Turkish Eggs (Çilbir): the easy recipe for Turkish poached eggs

Çilbir is an easy and savory breakfast recipe for enjoying traditional Turkish eggs in the morning. Similar in look to the classic poached eggs, this dish is made up of poached eggs served on a thick, creamy garlic yogurt and topped with spicy butter.

It is a quick and easy recipe, you just need to cook the poached eggs, whip up a smooth cream based on yogurt and garlic, and finally top with the spicy butter mixture. Serve your çilbir with a multi grain bread toast for dipping and your early morning nutrition is solved.

What is Çilbir?

Çilbir is a traditional Turkish breakfast recipe based on poached eggs paired with a garlicky yogurt and a spicy butter topping.

Pronounced chili-bir, this Turkish egg dish is savory and very easy to make that you can enjoy even better by dipping a crusty bread in it.

Çilbir Turkish Eggs Ingredients

Turkish eggs are a very easy recipe that calls for no fancy ingredients.

Eggs – just pick good quality ones.

Plain yogurt, garlic, salt – use them for the creamy component. Choose from low fat to full fat yogurt according to your taste.

Water, vinegar, salt – these ingredients are necessary for poaching the eggs.

Butter, paprika, Aleppo pepper – mix them to make a spicy topping.

How to make Çilbir Turkish Eggs

To make Çilbir, start by mixing garlic, plain yogurt and salt until smooth. Now it's time to prepare the poached eggs, one at a time. Boil some water with vinegar and a pinch of salt, then stir with a wooden spoon and create a very tight swirl. Quickly add the egg and let it cook for 2-3 minutes until the egg whites are firm. Repeat with the other egg.

Transfer the poached egg to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and pour the yogurt mixture over it. Next, melt the butter, add the paprika and Aleppo pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes. Finally, top the Turkish eggs with spicy butter and parsley.

Tips

Break the eggs into a separate bowl carefully so that they do not have any bit of egg shells in it.

You may increase the cooking time by another 5 minutes if you prefer hard cooked eggs.

For a healthier version, you can substitute the butter for olive oil, or even reduce the butter and paprika quantities.

Aleppo Pepper is a chili flake very common in Turkey and Syria, so if you can't find it you can use classic red pepper.

What to serve with Turkish Poached Eggs

Serve hot çilbir with a multi grain bread toast or a crusty bread slice for dipping.

How to store Çilbir

It's best not to store Çilbir leftovers, so we recommend to prepare just the right amount you eat for breakfast.

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Instructions

In a small bowl add the grated garlic, a pinch of salt, yogurt and whisk the ingredients together until well blended and smooth.

In a pot, boil the water until it starts to bubble. Add the vinegar and ½ teaspoon salt. Reduce the flame.

Break open the egg into another bowl. Stir the water with a wooden spoon and create a very tight swirl. Quickly add the broken egg and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the egg white is firm, or increase the heat to medium and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes for a soft cooked egg. Repeat with the second egg.

Transfer the poached egg with a slotted spoon to the serving dish. Pour the yogurt mixture over the eggs. In a ladle, melt the butter, add paprika and Aleppo pepper, stir and cook for about 5 seconds. Drizzle the spicy butter over the yogurt layer and top the çilbir with fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Notes

Heat the butter carefully and not burn the butter by prolonging the cooking time.