Menemen (Turkish-Style Scrambled Eggs with Peppers)
Menemen is a Turkish dish of scrambled eggs cooked with peppers, tomatoes, onions and seasonings. It is incredibly satisfying. Here is the recipe.
If you’ve ever enjoyed Shakshuka, I think you’ll also enjoy this Turkish recipe that brings your scrambled eggs to a whole new level.
We’re talking Menemen, and it will bit of rock and roll to your breakfast. Or dinner!
Menemen is a traditional Turkish dish that includes eggs, peppers, tomatoes and spices that are all cooked down in a pan with oil. Like Shakshuka, you can serve it for breakfast, but it can be and is often served as the main course.
It is usually served with some crusty bread for sopping up all the pan sauce, and I highly recommend doing so. You don’t want any of that awesomeness going to waste.
Let’s talk about how we make Menemen, shall we?
How to Make Menemen – The Recipe Method
First, heat up a large pan to medium heat and add in your olive oil.
Toss in some onion, peppers and chili flakes and cook them down about 5 minutes, until everything is nice and softened.
From my understanding, there is debate on whether or not to include onion with traditional Menemen, so feel free to omit them. I included them because I love the flavor.
Next, add some garlic and cook another minute until you can smell the garlic. So good.
Add in your tomatoes with a bit of salt and pepper and stir them up. Cook them down until the tomatoes soften and lose some of their juices. Don’t let the pan dry out. About 10 minutes or so.
Next, beat the eggs in a bowl very lightly, then pour them into the pan.
Tilt the pan a bit to let the egg mixture drip into the many nooks and crannies of your sauce. Do not mix it through.
Cook them a couple minutes, or until the eggs are starting to set. Remove from heat and let the eggs finish cooking in the warm sauce, a few minutes more. If you prefer your eggs more set, just cook them longer as desired.
Sprinkle with fresh herbs, crumbly feta cheese and spicy chili flakes. Serve with warmed bread or tortillas.
Looks great, doesn’t it? Grab a fork! Go to town!
Recipe Notes
- The Oil. One key to this recipe is the amount of oil you’re using. It may sound like a lot of oil, but it is necessary for the final flavor of the dish, so don’t skimp on the oil.
- The Bread. You can serve it with crusty bread, which is traditional, but we also enjoy serving our Menemen with tortillas for a nice breakfast taco.
- Meal Variation. If you want to serve your Menemen as a main course, you can easily add in some meat, like crumbly sausage or chicken, to make it more of a meal.
About the Chili Peppers
Menemen is best if you can use peppers from the Turkish region, such as Aleppo peppers or Urfa Bibers, but you can sub them for any local peppers grown or sold in your area.
Great choices are red bell peppers or any Italian sweet red peppers, like the Corno di Toro or Carmen Italians, or try it with New Mexican varieties.
I feel it works best with thicker walled peppers that have a bit of heat to them for more substance, but in reality, most red or green peppers will do. And yes, you can make with green peppers as well.
Try the Anaheim, which is usually easy to find in most stores in the U.S. I grew Aleppo peppers in my garden this year specifically for making Menemen and also for drying to make a nice Aleppo powder.
Tips for Cooking the Eggs
I like to beat the eggs very lightly, though you can really scramble them if you’d like. Also, just pour them in the pan to let the eggs run through the nooks and crannies of the sauce, but you can stir them in more thoroughly if you’d like.
I enjoy the small islands of sauce that form up for a bit of variety with each bite.
That’s it, my friends! Let me know what you think about Menemen! I hope you enjoy it.
Try Some of My Recipes Similar to Menemen
- Migas
- Shakshuka
- Jacked-Shuka – Extra Spicy Eggs in Hell
- Chilaquiles Rojos with Ancho Chili Sauce
- Chilaquiles Verdes
- Huevos con Chorizo
- Spicy Pepper Lover’s Omelet
- Huevos Rancheros Casserole
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Menemen – Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion diced (white or yellow, optional)
- 1 cup chopped peppers See comments above - use Aleppo or Urfa Biber if you can find them, or use red bell peppers for a common variety
- 1 teaspoon spicy chili flakes Aleppo preferred, but paprika or cayenne are good subs
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1.5 cups grated or diced tomatoes with their juices
- 5 eggs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- FOR SERVING: Crusty bread or small tortillas spicy chili flakes, crumbly feta cheese, fresh chopped parsley or basil
Instructions
- Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Add the onion, peppers and chili flakes and cook them down about 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook another minute.
- Add the tomatoes with a bit of salt and pepper and stir them up. Cook them down until the tomatoes soften and lose some of their juices. Don’t let the pan dry out. About 10 minutes or so.
- Beat the eggs in a bowl very lightly, then pour them into the pan. Tilt the pan a bit to let the egg mixture drip into the many nooks and crannies of your sauce. Do not mix it through.
- Cook them a couple minutes, or until the eggs are starting to set. Remove from heat and let the eggs finish cooking in the warm sauce, a few minutes more. If you prefer your eggs more set, just cook them longer as desired.
- Sprinkle with fresh herbs, crumbly feta cheese and spicy chili flakes. Serve with warmed bread or tortillas.
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