Shakshuka Egg Muffin Cups
All the cumin-and-paprika-scented flavor of shakshuka baked into portable egg cups. A thick, spiced tomato and bell pepper base is spooned into a muffin tin, topped with feta and set eggs, then finished with fresh parsley. They're great for meal prep and breakfast on the go.
- Prep
- 18 min
- Cook
- 37 min
- Wait
- 10 min
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Makes
- 12 egg muffin cups (2 per serving)
Steps
Before you start
- Drain the canned tomatoes in a sieve for a few minutes. Excess liquid makes watery egg cups.
- Dice the onion and bell pepper into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces so they cook through and fit easily into the cups.
- Use a nonstick muffin tin and grease it generously. Eggs stick stubbornly to bare metal.
- Preheat the oven only when you start the sauce. It needs about 15 minutes, which matches the cooking time.
Preheat and grease tinOven 350°F / 175°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease all 12 cups of the muffin tin generously, including the rims, with cooking spray or softened butter.
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Ready when: Every cup is evenly glossy with no dry spots.
Tip: Grease the top of the tin too, because the eggs puff up and can stick around the edges.
Soften onion and pepper
- Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch (25 cm) skillet over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the diced onion and bell pepper with the ¼ tsp salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 6 minutes.
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Ready when: The onion is translucent and the pepper pieces are soft and slightly shiny, with no raw crunch.
Tip: Keep the dice small. Large pieces will poke out of the cups and cook unevenly.
Bloom garlic and spices
- Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, optional cayenne and the tomato paste.
- Stir constantly for 1 minute so the spices toast in the oil and the paste darkens slightly.
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Ready when: The mixture smells fragrant and toasty, and the paste turns a deeper brick red.
Tip: If the garlic starts to brown, lower the heat. Burnt garlic turns bitter.
Simmer tomatoes until thick
- Stir in the drained diced tomatoes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.
- Mash the larger tomato pieces against the pan with a spoon as you go.
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Ready when: When you drag a spoon across the pan bottom, the trail stays open for a second and no liquid pools. The sauce should look jammy, not soupy.
Tip: A wet sauce leaks into the eggs and makes soft, soggy cups, so keep simmering if it looks loose.
Cool the sauce
- Remove the skillet from the heat and let the sauce cool for 5 minutes.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of the chopped parsley.
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Ready when: The sauce is warm to the touch but no longer steaming heavily.
Whisk the eggs
- In a large bowl or spouted 4-cup (1 L) measuring cup, whisk the eggs, milk, ½ tsp salt and black pepper for about 30 seconds.
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Ready when: The mixture is a uniform pale yellow with no streaks of egg white and a few small bubbles on top.
Tip: A spouted measuring cup makes pouring into the cups much cleaner.
Fill the cups
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the tomato mixture into the bottom of each cup.
- Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of feta over each.
- Pour the egg mixture over the top, filling each cup about ¾ full (roughly 3 tablespoons / 45 ml each).
- Give each cup a gentle stir with a fork tip.
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Ready when: Each cup is about ¾ full with the egg level about ¼ inch (6 mm) below the rim.
Tip: Don't fill to the top. The eggs puff while baking and will spill over.
Bake until setOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20 to 22 minutes, rotating the tin front to back after 12 minutes if your oven is uneven.
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Ready when: The centers look set and spring back when lightly pressed, and an instant-read thermometer in the center reads 160°F (71°C). The cups are puffed with no wobble.
Tip: Overbaking makes them rubbery. Pull them as soon as the centers are set.
Rest and release
- Rest the tin on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- The cups will deflate slightly.
- Run a thin spatula or butter knife around each edge and lift the cups out.
- Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and serve warm.
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Ready when: The edges have pulled slightly from the tin and the cups lift out intact.
Tip: If a cup sticks, press the spatula down the side and gently twist before lifting.
Good to know
Tips
- Squeeze the drained tomatoes lightly in a sieve. A thick base is the key to cups that hold together.
- Use a nonstick tin and silicone liners if you have them for the easiest release.
- Fill the cups evenly, using the same amount of egg in each, so they all bake in the same time.
- Serve with warm pita, crusty bread or a green salad to make it a full meal.
Make ahead
"Make the tomato-pepper base up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature (or warm briefly) before filling the cups. The baked cups can also be made 3 days ahead; see storage."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezer: freeze on a tray until firm, then bag for up to 2 months. Reheat refrigerated cups in the microwave for 30 to 40 seconds, or at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes. Reheat frozen cups from frozen in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15 minutes, or microwave for 60 to 90 seconds, until steaming hot in the center (165°F / 74°C)."
Substitutions
- feta cheese → Crumbled goat cheese or shredded halloumi. Goat cheese is creamier. Halloumi is saltier, so you may want to skip the added egg salt.
- whole milk → Unsweetened plain almond or oat milk, or water. Plain water works too, but the cups will be slightly less tender.
- canned diced tomatoes → Fresh ripe tomatoes (about 2 medium, finely diced). Cook 3 to 5 minutes longer so the extra moisture cooks off.
- cayenne pepper → Harissa paste (½ tsp, stirred in with the tomato paste). Adds heat and a deeper North African flavor.