Turkish Eggs (Cilbir)

A dish featuring poached eggs on a bed of yogurt, drizzled with spicy red oil, garnished with crumbled feta cheese and fresh herbs. A wooden spoon rests on the beige plate.

5 from 4 reviews

I mean, what's not to love about these Turkish Eggs! The eggs are poached to perfection, with a soft runny yolk, while the creamy yogurt adds tanginess to balance the richness of the eggs. The spiced butter sauce adds a smoky, subtle heat 🌶️ that ties everything together and adds a boost of flavor.

Prep Time5

Cook Time6

Total Time11

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Bulgarian, Turkish

Keyword: cilbir, easy breakfast, healthy breakfast, turkish eggs

Servings: servings

Author: The Modern Nonna

Equipment

Ingredients

Yogurt Spread

1.5 cups yogurt at room temperature
1 clove garlic minced
¼ teaspoon salt to taste

Paprika Butter

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ teaspoon Aleppo chili flakes or regular chili flakes
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika any paprika

Poached Eggs

1 tablespoon white vinegar or as needed
4 eggs
1 pinch salt

Additional Ingredients

1 tablespoon feta measure with your heart
Dill or any similar herbs for garnish

Instructions

Yogurt Sauce

Mix the plain yogurt with garlic and salt. Taste and adjust the salt as needed. Set aside.

Aleppo Butter Sauce

In a small pot on the stove, add the butter and melt. Add in the chili flakes + paprika and cook for about a minute. Take it off the heat.

Poached Eggs

Over a bowl crack the egg through a fine mesh sieve. This will allow the loose egg whites to separate. You can save the loose egg whites for another recipe.
In a pot on the stove add water and let it come to a simmer.
Add the vinegar, as it simmers give the water a little swirl with a spoon or whisk.
Gently add the eggs (one at a time) and set the timer for five minutes.
Remove it with a slotted spoon and set it onto a plate with paper towel. Increase the time accordingly if you like a firm egg and not a runny yolk.

To Assemble

Spread the yogurt onto a bowl, arrange the poached eggs, add a drizzle of the paprika butter, feta and garnish with dill or any other herbs of choice.

Video

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="jMPrcC56" upload-date="2025-01-26T00:00:00.000Z" name="Turkish Eggs" description="Turkish cuisine is having a serious moment on social media right now—and rightfully so ?! Turkish food is one of my all-time favorite cuisines, and it’s actually very similar to Bulgarian food in terms of taste, texture, and ingredients. That’s because Bulgaria ?? was under the Ottoman Empire for 500 years, so our cuisines are closely intertwined. As a Balkan girl, Turkish Eggs are one of my favorite breakfast dishes ever ?. The combination of poached eggs and yogurt is just unbeatable, and if you know me, you know yogurt practically courses through my veins ?. This is my own little twist on the traditional dish, the way I grew up eating it—topped with a little crumbled feta ? (because feta is life) —while still staying true to those classic Turkish principles to create this insanely delicious, protein-packed breakfast ?!"]

Notes

Servings: this recipe makes one large bowl or two smaller portions. Feel free to add as many poached eggs as you like.

Nutrition