Menemen

Menemen is a simple Turkish breakfast dish made with eggs, tomatoes, green peppers, and a little olive oil or butter. It cooks in one pan, comes together quickly, and is best served straight away with plenty of bread.

A good menemen should be soft, juicy, and slightly loose, not dry like regular scrambled eggs. I gently sauté the sivri biber, which are lovely Turkish green peppers with a mild heat, then cook the tomatoes down into a light sauce before stirring in the eggs at the end.

Jump to:

• What is Menemen
• Menemen With Onions or Without Onions?
• Menemen vs Shakshuka
• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients You'll Need
• How to Make Menemen
• Recipe Tips From the Chef
• How to Serve Menemen
• Recipe Variations
• Storage and Reheating
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Menemen

I usually make menemen without onions, especially for breakfast. This is one of those food discussions people take very seriously in Turkey. Some people always add onions, and some think onions don’t belong in menemen at all. My version is simple and made without onions, but I’ve added an onion option below in case you prefer it that way.

Menemen tastes best with ripe summer tomatoes, Turkish sivri biber, and good free-range eggs when possible. If your tomatoes are not sweet or juicy enough, a little tomato paste helps give the sauce better color and flavor.

What is Menemen

Menemen is a traditional Turkish breakfast dish made with tomatoes, green peppers, eggs, and olive oil or butter. It is cooked in one pan and usually served straight away while the eggs are still soft.

The dish takes its name from Menemen, a town in İzmir, on the Aegean side of Turkey. It is now one of the most common egg dishes you’ll find on Turkish breakfast tables.

Turkish Menemen is perfect for breakfast or brunch, but I also make it for a quick lunch or light dinner. I love serving it in the pan with Turkish Tea - Çay, olives, cheese, cucumbers, and plenty of Simit on the side.

The classic version is very simple, but there are many home-style variations. Some people add onions, cheese, sucuk, pastirma, garlic, or fresh herbs. This recipe keeps it close to the simple breakfast version I grew up with.

Menemen With Onions or Without Onions?

There is a long-running debate in Turkey about menemen with onions or without onions. It sounds like a small thing, but people have very strong opinions about it.

I make mine without onions because I prefer a lighter, fresher menemen for breakfast. The tomatoes, peppers, and eggs are really all it needs, and I like how fresh and simple it tastes this way.

If you like onions, you can absolutely add them. Finely chop ½ small onion and cook it with the peppers until soft before adding the tomatoes. Onion gives the sauce a slightly sweeter flavor and makes the dish feel a little richer.

My honest view: no-onion menemen is better for breakfast, and onion menemen works nicely for lunch or dinner. Everyone stays happy, no Turkish breakfast arguments needed.

Menemen vs Shakshuka

Menemen and Shakshuka can look similar at first because they both use eggs, tomatoes, and peppers, but they are not the same dish.

Menemen is Turkish and usually much simpler. It is made with tomatoes, Turkish green peppers, eggs, olive oil or butter, and a little seasoning. The eggs are lightly beaten, stirred into the tomato mixture, and cooked until soft and slightly runny.

Shakshuka is a North African dish that has a richer tomato sauce. It usually starts with onions and garlic, then tomatoes, peppers, and spices such as cumin, paprika, coriander, or chili. The eggs are cracked straight into the sauce and left whole while they cook.

So the main difference is both the flavor and the texture. Menemen is softer, lighter, and more mixed together, a bit like Turkish scrambled eggs in a tomato and pepper sauce. Shakshuka is usually thicker, more spiced, and served with whole eggs sitting in the sauce.

Why This Recipe Works?

• Simple ingredients – You only need eggs, tomatoes, green peppers, and olive oil or butter.

• Flexible without losing its Turkish feel – Keep it simple without onions, add a little tomato paste when tomatoes are not at their best, or cook with onion for a light lunch.

• Quick to make – Menemen is ready in about 20 minutes, which makes it great for breakfast, brunch, or a light meal.

• Perfect with bread – The tomato and egg mixture is made for scooping straight from the pan.

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

• Tomatoes - Ripe, juicy summer tomatoes are best for menemen. If your tomatoes are firm, pale, or not very flavorful, add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. 

• Peppers - Turkish sivri biber are the best peppers for menemen. They are long, thin green peppers with a lovely flavor. Some are mild, and some can be a little hot. If you can’t find them, use shishito peppers, Padron peppers, Anaheim peppers, banana peppers, or long green peppers. Green bell pepper works too, but it has a thicker texture and a slightly different flavor.

• Eggs - Use fresh free-range eggs if possible. They give the dish a richer color and better flavor.

• Olive oil - You can use olive oil, butter, or a mix of both. Olive oil keeps the dish lighter, while butter gives it a richer taste. Don’t use too little fat. The peppers need enough oil or butter to soften properly and flavor the base.

• Seasoning - Salt and black pepper are enough for a classic menemen. You don’t need many spices.

How to Make Menemen

Prepare the Tomatoes and Peppers

Wash and dry the peppers, then slice them thinly.

Cut the tomatoes in half and grate them on the large side of a box grater. The tomato flesh will fall into the bowl, and the skin will stay in your hand. You can finely chop the tomatoes instead if you prefer a chunkier texture.

Cook the Veggies

Place a sahan pan, skillet, or heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil or butter. Add the sliced peppers and cook them gently for a few minutes, stirring now and then, until they soften. If you are using onion, add it with the peppers and cook until soft.

Stir in the tomato paste if using it, and cook for 1 minute. Add the grated or chopped tomatoes, chili flakes, salt, and black pepper. Stir well.

Lower the heat slightly, cover the pan, and cook for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and turn into a light sauce. If the sauce looks too watery, remove the lid and cook for a few more minutes.

Add the Eggs

Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl, then pour them into the tomato and pepper mixture. Let them sit for a few seconds, then stir gently with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook until the eggs are just starting to set but still look soft and slightly loose.

Remove the pan from the heat before the eggs look fully cooked. They will continue cooking in the hot tomato mixture. Serve menemen straight away, ideally in the same pan.

Bring plenty of bread to the table for scooping up the sauce.

Recipe Tips From the Chef

• Menemen is a very simple dish made with only a few ingredients. Use high-quality fresh ingredients if possible.

• Juicy and red summer tomatoes give the best flavor. If your tomatoes are not very sweet or juicy, add 1 tablespoon tomato paste.

• Cook the tomatoes properly; the sauce should be juicy, not watery. Cook it uncovered for a few extra minutes if needed.

• Keep the eggs soft. Remove the pan from the heat while the eggs still look slightly loose.

• Don’t over-stir, just gently so the eggs stay soft and creamy.

• Serve straight away, as menemen tastes best fresh from the pan with plenty of bread.

How to Serve Menemen

Menemen is usually served for Turkish breakfast or brunch. It goes straight to the table in the pan with plenty of bread. Serve it with:

• Strawberry and Rhubarb Jam

• Cheese Borek

• Muhammara

• Pisi - Turkish Fried Dough

• Braided Bread

• Zeytoon Parvardeh - Persian Marinated Olive

You can also serve menemen for lunch or dinner with a simple salad and crusty bread.

Recipe Variations

Menemen with Onion

Add ½ small finely chopped onion with the peppers and cook until soft before adding the tomatoes. This version has a slightly sweeter flavor.

Menemen with Cheese

Add crumbled Turkish white cheese or feta just before serving. Use less salt because the cheese is salty.

You can also stir in grated kasar cheese or mozzarella at the end for a melty version.

Menemen with Sucuk

Slice the sucuk and cook it in the pan before adding the peppers. Once it releases some of its oil, add the peppers and continue with the recipe.

Sucuk makes menemen richer and more filling.

Menemen with Pastirma

Add thin slices of pastirma near the end, just before or just after adding the eggs. Pastirma cooks quickly, so don’t add it too early.

Spicy Menemen

Add extra pul biber, Aleppo pepper, or a finely chopped fresh chili with the tomatoes.

Menemen with Herbs

A little chopped parsley on top works well. Add it just before serving.

Storage and Reheating

Menemen is best eaten fresh, right after cooking.

You can make the tomato and pepper base ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat the base in a pan, then add the eggs just before serving.

Once the eggs are added, menemen does not keep as well. The eggs can turn firm and watery after reheating.

If you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 1 day. Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

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Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this simple yet delicious Turkish breakfast egg dish, "Menemen," as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂