Turkish Sucuk and Pepper Stir-Fry with Eggs

Name: Turkish Sucuk and Pepper Stir-Fry with Eggs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 23 min
Total time: 38 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 10 oz (285 g) Turkish sucuk (beef, dry-cured sausage), casing peeled if tough, sliced into ¼-inch (6 mm) rounds, larger rounds halved; 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil; 1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, halved and sliced into ¼-inch (6 mm) half-moons; 10 oz (285 g) Turkish long green peppers (or Anaheim or Italian frying peppers), stemmed, seeded and sliced into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces; 2 cloves (8 g) garlic, thinly sliced; 3 medium (about 14 oz) (400 g) ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) chunks; 1 tsp (3 g) Aleppo pepper (pul biber) or mild red pepper flakes (optional); kosher salt, to taste, start with a pinch; black pepper, freshly ground, to taste; 4 large (200 g) large eggs, at room temperature, cracked into a small bowl; 2 tbsp (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional); 4 slices (120 g) crusty bread or pide, for serving, warmed (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Spicy, garlicky Turkish sucuk is browned until its paprika-red fat renders, then stir-fried with sweet green peppers, onion and juicy tomatoes. Eggs are cooked right in the pan for a quick, hearty skillet dinner or brunch that is ready in about 40 minutes.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 23 min
Total: 38 min
Makes: 4 servings (about 6 cups)

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Ingredients

4 servings

10 oz (285 g) Turkish sucuk (beef, dry-cured sausage), casing peeled if tough, sliced into ¼-inch (6 mm) rounds, larger rounds halved
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, halved and sliced into ¼-inch (6 mm) half-moons
10 oz (285 g) Turkish long green peppers (or Anaheim or Italian frying peppers), stemmed, seeded and sliced into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces
2 cloves (8 g) garlic, thinly sliced
3 medium (about 14 oz) (400 g) ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) chunks
1 tsp (3 g) Aleppo pepper (pul biber) or mild red pepper flakes (optional)
kosher salt, to taste, start with a pinch
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
4 large (200 g) large eggs, at room temperature, cracked into a small bowl
2 tbsp (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
4 slices (120 g) crusty bread or pide, for serving, warmed (optional)

Equipment (5)

12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet or wide wok with a lid
Wooden spoon or spatula
Chef's knife and cutting board
Small bowl for the eggs
Instant-read thermometer

Steps

Before you start

Sucuk is already cured and seasoned, so you won't need much salt. Taste before adding any.
Use a large 12-inch (30 cm) skillet or a wok so the vegetables fry rather than steam.
Have all vegetables chopped before you start. The cooking moves quickly.
Bring the eggs out of the fridge while you prep so they cook gently and evenly.
Keep an instant-read thermometer handy: the sucuk should be heated to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).

1
Prep the vegetables
- Slice the sucuk, onion, green peppers and garlic as described in the ingredient list.
- Cut the tomatoes into chunks and keep them separate from the other vegetables.
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl without breaking the yolks.
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Ready when: Everything is chopped and within reach of the stove.
Tip: Slice peppers evenly so they all soften at the same rate.
2
Brown the sucuk
- Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute.
- Add the sucuk in a single layer (work in two batches if crowded).
- Cook, turning once, for 3 to 4 minutes total, until the edges are crisp and the rounds have released a red, fragrant fat.
- Leave the fat in the pan and transfer the sucuk to a plate.
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Ready when: Sucuk is deeply browned at the edges with red fat pooled in the pan.
Tip: Sucuk can scorch quickly once the fat renders. Lower the heat slightly if it smokes.
3
Soften the onion
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the onion to the sucuk fat and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until the onion is soft and translucent with golden edges.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent and lightly golden at the edges.
4
Stir-fry the peppers
- Raise the heat to medium-high.
- Add the green peppers and a pinch of salt.
- Stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes, tossing often, until the peppers are bright, blistered in spots and just tender when pierced with a fork.
- Stir in the garlic and the pepper flakes, if using, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
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Ready when: Peppers are blistered in spots and tender-crisp; garlic smells fragrant but not browned.
Tip: Add the garlic last because it turns bitter if it browns.
5
Cook down the tomatoes
- Add the tomatoes and stir.
- Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they release their juices and the juices thicken into a loose, glossy sauce that coats the vegetables.
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Ready when: Tomatoes are soft and the pan is no longer watery; a spoon dragged through leaves a trail.
Tip: If the pan looks dry before the tomatoes soften, add 2 tablespoons of water.
6
Return the sucuk
- Return the sucuk and any juices on the plate to the skillet.
- Stir for 2 to 3 minutes to combine and heat through.
- Check a few pieces of sucuk with an instant-read thermometer; they should read at least 160°F (71°C).
- Taste and season with black pepper and, only if needed, a little more salt.
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Ready when: Sucuk reads at least 160°F (71°C) in the center, and the sauce is evenly red and glossy.
Tip: Sucuk is salty, so taste before adding more salt.
7
Add and cook the eggs
- Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Use a spoon to make 4 wells in the mixture and slide an egg into each.
- Season the eggs with a little pepper.
- Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are completely opaque and set and the yolks are still glossy and slightly jiggly.
- Cook 1 to 2 minutes longer for firm yolks.
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Ready when: Whites are opaque with no clear jelly; yolks are soft for runny or firm to the touch for set.
Tip: Don't stir after adding the eggs. Rotate the pan if one side cooks faster.
8
Garnish and serve
- Scatter the parsley over the top.
- Serve straight from the skillet while hot, with warm bread for scooping up the juices and runny yolks.

Good to know

Tips

Use a wide pan. Crowding steams the peppers instead of blistering them.
Let the sucuk fat do the work. It seasons the whole dish, so you need very little added oil or salt.
For a more scrambled texture, stir the eggs into the mixture gently after 1 minute of cooking, like menemen.
Serve with plain yogurt or sliced cucumber to balance the richness.

Make ahead

You can slice the sucuk and chop all the vegetables up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate them in separate airtight containers. You can cook the dish through step 6 up to 1 day ahead. Reheat it in a skillet until steaming hot before adding the eggs.

Storage & reheating

Best eaten right away. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat for 5 to 6 minutes until steaming hot and at least 160°F (71°C). Fully cooked eggs reheat acceptably. Freezing is not recommended because the peppers and tomatoes turn watery. The sucuk-vegetable base without eggs freezes for up to 2 months.

Substitutions

Turkish sucuk (beef, dry-cured sausage) → Spicy beef sausage such as chorizo (dry-cured Spanish style) or soujouk. Add ½ tsp ground cumin and ½ tsp paprika to mimic sucuk's flavor.
Turkish long green peppers (or Anaheim or Italian frying peppers) → Green bell pepper plus 1 sliced jalapeño. Bell pepper is milder; the jalapeño adds some heat.
ripe tomatoes → 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) diced tomatoes, drained. Cook 1 to 2 minutes longer to thicken the sauce.
Aleppo pepper (pul biber) or mild red pepper flakes → ½ tsp sweet paprika plus a pinch of cayenne. Gives similar color and mild heat.