If you love shakshuka, you’re going to love these Salsa Poached Eggs! Just like shakshuka, these eggs are poached in a rich tomato-based sauce, but I’ve traded in the sweet bell pepper and paprika for a sort of cooked salsa made with onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, and green chiles, giving it a southwest spin. The result is a really tasty and filling dish that can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. And, as always, I’ve got multiple serving suggestions and optional add-ins for you below so you can make it your own!

Originally posted 6-7-2011, updated 2-26-2022.

How to Serve Salsa Poached Eggs

I originally posted this recipe as a bowl meal served over grits. The tomatoey sauce goes perfectly with a hot bowl of grits, or even better yet, cheese grits, but it’s great served other ways as well. These saucy eggs also go great with tortilla chips. You can either serve the eggs in a bowl with tortilla chips crushed over top, or scoop the chips right into the sauce. Or, if you’re a rice person, serve the eggs and plenty of the sauce from the skillet over a bowl of warm rice.

What Else Can I Add?

I love this recipe because it’s really flexible. There are so many things you can add if you have them on hand. Try adding the following ingredients to the sauce:

Jalapeños
Chipotle powder (for extra smoky-spicy flavor)
Black beans
Chorizo
Fire-roasted corn

And you can also get creative with the toppings! Here are some extra topping ideas for your salsa poached eggs:

Cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Avocado
Hot sauce

Make 4-6 Eggs

I cooked four eggs in my “salsa” but you could probably fit six if you wanted to try to stretch it a little further!

Salsa Poached Eggs

These salsa poached eggs are like a southwest spin on shakshuka. Eggs poached in a rich and flavorful tomato sauce with green chiles.

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Israeli, Mediterranean, Moroccan, Southwest, Tunisian

Total Cost $3.96 recipe / $0.99 serving

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings

Calories 187kcal

Author Beth – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

1 yellow onion $0.32
2 cloves garlic $0.16
2 Tbsp olive oil $0.32
1 15oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes $1.00
1 4oz. can diced green chiles $0.67
2 Tbsp tomato paste $0.14
1/2 tsp cumin $0.05
1/8 tsp cayenne $0.02
1/2 tsp salt $0.03
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.02
1/2 cup water $0.00
4 large eggs $0.93
2 green onions, sliced $0.20
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro (optional) $0.10

Instructions

Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add both to a deep skillet with the olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft.
Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), green chiles (with juices), tomato paste, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and water. Stir to combine.
Allow the salsa to come up to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Let the salsa simmer for about ten minutes, or until it is slightly thickened.
Use the back of a spoon to make four indentations in the sauce. Crack one egg into each indentation.
Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let the eggs simmer in the sauce for 7-10 minutes, or until they reach your desired doneness (less time for runny yolks, more time for solid yolks).
Once the eggs are cooked, garnish with sliced green onion and chopped cilantro, then serve with tortilla chips or over a bowl of grits.

Nutrition

Shown served over a bowl of grits.

How to Make Salsa Poached Eggs – Step By Step Photos

Start by dicing one yellow onion and mincing two cloves of garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and 2 Tbsp olive oil to a deep skillet. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft.

Add one 15oz. can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes (with juices), one 4oz. can of diced green chiles (with juices), 2 Tbsp tomato paste, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, and ½ cup water. Stir to combine.

Allow the mixture to come up to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer the “salsa” for about 10 minutes. It should be a fairly thick sauce.

Use a spoon to make slight indentations in the sauce, then crack one egg into each indentation (four or six eggs total).

Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let the eggs simmer in the sauce for 7-10 minutes, or until they’ve reached your desired doneness. Set whites with runny yolks will be about seven minutes while a fully cooked yolk will take about ten minutes.