Turkish Eggs (Çılbır)

5 mins Prep Time

10 mins Cook Time

Written By

Tara Omidvar

Cilbir, or çılbır (pronounced chil-bir), is an egg recipe for breakfast in Turkish cuisine. It's a simple savoury breakfast made of perfectly poached eggs placed on top of garlic yogurt and then drizzled with hot butter. This is a super quick, easy, yet fancy looking recipe for breakfast/brunch at home.

Some people might find poached eggs tricky to make and I totally understand it. But if you follow this recipe, you can nail your poached eggs without having a hard time.

Aleppo pepper originated in Syria and has been a staple in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean kitchens. It's half as hot as common red chili flakes and definitely more flavorful. If you don't have it on hand, it can be replaced by a mix of some red chili flakes and paprika.

You can serve this with any bread of your choice. Pita and toasted sourdough bread are suggestions.

Unfortunately, this is not one of those recipes that you can store its leftovers but honestly, I don't think you will ever need to!

Ingredients

Turkish Eggs (Çılbır)

1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt (room temperature)
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper
2 cloves garlic
Flaky salt, to taste
Fresh dill (optional)

Directions

Turkish Eggs (Çılbır)

10 Steps

Step 1

Mince the garlic and mix it with Greek yogurt in a small bowl.
Step 2

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the Aleppo pepper to it. Turn heat down to the lowest it will go, just so the butter stays warm (watch carefully not to burn or brown).
Step 3

Bring a medium saucepan full of water to a boil.
Step 4

Gently crack an egg into a small fine sieve. Swirl the egg in the sieve so the liquidy part of egg whites drains out. Transfer the egg into a small bowl or a ramekin.
Step 5

Turn the heat down so the water is simmering. Use a spoon and stir water in the saucepan to make a vortex. Quickly add egg in middle of the vortex and cook it for 3 minutes. Don't touch the egg while cooking.
Step 6

Meanwhile, line a tray with paper towel. Once egg is cooked transfer it with a slotted spoon to the tray so the excess water can be absorbed by the paper towel.
Step 7

Repeat the same process of preparing and cooking the rest of eggs.
Step 8

Swirl the yogurt mixture onto your serving plate. Transfer the poached eggs on top of the yogurt. Spoon the heated butter on top of it.
Step 9

Sprinkle it with flaky salt. Garnish it with fresh dill (if using).
Step 10

Serve immediately with your favorite bread.