Menemen: the Best Scrambled Eggs Ever – Jump to recipe
Coming from Midwest, USA I grew up on scrambled eggs. Everyone I know has their own way to make them with their own tricks and special ingredients. It’s like an unspoken rivalry to see who can whip up the finest, fluffiest of breakfast eggs.
Unfortunately, I never quite cared for such competitions. You see, at some point in my adolescence, I lost the appetite for eggs. I blamed breakfast. Fried or scrambled seemed to be what everyone knew about breakfast eggs and my palette grew tired of the same old preparation. No matter who prepared them or what technique they used, to me, it was all the same: fried eggs.
In 2016 I regained interest. Thanks to my Chilean host family. They always made eggs. For breakfast, for a late night snack…
The preparation was similar to scrambled eggs, with some major key differences. There was no milk. Butter replaced oil. Scrambling occurred in the skillet. Then removed from the heat slightly runny. If timed correctly, the remaining warmth of the skillet was enough to continue cooking the egg after.
For some reason, the change in consistency was enough to reawaken my taste for eggs. And this became my preferred method of preparation.
That is, until I discovered the best scrambled eggs ever: Menemen.
What is Menemen?
Menemen is the Turkish version of scrambled eggs. Scrambled eggs that pack a hell of a lot more flavor thanks to the onion, peppers, tomatoes and spices used in cooking.
In Turkey, the delicious menemen is typically served on the weekend during kahvalti (Turkish word for “breakfast”). This is because it’s a breakfast dish that requires a little more time and preparation.
(Time that is is 100% worth consuming if you ask me.)
As part of the traditional Turkish breakfast, menemen is usually served in a small shallow bowl made of metal called a sahan.
The sahan is not at all necessary for creating a more flavorful dish, but there is one vital ingredient that is…. and that’s the pepper.
Most home recipes call for bell pepper. (This is because that’s usually what’s most conveniently available.) I’ve even had some Turkish grocery store owners try to sell me bell peppers for menemen.
My advice? Find the right pepper.
The best menemen is made with an entire different kind of pepper. So, even substituting bell pepper out of convenience, changes the taste of the dish drastically. It’s still 100% okay and your eggs are still going to be delicious, but if you’re looking for a more authentic recipe that really packs that wow flavor to impress your guests for Sunday brunch, well then, you’re going to need the right pepper.
But, what exactly is the right kind of pepper?
In Turkey, fresh green peppers like sivri biber or çarliston biber are traditionally used to make menemen.
Sivri biber peppers are smaller in width, darker in color, and tend to be quite spicy.
çarliston biber, on the other hand will be a little larger, lighter in color, with a slight bitterness that adds the missing taste menemen requires in order to have that wow factor.
Other ingredients
(Other options for ingredients include sucuk (pronounced “su-juke”). Sucuk is a spicy sausage often used in menemen.)
Menemen: Recipe for the Best Scrambled Eggs Ever
Serving size: 4-6 Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
oil (sunflower, olive, coconut)
butter
1 onion diced
4 Turkish green peppers diced (i.e. çarliston biber)
2 Turkish red peppers diced
4-5 medium-sized tomatoes peeled and chopped or grated* (see note)
4 eggs
S&P
Directions:
Step 1: Melt butter in large skillet over med-low heat (can also use a large saucepan – whatever is handy, just make sure you have a lid!) Add oil. Then add onion. Sautee 3-4 minutes or until onion begins to turn translucent.\
Step 2: Add diced peppers to the pan. Cook for 10-15mins. Stir occasionally.
Step 3: Add peeled tomatoes to the onion and pepper mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Then cover pan with lid and allow to cook for another 10-15mins.
Step 4: Once most of the liquid has evaporated, gently crack in the eggs one by one. Stir the mixture to break up the egg. As soon as the eggs reach the desired consistency, remove from heat.* (see note)
Step 5: Serve immediately with fresh bread, simit, a side of olives, and a round of soft white cheese
For more Turkish recipes check out Turkish-Inspired Rice: The Fluffiest & Tastiest
Notes for Menemen: The Best Scrambled Eggs
***The peeling process of the tomatoes is (in my honest opinion) the worst part about menemen, because it takes time. To make your life easier and to cut down on prep time, start by boiling water and allowing the tomatoes to soak while you chop your other veggies.
***Alternatively, you can also cut the tomatoes in half and grate the tomatoes. Discarding the skin afterwards.
