Turkish Eggs (Çılbır)
Turkish eggs (çılbır): poached eggs on cool garlicky yogurt, drizzled with sizzling Aleppo pepper butter and fresh herbs. Serve with warm bread for dipping.
By Tasty Nest Recipes Editorial TeamPublished
20 min total 2 servingsIntermediate
Photo: razvan.orendovici · CC BY 2.0. Illustrative photo; your results may look different.
About this recipe
Çılbır, often called Turkish eggs, is a brilliant contrast of temperatures and textures: cool, tangy garlic yogurt, warm poached eggs and a drizzle of hot butter infused with red pepper flakes.
It looks impressive but takes only about 20 minutes. Make sure you have plenty of crusty bread or warm flatbread to scoop up every bit.
Equipment you'll need
- Wide saucepan
- Small saucepan
- Slotted spoon
Tips for success
- Take the yogurt out of the fridge 30 minutes before you start, or warm it gently over a bowl of warm water.
- Do not let the butter burn once the pepper is added; take it off the heat first.
- Official guidance recommends cooking eggs until the yolks are firm, particularly for anyone pregnant, very young, older or immunocompromised. Use pasteurised eggs if you prefer runny yolks.
Substitutions and variations
- Use thick plain yogurt or labneh instead of Greek yogurt.
- Fry the eggs instead of poaching them for a simpler version.
- Add a pinch of cumin or sumac to the butter.
Storage
To store: Best eaten immediately. The garlic yogurt keeps, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Recipe
Turkish Eggs (Çılbır)
Turkish eggs (çılbır): poached eggs on cool garlicky yogurt, drizzled with sizzling Aleppo pepper butter and fresh herbs. Serve with warm bread for dipping.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Level
- Intermediate
Ingredients
Tick off ingredients as you gather them.
Garlic yogurt
Eggs and chilli butter
Instructions
Step 1: Make the garlic yogurt
Stir the yogurt, garlic and salt together and spread it in two shallow bowls. Room-temperature yogurt keeps the dish from tasting fridge-cold.
Step 2: Heat the poaching water
Bring 3 inches of water to a bare simmer in the wide saucepan and add the vinegar, if using.
Step 3: Poach the eggs
Crack each egg into a small cup and slide it gently into the water. Poach for 3 to 4 minutes for soft yolks, or 5 to 6 minutes for firm yolks. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Step 4: Make the chilli butter
Melt the butter in the small saucepan over medium heat until foaming, then remove from the heat and stir in the Aleppo pepper.
Step 5: Assemble
Place two eggs on each bowl of yogurt, spoon over the sizzling chilli butter and scatter with herbs. Serve immediately with bread.
Cuisine: Turkish · Course: Breakfast
Estimated nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360
- Protein
- 23 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
- Sugars
- 4 g
Approximate values estimated from typical nutrition data for the listed ingredients, excluding optional toppings and serving suggestions. Actual values vary with brands, portion sizes and substitutions. Not verified by a dietitian or laboratory analysis.
tastynestrecipes.com/recipes/turkish-eggs
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