Sambal is versatile, and one of my favourite ingredient to add to sambal are eggs! This is Sambal Eggs or Sambal Telur, a simple yet delicious dish made with basic ingredients, perfect as a side dish to complement your meal. In this version, I swapped eggs for quail eggs – these little bite-sized gems soak up the rich, spicy sambal beautifully, making every bite extra flavorful.

While you can get fancy with additional ingredients, I firmly believe that simple is best here—just a good, solid sambal and boiled eggs, however you like. Foolproof!

Table of Contents

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Key Ingredients for Sambal Eggs
• Key Steps to Making Sambal Eggs
• How to Serve
• Tips & Tricks
• Storing & Reheating
• More Recipes Like This

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Simple and easy – Uses basic pantry ingredients, yet delivers bold flavors.

• Customizable – You can add other ingredients, but even in its simplest form, it’s already delicious.

• Pairs well with everything – Serve it with rice, nasi lemak, or even as part of a larger meal.

• Bite-sized perfection – The small quail eggs absorb more sambal in every bite!

Key Ingredients for Sambal Eggs

The Eggs

Any eggs will work for this sambal eggs recipe! In this recipe I used quail eggs (telur puyuh), for perfect bite-sized pieces.

If you want to use regular chicken eggs instead of quail eggs for this recipe, 15-16 quail eggs are roughly equivalent to 4-5 regular eggs.

The cooking method remains the same!

For the sambal

• Dried chilies – The backbone of any good sambal, providing heat and depth.

• Onions, garlic, and ginger – The basic trifecta of aromatics for a flavourful base.

• Tamarind paste – Adds a subtle tangy balance to the spicy sambal.

• Salt and sugar – To season and balance the flavors.

• Dried anchovies (optional) – A little umami boost that makes the sambal even better!

Key Steps to Making Sambal Eggs

1. Boil the Eggs (or Quail Eggs):

• Bring a pot of water to a boil and gently add the quail eggs.

• Boil eggs for about 4-5 minutes for hard-boiled quail eggs. then rinse under water to stop the cooking.

• Once cooled, peel the eggs carefully and set aside.

OPTIONAL: deep fry the eggs until golden brown. The texture will allow the sambal to latch onto the eggs better, but personally, I don’t need it!

2. Prepare the Sambal Paste:

• Soak dried chillies in hot water for about 5 minutes or until rehydrated and soft.

• Blend the soaked dried chilies, onion, garlic, and ginger into a smooth paste.

• Add a bit of water if needed to help with blending.

NOTE: If you have aromatics pastes (see my full recipes for these here), you can skip this step!

3. Cook the Sambal:

• Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.

• Add the blended sambal paste and sauté until fragrant and the oil separates (about 5-7 minutes). See my ‘pecah minyak’ guide on how to properly cook down sambal.

• Stir in salt, sugar, and tamarind paste mixture. If using dried anchovies, add it in as well. Give dried anchovies a very quick rinse before adding. Adjust seasoning to taste.

4. Add the Quail Eggs:

• Gently add the peeled quail eggs into the sambal, and stir to make sure they are well coated.

• Let simmer for 2-3 minutes, allowing the eggs to absorb the sambal flavor.

5. Final Touches & Serving Sambal Eggs

• If using, sprinkle the crispy fried anchovies on top for an extra layer of flavor.

• Serve hot with rice, nasi lemak, or your favorite side dishes.

How to Serve

• Best enjoyed with warm rice, nasi lemak, or even as a side to a larger meal.

• Serve it alongside fried fish, vegetables, or other Malay-style dishes for a complete spread.

I love this best with Nasi Lemak! See my recipes:

• Authentic Nasi Lemak Recipe (3 easy cooking methods!)

• Butterfly Blue Pea Nasi Lemak | Blue Coconut Rice

Tips & Tricks

• Adjust the spice level – Reduce the dried chilies for a milder sambal or add more for extra heat.

• Let the sambal cook down properly – This enhances the flavour and removes the raw chili taste.

• Optional umami boost – Add dried anchovies for extra depth, but it’s still delicious without them!

Storing & Reheating

• Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

• Reheating: Gently reheat in a pan over low heat or microwave in short bursts, adding a splash of water if needed to loosen the sambal.

More Recipes Like This

• Sambal Telur Pecah | Sunny Side Up Egg Sambal
• Versatile, Basic Sambal
• Taugeh Goreng Ikan Bilis | Beansprouts with Anchovies Stir Fry
• Tofu Omelette (with gravy!)
• Ayam Goreng Ketumbar Jintan (5-Ingredients Only!)