5-Ingredient Skillet Eggs in Tomato Sauce (Ready in 20 Minutes)
One pan, five ingredients, eggs poached right in the sauce. Done in 20 minutes.
When you're staring at the fridge with zero ideas and even less energy, this is the answer. It's built on the shakshuka tradition — eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce — but stripped down to just five pantry staples so there's nothing to overthink. The sauce comes together while you open a can, the eggs go in, and dinner is on the table in about 20 minutes. It's warm, a little saucy, and genuinely satisfying. Expect a loose, scoopable texture — serve it with bread to mop up the sauce and you're done.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 unit garlic cloves — thinly sliced or minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 unit can crushed tomatoes — 28 oz
- 4 unit large eggs
- 1 pinch salt and black pepper — to taste
Method
- 1 Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute until fragrant and just starting to turn golden.
- 2 Stir in the smoked paprika and cook for 30 seconds, letting it bloom in the oil.
- 3 Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- 4 Use a spoon to make 4 shallow wells in the sauce. Crack one egg into each well.
- 5 Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 5–7 minutes, until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny. (Cook 1–2 minutes longer if you prefer fully set yolks.)
- 6 Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning. Serve straight from the skillet with crusty bread or pita for scooping.
Variations
- Add feta for richness — Crumble 2 oz of feta cheese over the top right before serving. It melts slightly into the sauce and adds a salty, creamy contrast without any extra cooking.
- Faster version — Use a jar of good-quality marinara sauce instead of canned crushed tomatoes and skip the garlic and paprika step entirely — just warm the sauce, make the wells, and poach the eggs. Total time drops to about 12 minutes.
- Add greens — Stir a few large handfuls of baby spinach into the sauce after it thickens. It wilts in about 1 minute and adds nutrition without changing the flavor much.
Notes
The sauce thickens as it sits — if you're reheating leftovers, add a splash of water and warm gently over low heat. A pinch of red pepper flakes stirred in with the paprika adds a nice kick if you want heat. Don't skip the bread — it's what makes this feel like a complete meal.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet with a lid — The lid traps steam and cooks the egg whites through without flipping, which is how you get set whites and runny yolks.
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