Published February 20, 2025. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This easy Turkish Eggs Recipe serves perfectly poached eggs over a bed of garlic-infused yogurt with Aleppo pepper butter sauce drizzled over top. Just like shakshuka, it’s one of my favorite breakfast recipes to serve with crusty bread on weekend mornings.
Weekends are sacred in our house, so we rarely settle for a dull plate of scrambled eggs. We must go all out each time, whether that involves carefully putting eggs benedict together or poaching eggs and making garlicky yogurt sauce for Cilbir, AKA Turkish eggs. This dish is simple but isn’t lacking in flavor. You’ll love Turkish eggs if you love poached eggs, yogurt sauce, and bold Aleppo pepper.
What are Turkish Eggs?
Turkish eggs or Çılbır (pronounced chill-burr) are a popular savory breakfast in Turkey. Poached eggs are served over a bed of garlic-infused yogurt sauce and garnished with a warm and spicy-ish butter sauce and fresh herbs.
The signature garnish in this recipe, spiced butter sauce, is made with melted butter, Aleppo pepper, and smoked paprika. The smoky and sweet notes dance on your tongue with every bite of eggs and yogurt, while the subtle heat keeps things interesting. And if spicy food isn’t your favorite, you can easily use sweet paprika as a substitute or load up on fresh herbs, like mint leaves or dill, to keep any residual heat in check.
I love more than swirling the layers of garlicky yogurt, runny egg yolks, and butter sauce around my plate with toasted slices of bread—the more rustic, the better. This way, I don’t miss out on a single drop of flavor!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Yogurt – Like with tzatziki sauce, plain, unsweetened, and full-fat Greek yogurt keeps the garlicky yogurt sauce thick and creamy.
- Garlic — Fresh whole garlic cloves are finely grated to infuse addictive flavors into the yogurt sauce. Do not substitute these for garlic powder or garlic granules, as spices are not as potent as the real thing.
- Herbs — Fresh dill is combined with olive oil for another layer of flavor. I also add fresh mint leaves to garnish the finished dish.
- Oil – Olive oil is preferred, although avocado, vegetable, or extra virgin olive oil will also work.
- Butter – I combined unsalted butter with spices to make the warming butter sauce.
- Spices — I used Aleppo pepper and paprika in the butter sauce. Both smoked and sweet paprika are good options. If Aleppo pepper is not available, use red chili flakes instead (keep in mind that they are spicier).
- Vinegar – I have been poaching eggs for years and have always found that adding white distilled vinegar to the simmering water coagulates the egg whites and helps the eggs cook faster.
- Eggs – You need 4 large, fresh eggs. You can use more or less depending on how many people you plan on serving.
How to Make Turkish Eggs (Çılbır)
Prepare the yogurt sauce: I mixed the yogurt, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Make the dill oil: I mix the dill and oil in a separate bowl.
Make the butter sauce: I melt the butter in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Once it’s melted, I stir in the Aleppo pepper and paprika for bold and smoky flavors. After 1 minute, I turn off the heat and set the pan aside to prevent the butter from scorching.
Simmer the water: I bring a pot of water to a strong simmer over low-medium heat. Then, I pour in the vinegar, which keeps the egg white intact.
Poach the eggs: I crack the eggs into a strainer to separate the watery, loose egg whites from the firmer egg whites. Then, I add one egg at a time to the water and cook until they’re over-easy. For over-medium or overhard (see the Chef Notes + Tips below for cooking times). I put the eggs on a paper towel to drain any excess water.
Assemble on a plate: I spread a generous scoop of the garlic yogurt sauce on a plate and drizzle some dill oil over the top. I add the 4 poached eggs on top and lightly season them with salt and pepper. To finish, I drizzle the Aleppo pepper sauce over the eggs and garnish them with fresh mint.
Chef TIPS + NOTES
The time it takes you to poach your eggs depends on how runny you like the yolks. For over-easy poached eggs (firm whites and runny yolks), I like to simmer them in the water for 2:30 to 3 minutes. Over-medium poached eggs will simmer for 4:30 to 5 minutes. For over-hard poached eggs, simmer for up to 8 minutes.
- Room-temperature yogurt: Remove the Greek yogurt from the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour before making the yogurt sauce so it has time to come down to room temperature. Trust me—cold yogurt sauce served with hot eggs is not a tasty combo.
- No vortex needed: While stirring a vortex into the simmering water is crucial when poaching one egg, this recipe calls for all four eggs to be cooked at once. Do not use the vortex method in this case, or else the eggs will touch and possibly fuse together.
- Only make as much as you plan on eating: I find that Turkish eggs are best when they’re served right away. You could make each element in advance (see the make-ahead instructions below), but they aren’t as good as when they are fresh.
Serving Suggestions
I always serve Cilbir with slices of crusty toasted bread on the side. I typically have a loaf of sourdough ready to go, but my rustic kamut flour bread is another one of my favorites. Scooping up every bite with bread, regardless of the type, ensures I don’t miss out on a single drop of egg yolk, yogurt, and chili sauce on my plate.
When I make this for my family on special weekend mornings, I always pair the eggs with something sweet, like fruit salad or a stack of Belgian waffles. This way, everyone’s sweet tooth is happy.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: Turkish eggs are best served as soon as they’re assembled on the plate. However, you can poach the eggs and make the sauces up to 2 days ahead. Keep each element in a separate container in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
How to Store: The leftover eggs and sauces can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.
How to Reheat: Reheat the poached eggs in the microwave or add them to hot, simmering water until warm. The Aleppo pepper sauce and dill oil can be gently reheated in a microwave.
More Breakfast Recipes
- Steak and Eggs Recipe
- Easy Italian Frittata Recipe
- Corned Beef Hash Recipe
- Quiche Lorraine Recipe
- Breakfast Burrito Recipe
Turkish Eggs Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1-2 finely grated garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons aleppo pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
- 4 large eggs
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- optional finely minced fresh mint
- optional toasted bread on the side
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix the yogurt, salt, and pepper. Set it to the side.
- In a separate small bowl, mix the dill and oil, and place them on the side.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, add the butter and heat over low to medium heat until it’s melted. Stir in the Aleppo pepper and paprika, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and set it to the side.
- Heat a medium to large-sized pot of water over low-medium heat or until it is at a strong simmer and some bubbles break the surface. Pour in the vinegar.
- Crack the eggs into a strainer to drain off the watery, loose egg whites from the firmer egg whites.
- Add the eggs one at a time to the water, keeping them a few inches apart. For over-easy, which I like, cook it for 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Add 30 to 45 seconds more for over medium, then add 2 more minutes for over hard.
- Set them to the side on paper towels to drain any excess water.
- Add the garlicky yogurt to a plate and drizzle on some of the dill oil. Add the eggs, and gently season with salt and pepper. Drizzle on some of the Aleppo pepper sauce and finish with optional fresh mint.
- Serve with optional toasted bread for dipping.
Turkish Eggs (Çilbir)