Turkish Menemen Breakfast Sandwich on Simit

Name: Turkish Menemen Breakfast Sandwich on Simit
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 4 rings (480 g) simit (Turkish sesame bread rings), about 5 inches (13 cm) across, fresh or day-old; 4 oz (115 g) sucuk (Turkish beef sausage), cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices, casing removed if tough; 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil; 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter; 3 medium (210 g) Turkish green peppers (or Anaheim or Cubanelle), stemmed, seeded, and diced into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces; 1½ lb (680 g) ripe tomatoes, halved and coarsely grated, skins discarded (about 2 cups / 480 ml pulp); 1 tsp (3 g) Aleppo pepper or pul biber; 6 large (300 g) large eggs, cracked into a bowl and lightly beaten with a fork; 3 oz (85 g) Turkish beyaz peynir (or feta), crumbled into small pieces; black pepper, freshly ground, to taste; kosher salt, to taste, added at the end; 2 tbsp (8 g) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Soft, saucy menemen—eggs gently scrambled in juicy tomatoes and sweet green peppers with crisp-edged sucuk and salty white cheese—piled into a sesame-crusted simit. A Turkish breakfast classic turned into a handheld meal.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 35 min
Makes: 4 sandwiches

Jump to recipe ♡ Save

Ingredients

4 servings

4 rings (480 g) simit (Turkish sesame bread rings), about 5 inches (13 cm) across, fresh or day-old
For the menemen
4 oz (115 g) sucuk (Turkish beef sausage), cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices, casing removed if tough
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter
3 medium (210 g) Turkish green peppers (or Anaheim or Cubanelle), stemmed, seeded, and diced into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces
1½ lb (680 g) ripe tomatoes, halved and coarsely grated, skins discarded (about 2 cups / 480 ml pulp)
1 tsp (3 g) Aleppo pepper or pul biber
6 large (300 g) large eggs, cracked into a bowl and lightly beaten with a fork
3 oz (85 g) Turkish beyaz peynir (or feta), crumbled into small pieces
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
kosher salt, to taste, added at the end
To finish
2 tbsp (8 g) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Equipment (8)

12-inch (30 cm) nonstick or well-seasoned skillet
Wooden spoon or heatproof silicone spatula
Box grater
Cutting board and knife
Serrated knife
Baking sheet
Medium bowl for whisking eggs
Instant-read thermometer

Steps

Before you start

Grate the tomatoes or chop them finely so they cook down into a sauce quickly; ripe, juicy tomatoes work best.
Beat the eggs only just before they go in the pan so they stay tender.
Simit are best fresh or re-crisped; if yours are a day old, warm them in the oven while you cook (step 1).
Sucuk and white cheese are salty, so hold back on added salt until the end.
Have an instant-read thermometer handy; the sucuk and the eggs should each reach 160°F (71°C).

1
Warm the simitOven 350°F / 175°C
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place the simit on a baking sheet and put them in the oven for 5 minutes while you start the filling, until the crust feels dry and crisp.
- Turn the oven off and leave them inside to stay warm.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Crust feels dry and crackly, bread is warm through
Tip: Skip this if the simit are fresh from a bakery.
2
Crisp the sucuk
- Set a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium heat.
- Add the sucuk slices in a single layer and cook 3–4 minutes, flipping once, until the edges are browned and they've released red-tinged fat.
- Check that the sucuk reaches 160°F (71°C) by pressing the thermometer tip into a thick slice or a small stack of slices.
- Transfer the sucuk to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Slices are browned at the edges and sizzling, with fat pooled in the pan, and read 160°F (71°C)
Tip: Sucuk is already fatty, so no oil is needed yet.
3
Soften the peppers
- Add the olive oil and butter to the sucuk fat and let the butter melt over medium heat.
- Add the diced green peppers and cook, stirring often, for 4–5 minutes until they are bright, tender, and slightly blistered at the edges.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Peppers are tender when pressed with a spoon and smell sweet
4
Cook down tomatoes
- Add the grated tomatoes and pepper flakes.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is a thick, jammy sauce that leaves a trail when you drag a spoon through it.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: No pooling liquid; sauce is thick and glossy
Tip: A watery sauce makes soggy sandwiches, so don't rush this step.
5
Scramble in the eggs
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Return the sucuk to the pan, then pour in the beaten eggs.
- Stir slowly with a spatula, folding from the edges to the center, for 2–3 minutes until the eggs form soft, large curds with a little glossy wetness still visible.
- Check that the eggs and sucuk both read 160°F (71°C) with the thermometer.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Eggs are set into soft curds, still moist; eggs and sucuk reach 160°F (71°C)
Tip: Take the pan off the heat just before the eggs look done; residual heat finishes them.
6
Add cheese and season
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Fold in the crumbled white cheese and several grinds of black pepper.
- Taste, then add salt only if needed.
- Fold in the parsley if using.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Cheese is speckled throughout and just beginning to soften
Tip: Cheese and sucuk are salty, so taste before adding any salt.
7
Split the simit
- Using a serrated knife, slice each warm simit open horizontally like a bagel, leaving one side of the ring attached if possible so the filling stays in.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Each ring opens into a top and bottom half
Tip: Saw gently; the sesame crust can flake if pressed hard.
8
Fill and serve
- Spoon about one-quarter of the menemen (roughly ¾ cup / 180 ml) onto the bottom half of each simit, close the sandwiches, and press lightly.
- Serve right away with hot tea.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Sandwiches are full but hold together when pressed
Tip: Serve immediately; the bread softens as the filling sits.

Good to know

Tips

Grating tomatoes on a box grater leaves the skins behind and gives a quick, smooth sauce.
Keep the heat low once the eggs go in for creamy rather than rubbery curds.
Traditional menemen is slightly loose; cook it a bit firmer for sandwiches so it doesn't leak.
Stir a spoonful of Turkish pepper paste (biber salçası) in with the tomatoes for deeper flavor.

Make ahead

Cook the sucuk, pepper, and tomato base (steps 2–4) up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat in the skillet until bubbling and the sucuk is hot throughout (160°F / 71°C), then add the eggs and finish from step 5.

Storage & reheating

Best eaten immediately. Leftover menemen keeps in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2 days; reheat gently in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave in 20-second bursts until hot throughout (165°F / 74°C). Assembled sandwiches keep at room temperature no more than 1 hour. Don't freeze the cooked eggs; plain simit freezes up to 1 month and can be re-crisped in a 350°F (175°C) oven.

Substitutions

simit (Turkish sesame bread rings), about 5 inches (13 cm) across → Sesame bagels or crusty split rolls. Toast them well so they hold the saucy filling.
sucuk (Turkish beef sausage) → Spicy beef or lamb sausage, or pepperoni. Cook fresh sausage until it reaches 160°F (71°C). For a vegetarian version, omit and use an extra 1 tbsp olive oil plus ½ tsp ground cumin and ½ tsp paprika.
Turkish beyaz peynir (or feta) → Feta or crumbled queso fresco. Feta is saltier; rinse it briefly if very briny.
ripe tomatoes → One 14.5-oz (411 g) can crushed tomatoes. Cook a couple of minutes longer to thicken.