Yogurt Lovers’ Turkish Eggs

Spice up your morning eggs!

If you fancy making breakfast with a bit of wow factor, you must try Çılbır! Pronounced chul-bur, this traditional Turkish breakfast dish features perfectly poached eggs nestled on a thick bed of garlicky yogurt, all topped with a generous drizzle of warm, spiced pepper butter sauce.

Most people think of yogurt as something sweet, paired with fruit or muesli, but this dish celebrates savoury yogurt in all its glory. Turkish eggs combine two staple breakfast proteins - eggs and yogurt - into one exciting and flavour-packed dish. The creamy tang of fresh homemade yogurt and the richness of the butter sauce make this plate-licking good. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll understand why it’s one of the most beloved egg dishes in Turkey!

While Turkish eggs have three components and look a little fancy, they’re surprisingly easy to make, and absolutely worth it. Don’t be daunted. You’ll have a restaurant-worthy breakfast in under 20 minutes!

Poached Eggs

Poached eggs are the star of this breakfast, so we’ll show you, step by step, how to make them with that perfect runny yolk.

Straining the egg before poaching helps remove the thin, watery part of the egg white, the part that creates those wispy strands in the water. By removing this, you get a neater, more compact poached egg with a firm white wrapped tightly around the yolk. It might sound like an unnecessary step, but it makes all the difference if you want a beautifully shaped egg without stringy bits.

Homemade Yogurt

Turkish cuisine often uses strained yogurt in savoury dishes, so make sure to strain your homemade yogurt ahead of time. The garlic yogurt base in Turkish eggs is best served at room temperature or just slightly warm. You can either prepare the sauce in advance or gently warm it by placing the bowl over a pot of boiling water for a few minutes. Cold yogurt will set the fats in butter sauce.

Bread

Yogurt lovers’ Turkish eggs are best served immediately. Crusty bread is essential for scooping up every delicious drop of yogurt, oozy egg, and rich butter sauce. Trust us, you won’t want to leave any behind.

Aleppo Pepper

Turkish red pepper flakes (Aleppo pepper) have a mild, sweet taste with a subtle lemony note and very little heat. If you can’t find Aleppo pepper (we couldn’t), try a mix of flaked sweet paprika and just a pinch of cayenne to mimic its unique flavour.

Fresh Herbs

Fresh herbs aren't strictly traditional, but I can’t imagine Turkish eggs without dill! Don’t skimp. Dill adds a bright, fresh note. You could also try fresh mint of parsley.

SERVES 2: If you are just preparing breakfast for one, simply half the recipe.
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