One Pan Turkish Menemen

This easy Turkish menemen is prepared in one pan, and with only 4 basic ingredients. Simmered together and served with freshly baked pita bread and a big bowl of salad on the side. 

Breakfast Egg and Tomato Dish – Menemen

Menemen is one of those dishes that love preparing all summer, while tomatoes are in season. It’s made with simple, fresh, and seasonal ingredients. A couple of green peppers, soft tomatoes that can’t be used for salad anymore, and eggs! It’s the perfect meal for everyone that wants something savory for breakfast, brunch, and even dinner!

So, if you have few soft tomatoes that have been sitting in the refrigerator for some time, this is one of the best ways to use them! It’s super simple, but it’s so flavorful, warming, and delicious. 

Why this Turkish menemen is so good? 

• It has a unique mix of flavors and ingredients that go together perfectly –  you won’t find this in any other dish. 
• It is perfect to gather your family around the table on Sunday morning or make yourself whenever you crave a delicious breakfast dish. 
• You would only need 4 ingredients and spices to make e delicious Turkish menemen.
• Traditional menemen is made with eggs, of course, but if you prefer, you can skip the eggs and add more cheese – it would still be delicious. Grandma makes us this dish without eggs from time to time, and we all love it. 🙂 
• It’s a one-pan dish, meaning you won’t have tons of plates to clean

Ingredients you’ll need

• Green peppers, preferably the long ones, as they are thinner and best for menemen; green bell peppers can be used as a substitute; 
• Tomatoes they are the best if they are on the soft side, so they peel easily, and they will quickly soften and become and get that sauce consistency. I would definetly recommend using fresh tomatoes instead of canned – as the canned tomatoes have different flavor. But you can definetly give them a try with canned tomatoes;
• White onion diced;
• Feta cheese, or also you can substitute with cottage cheese or ricotta;
• Eggs;

 How to make menemen

1. Preheat a nonstick pan with olive oil, then add green peppers into cubes and diced onion, and fry on medium heat until soft, stirring every 30seconds-1minute). 
2. Then add the peeled diced tomatoes and fry until a nice puree is formed! Mash half way through to get even consistency.
3. Add the eggs one after another to the different sides of the pan, then mix them in, making sure they get distributed in all parts of the menemen.
4. Fry for additional 2-3 minutes or until the eggs are fully cooked. Optionaly add feta cheese on top! Serve with freshly baked bread and a big bowl of salad.

Tips to make the most delicious traditional menemen dish 

Although it looks complicated menemen is an easy dish, it doesn’t require a lot of time, and it’s only 4 ingredients, so here are a couple of tips to make sure you master the menemen even if this is your first time trying. 

• Don’t over fry the peppers because they can quickly start peeling as they get soft;
• Peel the tomato to get the best tomato sauce. Don’t use store-bought tomato sauce because you will get something completely different in flavor.
• If you don’t have soft tomatoes. Add the tomatoes in warm water for few minutes, so the skins can soften up and will peel eaily;
• Cook the tomatoes for at least 15-20 minutes over medium heat or untill they get thick and saucy;
• Add something else or switch some of the ingredients if you prefer. Add some scrambled tofu or skip the eggs and add more cheese of choice.  

You would also love to try!

Breakfast Egg Muffin Cups – Three Ways
Breakfast Avocado Egg Sandwich
Easy Potato Frittata
3 Ingredient Chickpea Pancakes

Print Recipe

One Pan Turkish Menemen

This easy Turkish menemen is perfect for breakfast or brunch! It’s made with 5 main ingredients and a few spices!

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Breakfast, Main

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Turkish

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 peppers
• 4-5 medium tomatoes pereferably if they are on the soft side
• 1/2 onion
• 2 eggs
• 100g feta cheese
• 5tbsp olive oil
• salt to taste

Instructions

• Clean the peppers from the seeds, cut them on 1/2 inch 1cm cubes, and set them aside. Dice the onion!
• Peel the tomatoes from the skins and dice them as well.
• Add olive oil to a nonstick pan and preheat the pan over medium heat. Add the diced peppers and onion and fry them for 4-5 minutes or until they soften up slightly. Stir every 30-40seconds.
• Add the diced tomatoes together with a teaspoon of salt. Leave the tomatoes to boil and soften over medium heat for 10 minutes.
• With a fork or potato masher, mash the tomatoes few times until they soften up and become saucier. (having few tomato pieces is still fine, they add more texture and flavor)
• Simmer for another 10 minutes or until the menemen has thickened.
• Add the whole eggs directly to the pan and stir until they get distributed on all sides.
• Let them cook for 2-3 minutes. Then, take the pan out of the heat, crumble the feta cheese on top.

Notes

If possible do not substitute the fresh tomatoes with canned ones; canned tomatoes would make the process quicker but they are different in flavor;

Clean the tomatoes from the white parts in the middle to get a smoother consistency;

If you don’t have soft tomatoes put regular tomatoes in warm water for few minutes so the skins can soften up and will peel easily;

Fry the peppers over medium heat for not more than 4-5 minutes; at first they might seem like undercooked but they will finish cooking together with the tomatoes;