Menemen
Turkish soft eggs scrambled with tomato and green pepper.
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Join HomecookedIngredients
- 4 Egg
- 3 Tomato
- 2 Bell pepper
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
- 20 g Butter
- 2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp Salt
Method
- Chop the bell peppers and grate the tomatoes.
- Soften the peppers in the oil and butter over medium heat, then add the grated tomato, Aleppo pepper, and salt and cook down until jammy, about 7 minutes.
- Pour in the beaten eggs and stir gently until just softly set.
- Serve straight from the pan with bread.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.
About Menemen
Menemen is the classic Turkish breakfast of soft eggs cooked into a base of tomato and green pepper, a staple of morning tables and casual eateries across Turkey. It differs from a plain scramble in method and mood: the peppers are softened first in butter and olive oil, then grated tomato is cooked down with Aleppo pepper until jammy, and only then are the eggs stirred through so they set gently into the sauce rather than drying out. The tomato is grated rather than chopped so it breaks down into a proper sauce in minutes.
The result is loose, soft, and just barely set, the eggs custardy against the sweet-tart tomato, with a mild fruity warmth from the Aleppo pepper rather than sharp heat. It's meant to be eaten straight from the pan, scooped up with plenty of crusty bread, and it comes together in under twenty minutes for an easy, low-carb start to the day. Though it's a breakfast by tradition, it makes an equally good quick lunch or light supper for two.
Menemen: frequently asked questions
What's the difference between menemen and shakshuka?
Both are eggs cooked in a tomato-based sauce, but menemen is Turkish and shakshuka is North African (roots most often traced to Tunisia, and it spread across the Maghreb, Israel, and the wider Middle East). Menemen's core is tomatoes, green peppers, eggs, and olive oil — onion is a famously debated, optional addition rather than a standard ingredient — with the eggs stirred into the sauce until soft and loose and only light spicing. Shakshuka is more heavily spiced (cumin, paprika, often chili or harissa) and the eggs are poached whole so the yolks stay intact, nestled into the simmering sauce rather than scrambled.
How many calories are in Menemen?
One serving of Menemen has about 424 calories, with 16g of protein, 16g of carbs, 34g of fat and 5g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.
Is Menemen gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Menemen has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Menemen dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Butter. Swapping it for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How many servings does Menemen make?
This recipe makes 2 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.