Simple and delicious, Turkish Eggs (Cilbir) is a breakfast dish of perfectly poached eggs served over garlic infused yogurt, drizzled with hot spiced chili olive oil and garnished with fresh dill. Served with crusty sourdough or soft pita. Guaranteed, this will become part of your breakfast and brunch repertoire.
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What is Cilbir and why you should make it
Çılbır or cilbir (pronounced chil-bir) is a popular Turkish breakfast recipe that features thick yogurt with poached eggs and savory chili oil. It has been popularized around the world by chefs and is served at brunch spots in cities and towns across the globe. The good news for you is that it’s quite simple to make at home.
It’s a great recipe to make for brunch and it can be served alongside eggplant hummus or labneh balls.
Why you will like this recipe
- Easy to make. Once you get the hang of poaching eggs, you’ll wonder why you never poached eggs before.
- Affordable. This recipe doesn’t contain any expensive ingredients though you are welcome to amp it up any way you please.
- Pantry and fridge staples. No special ingredients are necessary.
- Satisfying. For me, Turkish eggs are a regular weekend brunch item. In a small way, they remind me of my Turkish grandmother and my time traveling in Turkey (Türkiye).
Ingredients
What I love about this Turkish breakfast is that it comes together rather quickly using pantry and refrigerator staples.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Greek or Turkish Yogurt. Obviously, the preference is to use thick Turkish yogurt, however, it is not easy to find Turkish yogurt in most parts of the world. Greek-style yogurt is a good substitute as it offers the same thickness needed for this recipe. Do not use plain or Balkan-style yogurt. This is important. Plain yogurt is too runny and you’ll end up with a soupy mess if you used it.
- Garlic. Feel free to omit the garlic altogether.
- Poached eggs. For a quick meal, replace the poached eggs with sunny side, over-easy or soft-boiled eggs. The flavor will be just as great. I do recommend poaching for a more authentic dish.
- White distilled vinegar. The vinegar is a must for poaching, but if you don’t have regular distilled white vinegar, you can use white wine or rice vinegar. Choose a clear or light-colored vinegar.
- Aleppo chili flakes. This recipe calls for Aleppo pepper flakes, which can be difficult to find. In Turkey, they are called pul biber. I personally grow these peppers and preserve them myself to use for recipes just like this. However, if you can’t buy or grow these peppers, you can certainly use regular chili flakes (though make sure to use less, as they are spicier than Aleppo). You can also use sweet paprika.
- Dill. Not a fan of dill? Though dill is traditional and authentic, you can also use other herbs like mint, parsley, chives, scallions or even basil.
How to make Turkish eggs and poach eggs like a pro
1. Prepare the yogurt. Combine Greek yogurt with minced garlic and a big pinch of salt. Stir well and set aside
2. Scented Oil. In a small pan on medium heat, warm olive oil and Aleppo pepper flakes. Stir constantly until bubbles begin to form and the aroma is released. Take off the heat right away. This whole process should only take 30-45 seconds. If the chili flakes burn, start over.
3. Boil water. Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil and add the vinegar.
4. Prepare egg. Crack an egg over a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Shake the strainer gently to separate the runny whites from the firm whites. This will result in a cleaner-looking poached egg without the messy whites clouding the water. Place the drained egg in a small ramequin or measuring cup and set aside.
5. Poach. When the water is ready (it should be boiling, but not quite a rolling boil), take a large slotted spoon and swirl it in the pot to create a vortex in the middle of the pot. Gently drop the strained egg into the vortex. Set a time for 2'30" (2 minutes and 30 seconds).
6. Transfer. Remove with a slotted spoon and test doneness. If the egg feels too soft, continue poaching for another 15-30 seconds. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain excess water. Repeat steps 4-6 for the second egg.
7. Season. Sprinkle the poached eggs lightly with salt.
8. Plate. Spread the garlic yogurt on a plate, place the poached eggs on the yogurt, drizzle with Aleppo-infused oil and garnish with dill. Serve right away with crusty bread.
Make ahead and storage
If you are pressed on time, you can make the garlic yogurt mixture and the scented Aleppo chili oil in advance. However, make sure to bring them to room temperature before serving otherwise the finished product will be cold.
Turkish eggs must be enjoyed right away. There is no good way to store leftover poached eggs. My recommendation is to make this recipe for yourself or a small group of people. It is not appropriate for a large gathering unless you switch out the poached eggs for something simpler like boiled or fried eggs.
How to serve Turkish eggs (cılbır)
The recipe as outlined is traditional, however, there’s nothing stopping you from adding to it for a more substantial brunch or breakfast. You can serve it with:
- Grilled asparagus
- Sauteed spinach
- Canadian bacon, ham or even sausage
- Roasted potatoes, hashbrowns, home fries or rosti
When it comes to bread, I recommend serving with crusty sourdough or baguette, but pita or flatbread will work as well. If you can get your hands on Simit (akin to Turkish bagels), even better. Jerusalem bagels are similar to Simit. You can also enjoy them with Montreal bagels or Turkish pide bread.
I will serve cılbır for brunch alongside other favorites like hummus or labneh.
Expert tips
- Room temperature yogurt. Make sure to bring the yogurt to room temperature before starting. If you were to use cold yogurt right out of the fridge, the finished dish will be cold. Not exactly comforting. 30-60 minutes should be enough for the yogurt to reach room temperature.
- Chili flakes. This recipe calls for Aleppo chili flakes. Aleppo peppers are not too spicy, so their flakes have a wonderful earthy, sweet and slightly spicy flavor. If you don’t have Aleppo pepper flakes, you can use regular chili flakes or even sweet paprika. If using regular chili flakes, cut back to 1 teaspoon or less as the infused oil might be too spicy. Use your best judgment.
- If you burn it, make it again. The chili flake oil has a tendency to burn quickly. Keep an eye on it. If you burn it, make it over. No one likes burned chili flakes for breakfast!
- Vinegar is key. Don’t skip on the vinegar. Adding vinegar to the poaching liquid will keep the eggs from spreading all over the water. You will not taste the vinegar in the poached egg. It’s just there to help you achieve the most perfect poached egg.
- Don’t skip the strainer. Those loose egg whites have no place in this recipe! Strain them out using a fine mesh sieve.
- Timing. Poaching eggs can seem daunting. Take them out too soon and they will be soupy and runny. Take them out too late and the yolks will be hard. Ideal poaching time, for me at least, is 2 minutes 30 seconds. You can go up to 3 minutes if you wish. Any more than that and you’ll end up with overcooked eggs.
FAQ
Aleppo pepper is a variety of capsicum annuum from Aleppo Syria. It has an earthy, sweet and slightly spicy flavor. Traditionally they are grown, dehydrated and crushed in to flakes.
Adding vinegar to the poaching liquid will keep the eggs from spreading all over the water. You will not taste the vinegar in the poached egg. It’s just there to help you achieve the most perfect poached egg.
Yes. Straining the eggs in a fine mesh sieve will separate the runny whites. The end result will be a tight, round and perfect poached egg without the white filaments that you would get otherwise.
For firm whites and runny yolks, poach for 2 minutes and 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Any longer than that and you risk overcooking the poached egg.
Other Brunch Recipes you might enjoy
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Turkish Eggs (Cilbir)
Equipment
- Fine Mesh Sieve
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Greek Yogurt - Use a thick yogurt - see note
- 1 Garlic clove
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes - Or use half the quantity of regular chili flakes or sweet paprika
- 2 Eggs - Use large or extra-large eggs
- 1 tablespoon Distilled white vinegar
- Fresh dill for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the yogurt. Combine Greek yogurt with minced garlic and a big pinch of salt. Stir well and set aside
- Scented Oil. In a small pan on medium heat, warm olive oil and Aleppo pepper flakes. Stir constantly until bubbles begin to form and the aroma is released. Take off the heat right away. This whole process should only take 30-45 seconds. If the chili flakes burn, start over.
- Boil water. Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil and add the vinegar.
- Prepare egg. Crack an egg over a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Shake the strainer gently to separate the runny whites from the firm whites. This will result in a cleaner-looking poached egg without the messy whites clouding the water. Place the drained egg in a small ramequin or measuring cup and set aside.
- Poach. When the water is ready (it should be boiling, but not quite a rolling boil), take a large slotted spoon and swirl it in the pot to create a vortex in the middle of the pot. Gently drop the strained egg into the vortex. Set a time for 2'30" (2 minutes and 30 seconds).
- Transfer. Remove with a slotted spoon and test doneness. If the egg feels too soft, continue poaching for another 15-30 seconds. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain excess water. Repeat steps 4-6 for the second egg.
- Season. Sprinkle the poached eggs lightly with salt.
- Plate. Spread the garlic yogurt on a plate, place the poached eggs on the yogurt, drizzle with Aleppo-infused oil and garnish with dill. Serve right away with crusty bread.
Notes
-
- Greek or Turkish Yogurt. Obviously, the preference is to use thick Turkish yogurt, however, it is not easy to find Turkish yogurt in most parts of the world. Greek-style yogurt is a good substitute as it offers the same thickness needed for this recipe. Do not use plain or Balkan-style yogurt. This is important. Plain yogurt is too runny and you’ll end up with a soupy mess if you used it.
-
- Garlic. Feel free to omit the garlic altogether.
-
- Poached eggs. For a quick meal, replace the poached eggs with sunny side, over-easy or soft-boiled eggs. The flavor will be just as great. I do recommend poaching for a more authentic dish.
-
- White distilled vinegar. The vinegar is a must for poaching, but if you don’t have regular distilled white vinegar, you can use white wine or rice vinegar. Choose a clear or light-colored vinegar.
-
- Aleppo chili flakes. This recipe calls for Aleppo pepper flakes, which can be difficult to find. In Turkey, they are called pul biber. I personally grow these peppers and preserve them myself to use for recipes just like this. However, if you can’t buy or grow these peppers, you can certainly use regular chili flakes (though make sure to use less, as they are spicier than Aleppo). You can also use sweet paprika.
Nutrition
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