Turkish Eggs (Çilbir)

5 from 2 votes

Turkish eggs (Çılbır) is a traditional Turkish breakfast combines perfectly poached eggs with a garlicky yogurt base, finished with a sizzling chilli butter that’s spooned over the top.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Mediterranean, turkish

Servings:

Author: Daen Lia

Ingredients

2 eggs fridge cold
1 cup Greek yoghurt room temp
1 garlic clove minced
3 tbsp butter
1/2 tbsp Aleppo pepper
1 tbsp white vinegar
fresh dill to serve
2 slices sourdough
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions

Mix yoghurt: In a small bowl, mix together the yoghurt, garlic and a pinch of salt.
Toast bread: In a large frypan on a low - medium heat, add the sourdough slices. Drizzle with the olive oil and cook for 2 - 3 minutes or until golden and brown. While the bread toasts, poach the eggs.
Boil water: Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add the white vinegar.
Strain egg: Crack the egg into a small sieve set over a bowl to strain off the thin, watery white, then transfer the egg to a small cup or ramekin.
Poach egg: Stir the water to create a gentle whirlpool. Gently slide the egg into the water and poach until the white is set but the yolk is still soft — about 2 minutes for fridge-cold eggs or 1 minute 45 seconds for room temperature eggs. Lift the egg out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel before serving. Repeat with the second egg.
Butter sauce: While the second egg is cooking, prepare the butter sauce. In a small saucepan on medium - low heat, add the butter and cook until very slightly brown. While the butter is bubbling, add the aleppo pepper.
Assemble & serve: Transfer the poached eggs to the bowl with the yoghurt. Drizzle the butter sauce all over and finish with a sprinkling of fresh dill and crack of black pepper.

Notes

Poaching an egg:

Strain the eggs first – Crack your egg into a small sieve over a bowl to remove the thin, watery part of the white. This helps the egg keep its shape when it hits the water.

Add vinegar to the water – A splash of vinegar helps the whites set quickly and prevents them from feathering out.

Create a whirlpool (optional) – Stir the water to create a gentle vortex before adding the egg. It isn’t essential, but it does wrap the white neatly around the yolk for a picture-perfect result.

Mind the temperature of your eggs – Fridge-cold eggs will take about 2 minutes for a runny yolk, while room temperature eggs take around 1 minute 45 seconds.

Use a gentle simmer, not a boil – Too much movement in the water will break up the whites, so keep it at a steady simmer.

Drain well before serving – Use a slotted spoon to lift out the egg and gently pat the base dry on a paper towel so you don’t add excess water to the plate.

Nutrition