Strapatsada is a Greek breakfast dish made with eggs scrambled into a thick tomato sauce, olive oil, and crumbled feta cheese.
It’s the Greek cousin of shakshuka, except the eggs get folded through the sauce instead of poached whole in little wells. Soft curds, tangy tomato, salty cheese, done in under 30 minutes.
I make this on weekend mornings when I’ve got ripe tomatoes on the counter and don’t feel like fussing with pancakes.
If you’re into easy egg dishes and Mediterranean flavors, these are worth a look too:
- 12 Simple Egg Recipes for Dinner and Lunch (Quick Family Meals)
- 18 Quick Brunch Food Ideas for a Crowd, Party
- 20 EASY MEDITERRANEAN SNACK PLATE IDEAS THAT TAKE ALMOST NO EFFORT
- 15 Best Anti-Inflammatory Breakfast Ideas
Ingredients You’ll Need
You don’t need anything exotic here, just ripe tomatoes, good olive oil, and feta cheese that actually tastes like something.
Canned crushed tomatoes work fine in the off season (I use them from about November through April).
Skip the pre-crumbled feta if you can, since block feta stored in brine has a better texture and doesn’t turn chalky in the hot eggs.
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Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, grated (or one 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper, to taste
6 large eggs
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Crusty bread, for serving
Directions
- Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet or shallow pan over medium heat.
Add the diced onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring every so often so it doesn’t catch on one side.
You’re not looking for color here, just softness. - Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until it smells fragrant.
Garlic burns fast once the pan is hot, so keep it moving and pull it off heat immediately if it starts to darken.
A burnt clove will make the whole sauce taste bitter, so don’t walk away here. - Add the grated tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, a good pinch of salt, and some black pepper.
Bring the sauce to a simmer, then lower the heat slightly and let it cook down for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The sauce is ready when it’s thickened and no longer watery, closer to a jammy consistency than a soup.
This step takes longer than you’d think if your tomatoes are especially juicy, so don’t rush it. - While the sauce simmers, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk them lightly, just enough to break the yolks.
You don’t need to beat them into a uniform liquid, a few streaks of yolk and white are fine. - Lower the heat to medium-low and pour the eggs directly into the tomato sauce.
Let them sit undisturbed for about 20 seconds so the bottom layer starts to set.
Then gently fold the eggs into the sauce with a spatula, pulling from the edges toward the center the way you would for regular scrambled eggs.
Keep folding gently until the eggs are just set but still a little glossy, about 2 to 3 minutes total. - Pull the pan off the heat the moment the eggs look barely set, they’ll keep cooking from residual heat even off the burner.
This is the trickiest part of the whole recipe, honestly, since a minute too long turns silky eggs into dry, rubbery ones.
Scatter the crumbled feta over the top and let it sit for a minute so it softens slightly without fully melting.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm straight from the pan with crusty bread, and enjoy!
Important Recipe Notes
- Grate your tomatoes instead of dicing them. It breaks the flesh down fast and leaves the tough skins behind in your hand (just hold the tomato cut-side against the box grater and grate down to the skin).
- Don’t walk away once the eggs go in. They go from glossy to overcooked in under a minute once the pan is hot, and there’s no fixing dry, rubbery eggs once it happens.
- Use block feta, not the pre-crumbled kind. Pre-crumbled feta is coated in anti-caking powder that keeps it from melting properly, so it stays gritty instead of going soft and creamy against the hot eggs.
- This reheats better than you’d expect. Warm leftovers gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water, since the microwave tends to make the eggs rubbery and separate the sauce.
- Make the tomato sauce ahead if you want breakfast to move fast. The sauce keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, so all you have to do in the morning is reheat it and stir in the eggs.
How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe
Serving:
Spoon it straight from the pan into shallow bowls while it’s still warm, with crusty bread on the side for scooping up the sauce.
A drizzle of good olive oil and a few extra parsley leaves don’t hurt either. It’s filling enough on its own for breakfast or a light dinner, no extra sides required.
Storage:
Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, though the eggs will firm up more as they cool.
I don’t recommend freezing this one, the eggs turn watery and rubbery once thawed. Reheat gently in a skillet rather than the microwave for the best texture.
Customization:
Swap the feta for goat cheese if that’s what you’ve got, or add a handful of baby spinach with the tomatoes for extra greens.
Crumbled halloumi works too if you want something with more bite. For heat, double the red pepper flakes or add a diced jalapeno with the onion.
Strapatsada (Greek Eggs Scrambled with Tomatoes and Feta Cheese)
Course: Recipes4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, grated (or one 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper, to taste
6 large eggs
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Crusty bread, for serving
Directions
- Cook the onion in olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Simmer the tomatoes with oregano and red pepper flakes until thick, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Whisk the eggs lightly in a separate bowl.
- Pour eggs into the sauce and gently fold until just set, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat when eggs are barely set, then top with crumbled feta.
- Serve warm with parsley and crusty bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use ripe, flavorful tomatoes for the best Strapatsada. If fresh tomatoes are watery, cook them until most of the liquid evaporates before adding the eggs.
- Grate fresh tomatoes or use finely chopped canned tomatoes when fresh ones are not in season.
- Cook the eggs over medium-low heat and stir gently so they stay soft and creamy rather than dry.
- Add the feta near the end so some pieces melt into the eggs while others remain slightly crumbly.
- Estimated Nutrition Facts:
Per serving, based on 2 eggs, 1 cup tomatoes, 1 ounce feta cheese, 1 teaspoon olive oil, onion, and seasonings:
Calories: 300–330
Protein: 17–19 grams
Carbohydrates: 10–12 grams
Fiber: 2–3 grams
Total fat: 20–22 grams
Saturated fat: 7–9 grams
Sugar: 6–8 grams
Sodium: 450–650 milligrams before extra salt
Cholesterol: approximately 375–390 milligrams
