Growing up, my mom’s cebolada recipe was one of those dishes that meant someone in the house was hungry and dinner needed to happen fast — but it never tasted like a shortcut. This tomato sauce with onions and eggs comes straight from my first cookbook, Azorean Cooking: From My Family Table to Yours, and it’s still one of the simplest, most comforting things I make. I hope it becomes a favorite in your home too.
cebolada with poached eggs
What Is Cebolada?
Cebolada takes its name from cebola, the Portuguese word for onion, and onions are really the heart of this dish. It’s a slow-cooked tomato and onion sauce, simmered until it turns thick and sweet, then finished with eggs cracked right on top and covered just long enough to set. It’s humble Azorean home cooking — the kind of meal my family would put together with whatever ripe tomatoes and onions were on hand, and it’s every bit as satisfying now as it was then.
How to Make This Cebolada Recipe
Start by heating the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the onions. Let them cook low and slow, about 20 minutes, until they turn a deep golden color — don’t rush this part, it’s where a lot of the sweetness comes from. Stir in the sliced garlic and cook just until fragrant, then add the chopped tomatoes with their juices, salt, pepper, and the hot pepper sauce. Lower the heat and let everything simmer together for about 30 minutes, until the tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens.
Once the sauce has thickened, it’s time for the eggs. Crack them directly onto the surface of the sauce — I count on 1-2 per person, so I always ask who wants what before I start. Cover the pan and let the eggs cook for about 5 minutes, or until they’re set the way you like them. I like mine over medium, but if you prefer a runnier yolk, just take them off a little sooner.
Tips for the Best Cebolada Recipe
Use the ripest tomatoes you can find — this sauce depends on them for its sweetness and body. Give the onions the full 20 minutes; a proper golden color makes a real difference in flavor. And keep an eye on the eggs once you cover the pan — a minute or two is the difference between a soft, jammy yolk and a firm one, so cook them to how your family likes eggs. [Guessing] If “hot pepper sauce” isn’t a specific product you want to name in the ingredient list, it’s worth a one-line clarification here — I’ve left it as written.
I make mine in a cast iron skillet or sometimes a dutch oven. If you don’t have one here’s a solid choice by Lodge. We use ours on the stove top as well as in the oven. It’s rated for up to 500 degrees, so Bob uses ours for baking his sourdough.
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Serving and Storing
To serve, I spoon the sauce into a bowl and set the eggs right on top, alongside crusty fresh bread or grilled corn bread. My favorite way to eat it is scooping up the tomato and onion with the bread, catching a little egg along the way — simple, but there’s nothing else quite like it.
The sauce on its own (without eggs) keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days — reheat gently on the stove. Eggs are best cooked fresh to order rather than reheated.
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Tomato Sauce with Onions and Eggs (Cebolada)
Cebolada takes its name from cebola, the Portuguese word for onion, and onions are really the heart of this dish. It’s a slow-cooked tomato and onion sauce, simmered until it turns thick and sweet, then finished with eggs cracked right on top and covered just long enough to set. It’s humble Azorean home cooking — the kind of meal my family would put together with whatever ripe tomatoes and onions were on hand, and it’s every bit as satisfying now as it was then.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50-60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 People 1x
- Category: Dinner, Side Dish
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Portuguese
Ingredients
- 4 lbs ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 2 large sweet onions, peeled and cut in half
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, or enough to cover the bottom of the pan
- 1–2 tablespoons chopped hot pepper sauce
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4–6 eggs
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until golden, about 20 minutes.
- Add the garlic and mix well with the onions.
- Add the chopped tomatoes with their juices, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens.
- Crack the eggs on top of the sauce — 1-2 per person, depending on who’s eating.
- Cover and cook about 5 minutes, or until the eggs reach your desired doneness.
- Spoon the sauce into a bowl, top with the eggs, and serve with crusty bread or grilled corn bread.