If this past year has taught me anything, it’s that you can practically pop a pin on a map on any country in the world and discover new ways to enjoy beloved ingredients – like eggs! Whether it’s creamy French baked eggs, fragrant tomatoey Italian eggs in purgatory, hearty Mexican Huevos rancheros, or this easy Turkish menemen (aka soft scrambled eggs with tomatoes and onions and peppers). This breakfast dish is light enough to enjoy as a simple breakfast/brunch, yet hearty enough to serve as a lunch or dinner. Serve with the bread of your choice like pide or simit /bagels (ready for spreading and mopping up the tomatoey sauce) for a simple yet satisfying meal. Best of all, this recipe requires just a handful of ingredients with just a few fresh items and then pantry staples. Plus, it’s ready in under 20 minutes from start to finish. It’s also versatile enough to become a great “clean out the fridge” option for all those veggies needing to be used asap!
What is Menemen?
Menemen is a traditional Turkish egg dish (originating in a small town called Menemen in Izmir), which combines tomatoes, several spices, green peppers, and eggs, and sometimes with onions (usually when made as a main, not for breakfast, and highly contested). Several modern versions include sucuk (spicy sausage), minced lamb, or other vegetables like mushrooms. While similar to shakshuka (eggs braised in a tomato sauce), Turkish menemen recipes scramble the eggs into the mixture for the most flavorful scrambled eggs with tomatoes that you’ve ever tried! Once cooked, menemen is commonly served for breakfast with a side of bread.
The Turkish Menemen Ingredients
Eggs: use large eggs. I like to use free-range eggs with deep yolks. Tomatoes: I used vine-ripened cherry tomatoes for their sweet, flavorful nature. Use the best ripe tomatoes that you can. Feel free to use larger tomatoes like Roma or heirloom, and chop them down to size. Green pepper: use a firm, ripe green pepper that is free of blemishes. Depending on where you’re based, it may be hard to find Turkish peppers (“sivri biber”, which are slightly spicy), but Padron, Anaheim, or Chinese long green peppers work well. I used a bell pepper this time, as it’s what I had – though you may then need extra pepper flakes to make up for the lack of heat. Onion: (optional) this is highly debated in Turkey. Include it if you’d like, but it’s 100% optional. Herbs/spices: I used a combination of red pepper flakes and parsley. Traditionally Aleppo pepper is used as it is slightly sweet; though you could also use hot red pepper flakes. You can also use salt & pepper to taste. Oil: I used extra virgin olive oil, which tastes great and increases the health benefits of the tomatoes when cooked together. You can use another neutral cooking oil, though, if preferred. Cheese: (optional) the Turkish options would be to use Kaşar cheese or white cheese (like feta). Mozzarella, goat cheese, Boursin, or cheddar (based on the flavor) would work, too.
Optional Add-ins and Variations
While most of the below additions are not traditional for a menemen recipe, they pair well with the Turkish scrambled eggs and taste delicious!
Butter: you can mix a tablespoon of butter into the tomato sauce before adding eggs for a creamier sauce. Protein: feel free to add the protein of your choice – sucuk (sausage), smoked salmon, etc. Herbs/seasonings: feel free to ramp up the flavor with the addition of dried herbs and spices such as paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mint, cumin, or thyme. Pepper/Tomato puree: for extra depth of flavor in the tomato sauce, you could add 1-3 Tbsp of either tomato puree or pepper paste (Biber salcasi). Vegetables: spinach, kale, thinly sliced mushrooms, zucchini, or olives could be added to the Turkish eggs. Fresh chilies: for extra heat, you could add some finely diced fresh chili (adjust the amount to personal taste). Pesto: swirl a little green pesto over the top of the Turkish eggs when serving. Yogurt: you could serve the eggs with a swirl of unsweetened natural yogurt. Vegan: you could make a similar dish by using regular or firm tofu.
How to Make Turkish Menemen?
Step 1: Prepare & Sauté the ingredients
First, wash and dry the tomatoes. Then finely chop the green pepper and onion (if using). Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet. Once hot, add the pepper and onion and sauté lightly for 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Add the tomatoes
Then, add the whole tomatoes, cover the pan with a lid, and reduce to medium-low heat to allow them to soften for several minutes (5-7). Alternatively, you can chop (and optionally peel) the tomatoes before adding them to the pan – it works either way. Then gently mash the tomatoes with a potato masher, fork, or the back of the spoon. Allow them to cook for 5 more minutes so that the mixture can reduce and thicken slightly. You can optionally remove the peel skins at this point if you’d prefer, too.
Step 3: Add the eggs
Crack the eggs into the pan and gently use a fork or spoon to scramble them into the mixture. Add a little salt and pepper if preferred. Alternatively, you can pre-scramble the eggs in a bowl before adding them to the pan. If you’re using cheese, then sprinkle that over the top now, then garnish with the parsley and chili powder and cover with a lid until the eggs are “just” barely set and the cheese has melted (3-4 minutes). Be careful not to overcook the Turkish scrambled eggs. They should be moist and fluffy rather than dry and crumbly. It’s best to cook them until just slightly undercooked. They’ll continue to cook in the hot sauce for several minutes before serving. Then, the Turkish scrambled eggs with tomatoes are ready to serve. I enjoy them particularly well with Turkish tea (çay) and some bread, like simit or pide.
How to Store?
Make ahead: you could make a double (or triple) batch of the tomato and onion sauce, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Then, when you feel like Menemen, reheat the portion of sauce, add the egg, and finish! Alternatively, slice the ingredients the night before and store them ready to cook the menemen recipe in the morning. Storing: this dish is best enjoyed fresh, so I highly recommend enjoying it immediately for the best flavor and texture. However, you can store leftovers in a container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat: to reheat, you can gently heat on the stovetop or in the microwave – optionally with a splash of water if needed.
Recipe Notes and Top Tips
Use fresh, quality ingredients: there are only a few key flavors in this menemen recipe, which means every ingredient counts. Use the best tomatoes and green pepper you can find, avoiding mealy and tasteless tomatoes. If tomatoes aren’t in season: use the highest quality tinned tomatoes that you can find, like DOP San Marzano plum tomatoes. The flavor won’t be the same, but they’ll do in a pinch. Don’t forget the bread: it completes the meal, providing you with the perfect space to top with the Turkish eggs and use for mopping up all the leftover tomatoey sauce. The egg to sauce ratio: feel free to reduce the eggs to just two or increase them to four based on the portion size and egg to sauce ratio that you’d prefer. The tomato texture: a Turkish friend told me that it’s traditional to hand-grate the tomatoes for this recipe. However, I haven’t tried it that way. Feel free to do so, though, if preferred. Separate the whites and yolks: for anyone who loves creamy egg yolks, I recommend separating the eggs. Add the whites to the pan and scramble into the tomato mixture, and cook for a minute. Then gently add the egg yolks over the top of the mixture and cover and cook until the egg whites are “just” set, and the yolks are only lightly cooked. That way, you can dip your bread directly into the yolks or scoop up the scrambled eggs with tomatoes and onions mixture.
More Eggy Breakfast & Brunch Dishes
Fluffy Scrambled Eggs (With Butter | + Flavor Variations!) Simple shakshuka Italian eggs in purgatory Sweet potato breakfast hash Savory oatmeal with egg Breakfast fried rice Fluffy cloud eggs How to boil eggs perfectly (soft, medium, hard) Homemade British Baked Beans French Baked Eggs in Oven (Shirred Eggs/Oeufs Cocotte) One-Pan Vegetarian Full English Breakfast (British Fry-Up)
If you try this menemen recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
