a base that’s far more flavourful than you’d get with just olive oil alone.
What I particularly love is how the chorizo seems to bring everything together – it intensifies the tomato sauce and makes it feel a bit more substantial, which is great if you’re someone who likes a breakfast that keeps you going past lunch. It also contrasts beautifully with the feta, which I add at the very end, just before serving. The balance of heat and salt is spot on, and if you’re sharing the skillet with someone else, the fight for the last scoop of chorizo-soaked tomato is very, very real.
And just quietly, it’s the sort of dish that gives the illusion of effort without actually requiring much. It’s mostly about layering flavour. A little patience as the sauce thickens, a careful eye to make sure the eggs don’t overcook. That’s it. No fancy ingredients, no fuss, just good food that makes you feel like you’ve done something kind for yourself.
The Joy of Feta
Now, I know feta is divisive. Some love it, some find it a bit too strong. But in this Shakshuka, the feta works like a dream. Crumbled over the top right before serving, it melts just enough to soften but still holds its shape. The creaminess tempers the spice from the chorizo and adds a fresh, tangy edge to the dish. It also looks rather pretty, nestled amongst the eggs and ruby-red sauce.
If feta really isn’t your thing, boccacini is a good alternative. Milder in flavour but still incredibly melty. Or go in the other direction and use goat’s cheese for something a bit deeper and earthier. I’ve tried both, and while I still come back to feta, the others absolutely work. It’s the salty hit that’s key here. Without it, the dish can feel a bit one-note. But with it? Magic.
What I really enjoy about the feta is how it elevates the dish into something you could easily serve to guests. Shakshuka might be rustic and homely, but with the right finishing touches (a scatter of herbs, a good drizzle of olive oil, a wedge of sourdough on the side), it’s also very chic. The kind of thing that makes you look effortlessly competent in the kitchen. Even if you’ve just rolled out of bed and thrown this together in your pyjamas.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this without the chorizo? Yes. Leave the chorizo out entirely and start with a drizzle of olive oil to cook the onion and red pepper. The sauce will be less smoky and rich but still completely delicious as a classic vegetarian shakshuka. A pinch of smoked paprika added with the cumin helps compensate for the depth the chorizo would have provided.
How do I know when the eggs are done? Watch them closely from the eight-minute mark. You want the whites fully set but the yolk still visibly wobbly when you move the pan. The difference between a runny yolk and a hard yolk in the oven is genuinely only a minute or two, and the eggs will continue cooking slightly from residual heat after the pan comes out, so pull them a touch earlier than you think you need to.
Can I make the sauce ahead? Yes, and it’s a good move. The tomato sauce base without the eggs freezes beautifully for up to two months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, reheat on the stovetop, then make the egg pockets and proceed from there. It makes this an even faster weeknight dinner.
Ingredient breakdown
Chorizo
Spanish chorizo rather than fresh chorizo sausages, which is an important distinction. Spanish chorizo is cured and releases its smoky, paprika-rich fat as it cooks, which flavours the entire sauce from the very first step. Fresh chorizo has a completely different texture and won’t give you the same result. Finely dice it so it distributes evenly through the sauce rather than sitting in large chunks. The chorizo is already quite salty, so season the sauce carefully and taste before adding anything.
Onion and red pepper
The vegetable base of the sauce, cooked in the chorizo fat after the meat has had a few minutes to render and colour. The onion and pepper absorb all that smoky, paprika-rich oil as they soften, which means they’re already well flavoured before the garlic and cumin go in.
Garlic and ground cumin
Added together after the vegetables have softened, cooked for just a minute until fragrant. Garlic and cumin are the classic aromatics in a shakshuka base and they work with the smoky chorizo fat to give the sauce its distinctly North African and Middle Eastern character. For extra depth, a pinch of smoked paprika or a teaspoon of harissa at this stage takes the sauce somewhere very good.
Diced tomatoes
Two tins, which gives you a generous, substantial sauce that the eggs can sit in properly without getting lost. The tomatoes simmer down for five minutes until they’ve thickened and concentrated slightly before the eggs go in, which means they’re holding the eggs rather than just drowning them in thin liquid.
Eggs
Four large eggs cracked into pockets made in the sauce, then finished in the oven rather than on the stovetop, which gives you more control over the cooking and ensures more even heat around each egg. The goal is fully set whites and a yolk that still wobbles when the pan moves. Watch them from eight minutes and don’t walk away.
Feta
Crumbled over the eggs and sauce before the pan goes into the oven, where it softens and warms through without fully melting. It adds a salty, creamy contrast to the rich tomato sauce and the smoky chorizo that ties the whole dish together. Don’t skip it.
Salt and pepper
Season the tomato sauce after it’s simmered for five minutes, tasting carefully because the chorizo has already contributed significant saltiness to the base. A light hand initially is the right approach.
Crusty toast
Not optional. Shakshuka without something to drag through the sauce and yolk is a missed opportunity. Toast, pita, or flatbread, any of them work. Just make sure there’s bread on the table.
Serve this with
- A dollop of Greek yoghurt or whipped feta over the top just before serving, which adds a cooling creaminess that works really well against the spiced tomato base.
- Warm pita bread or flatbreads for scooping up the sauce and egg together in one go.
- A simple cucumber and tomato salad on the side for a fresh contrast to the richness of the dish.
