Colombia's classic tomato-scallion scrambled eggs, brightened with a handful of fresh mint alongside the usual cilantro.
Huevos pericos are Colombia's everyday scrambled eggs — soft-scrambled with diced tomato and scallion cooked down first so their juices season the eggs as they cook, a breakfast staple found on tables from Bogotá to the Caribbean coast. This version is genuinely closer to a scramble than a folded omelet, which is the honest way this dish is actually made and eaten in Colombian households; adding fresh mint alongside the traditional cilantro is a small, personal touch some home cooks use for extra brightness, though cilantro alone is the standard. The technique that separates good huevos pericos from mediocre ones is cooking the tomato and scallion down enough that most of their liquid evaporates before the eggs go in — wet vegetables make watery, unevenly cooked eggs. Once the eggs are added, they're stirred gently and pulled off the heat while still slightly glossy, since residual heat finishes the curd. Served with arepa or a slice of bread and a cup of Colombian coffee, this is the most common breakfast in the country — fast, cheap and endlessly comforting.
Serves 2
Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add scallion whites and diced tomato, cooking until the tomato softens and most of its liquid has cooked off, about 5 minutes.
While the vegetables cook, whisk eggs with salt and pepper until just combined.
Pour eggs into the skillet with the tomato mixture and reduce heat to medium-low.
Stir slowly and continuously with a spatula, pulling the eggs from the edges to the center, until soft curds form, about 2-3 minutes.
Pull the pan off the heat while the eggs still look slightly wet — carryover heat finishes them, and this is what keeps huevos pericos soft rather than dry and rubbery.
Fold in scallion greens, mint and cilantro off the heat. Serve immediately with arepa or toasted bread.
Cook the tomato until most of its liquid evaporates before adding eggs — skipping this step is the most common reason huevos pericos turn out watery.
Use a nonstick pan and keep the heat at medium-low; high heat scrambles eggs too fast and gives a tough, dry texture.
Add fresh herbs at the very end, off the heat, so their flavor and color stay bright instead of wilting into the eggs.
Skip the mint for the classic, traditional version — cilantro alone is the standard preparation across Colombia.
Add diced Colombian chorizo or ham to the tomato mixture for a heartier breakfast.
Top with crumbled queso costeño for a salty, crumbly finish common on the Caribbean coast.
Best eaten immediately — scrambled eggs don't reheat well. If needed, store covered in the fridge up to 1 day and reheat gently over low heat, stirring constantly, for less than a minute.
Huevos pericos are one of the most common breakfast dishes across Colombia, made daily in households nationwide with whatever tomato and scallion are on hand — the name comes from the bright green and red flecks resembling the colors of a periquito, or small parakeet.
Yes — a small amount of finely diced white or red onion, cooked until soft, works as a substitute, though the flavor will be slightly sharper than scallion.
Simply skip it — cilantro alone is the traditional and most common way huevos pericos are made across Colombia.
The tomato likely wasn't cooked down long enough before the eggs were added — make sure most of its liquid has evaporated first, about 5 minutes over medium heat.
Per serving (190g / 6.7 oz) · 2 servings total
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