Menemen is a delicious Turkish dish that's perfect for brunch of any meal. It's kind of like the lesser known shakshuka, but definitely one to get to know it in it's own right. Being easy definitely helps!
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When I was a child, I went through quite a long phase of only really liking my eggs scrambled or as omelettes. I didn't mind the whites alone, but wasn't a fan of yolks as much. Thankfully, my parents were largely OK to go mostly that route, plus I became pretty good at cooking them myself if needed.
As I got older, I got back in to yolks, at least if they were runny. I think it was things like eggs Benedict/ eggs Royale that won me over. Then discovering shakshuka helped even more. It became a favorite comforting brunch.
This dish, menemen, is a bit like shakshuka but generally with scrambled eggs. For me, it combines some of those flavors I've grown to love with the childhood favorite scramble. And believe me, this is one comforting dish you want to try.
What is menemen?
Menemen is a traditional Turkish dish combining vegetables, spices and eggs. It is typically made with onion, green pepper and tomato, along with spices like paprika, pepper and oregano.
Some people like to add red pepper flakes for a bit of spice, but that's really up to you. You basically soften the vegetables to make a sauce then add the eggs.
I say it's generally made with scrambled eggs though you can find it with the eggs poached in the sauce. From all I have found, scrambled is more common. Personally I really like it as scrambled which has the bonus of being quicker to cook.
Some recipes also add a little cheese or chopped charcuterie, but I've kept it simpler here with the egg and vegetable mixture. You will also find some versions looking more "soupy" as the vegetables are cooked down much more to start.
This is up to you, but personally I like it both that little bit quicker and chunkier.
Steps to make menemen
- Dice the onion, pepper and tomato relatively small.
- Warm the oil in a small skillet and add the onion and pepper. Cook a couple minutes until the onion softens.
- Add the tomato, paprika and oregano and cook a couple minutes. You should see the tomato soften.
- Meanwhile, beat the eggs with a little salt and pepper.
- Add the eggs to the skillet and stir so that the eggs cook and mix through. Take off the heat a little before the egg is fully cooked as they will continue to cook after it is off the heat.
Menemen might not be a well known dish, but once you give it a try, it will soon be well-loved. Easy, with fresh but comforting flavors, it's perfect any meal of the day.
Like eggs? Try these other egg-based dishes!
- Bacon lobster omelette
- Asparagus frittata
- Tex Mex migas
- Baked eggs with mushrooms and asparagus
- Plus get more breakfast and brunch recipes in the archives.
Menemen
Ingredients
- ½ onion (large)
- 1 poblano pepper or ½ green pepper
- 1 tomato (large)
- 1 tablespoon oil (olive oil best but as you prefer)
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- 2 eggs
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
Instructions
- Dice the onion, pepper and tomato relatively small.
- Warm the oil in a small skillet and add the onion and pepper. Cook a couple minutes until the onion softens.
- Add the tomato, paprika and oregano and cook for a few minutes so everything softens together.
- Meanwhile, beat the eggs with a little salt and pepper.
- Add the eggs to the skillet and stir so that the eggs cook and mix through. Take off the heat a little before the egg is fully cooked as they will continue to cook after it is off the heat.
Nutrition
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Sylvie
I like scrambled eggs way more than the usual fry eggs to make shakshuka so this recipe is absolutely perfect for me - thanks for sharing!
Caroline's Cooking
Scrambled really are so easy and great if you're not so much of a fan of yolks or whites themselves.
Jess
This scrambled egg dish looks and sounds amazing! I want to try it so bad! The flavors sound so good!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, it really is delicious - we've had it several times recently!