Asia
Low-Carb Turkish Menemen
Chef-tested recipe
Silky Turkish eggs folded through ripe tomatoes, green peppers, olive oil, and pul biber
Menemen is a Turkish breakfast dish of eggs cooked gently with tomatoes and green peppers in olive oil. Its appeal depends less on a long ingredient list than on texture: the vegetables become a loose, fragrant sauce while the eggs stay softly set rather than dry. Onion is famously disputed in Turkey. Many breakfast versions leave it out, while onion is more readily accepted when menemen is eaten later in the day; this recipe follows the onion-free breakfast style. The dish is already low in carbohydrate, although it is commonly scooped up with bread. Here it is served directly from the pan with cucumber, herbs, olives, and strained yoghurt. Choose ripe tomatoes and slender Turkish sivri peppers if possible; green frying peppers are the closest widely available alternative.
Recipe at a glance
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Wide shallow skilletpaid link
- Heatproof spatulapaid link
- Mixing bowlpaid link
- Box graterpaid link
- Vegetable peelerpaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Cutting boardpaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
- Measuring jugpaid link
- Serving bowlspaid link
Ingredients
For the menemen
- Large eggs: 12 (approximately 600 g without shells)
- Ripe tomatoes, peeled and coarsely grated: 750 g
- Turkish sivri peppers or mild green frying peppers, thinly sliced: 300 g
- Extra-virgin olive oilpaid link: 60 ml
- Unsalted butter: 30 g
- Turkish pul biber: 5 g
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 8 g
- Ground black pepper: 3 g
For serving
- Cucumber, sliced: 300 g
- Full-fat strained yoghurt, unsweetened: 300 g
- Turkish black olives: 120 g
- Flat-leaf parsley leaves: 30 g
Preparation Overview
Peel and grate the tomatoes so their skins do not interrupt the soft texture. Slice the peppers thinly and crack the eggs into a bowl, but do not whisk them completely smooth. Menemen continues to cook in the hot pan, so prepare the cold accompaniments before starting. Use a wide shallow skillet or traditional sahan that can go directly to the table.
Method
Heat the pan. Warm the olive oil and butter in a wide skillet over medium heat until the butter foams.
Soften the peppers. Add the sliced sivri peppers and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until tender but still bright.
Reduce the tomatoes. Add the grated tomatoes, pul biber, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until saucy and no longer watery.
Prepare the eggs. Break the eggs into a bowl and stir only enough to break the yolks, leaving visible streaks of white and yolk.
Add the eggs. Pour them over the tomato-pepper base and leave undisturbed for 20 seconds.
Fold gently. Draw a spatula slowly through the pan, folding the setting egg into the vegetables without vigorous scrambling.
Stop while glossy. Remove the pan from the heat when the eggs are softly set and still slightly glossy; residual heat will finish them.
Serve immediately. Place the skillet at the table with cucumber, yoghurt, olives, and parsley.
Beginner Technique Notes
Watery menemen usually means the tomatoes were not reduced long enough before the eggs were added.
Do not whisk the eggs until foamy. Gentle mixing preserves distinct soft ribbons of white and yolk.
Take the pan off the heat early. Eggs continue firming in the hot tomato sauce.
Sivri peppers range from mild to hot. Taste a small piece before deciding how much pul biber to add.
Serve from the cooking pan; transferring menemen to a cold platter makes it set too quickly.
Tips and Variations
For the debated onion version, soften 150 g finely diced onion before adding the peppers.
Beyaz peynir may be crumbled over the nearly finished eggs, but keep the amount modest so the tomatoes remain dominant.
A few slices of pastırma can be warmed in the pan before the peppers for a richer brunch variation.
If tomatoes are not fully ripe, use good-quality canned whole tomatoes, drained and crushed.
Do not add sugar. Reducing ripe tomatoes concentrates their natural sweetness.
Serving Ideas
- Place the hot skillet in the centre of the table and divide the menemen into warm shallow bowls. Serve cucumber, olives, parsley, and strained yoghurt alongside. Bread is customary, but a spoon makes the soft eggs easy to enjoy while the vegetables and yoghurt create a complete low-carb breakfast.
Storage
Menemen is best eaten as soon as the eggs are cooked. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a covered skillet over low heat until 74°C, accepting that the eggs will become firmer. Do not freeze; the tomato base separates and the eggs turn rubbery.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains egg and milk through butter and yoghurt. Olives and pul biber may be processed in facilities handling other allergens; check labels when cross-contact is a concern.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does authentic menemen contain onion?
Both styles exist, but onion is especially contentious at breakfast. This recipe follows a common onion-free breakfast version.
Should menemen eggs be fully scrambled?
No. Break the yolks lightly and fold the eggs slowly so the finished dish remains soft and varied in texture.
What can replace sivri peppers?
Use mild green frying peppers or a mixture of green bell pepper and one mild green chilli.
Can canned tomatoes be used?
Yes. Drain and crush good-quality whole canned tomatoes, then simmer until the excess liquid evaporates.
Why did my menemen become dry?
It stayed over the heat too long. Remove it while the eggs still look glossy because the hot pan continues cooking them.