Turkish Eggs Recipe step-by-step pictures. Turkish eggs or Cilbir recipe is a delicious and popular Turkish recipe. Poached eggs served over a garlicky yoghurt sauce topped with chilly cumin flavoured butter.

Turkish Eggs Recipe (cilbir recipe)
This particular recipe is very new to me. I came across this recipe in Nigella Lawson's show. When I first saw this recipe on the show I wondered how would eggs and yoghurt taste together. But I wanted to try it so badly because I love Turkish cuisine and wanted to explore more about it. This is relatively easy to make, All you have to make its three components. First one is a garlic flavoured yoghurt, then you have to make a chilli spiced butter which has a touch of cumin and parsley. The final is topping which is a poached egg but you could use fried egg instead.
Table of Contents
About Turkish Eggs (Cilbir)
Turkish is very popular recipe. It is often served for breakfast along with a piece of bread or Simit which is the Turkish popular bread. The dish consist of three components the first one is the yoghurt which is flavoured with garlic and salt sometimes it has chopped parsley added which I didn’t use.
The most important component is the toasted chilli butter which is made by heating some butter, add in Cumin powder, parsley, chilli flakes and paprika. This butter adds some nutty flavour to the whole dish.
The final component is poached eggs, sometimes fried eggs are also used.
Turkish eggs or usually served for breakfast with some bread. Traditionally Simit is served with this dish.
Check out french toast or toast with poached eggs.

Ingredients for Making Turkish Eggs (Cilbir recipe)
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt
- Salt to taste
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- ½ cup Butter
- 2 tsp Cumin powder
- 2 tsp Paprika
- 2 tsp Red Chilli Flakes
- 2 tsp Dried Parsley
- 4 Eggs

How to Make Turkish Eggs (Cilbir recipe)
Garlic Yogurt preparation
Take yoghurt in a bowl add in minced garlic and salt. whisk really well till smooth, set aside. The yoghurt has to be at room temperature.
Toasted Chilli Butter
For making the toasted chilli butter. Take butter in a saucepan heat till it is completely melted. Lower the flame and add cumin powder, Paprika, chilli flakes and dried parsley. Mix well and set aside.
Making Poached Eggs
Now let's make poached eggs. Take water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Lower the flame completely so the water doesn't boil too much it has to be in steady simmer stage. Add in vinegar and uses a spoon and swirl the the water so it creates swirl. Crack open one egg in a small bowl and add the egg slowly into the water. The egg will swirl in the water and cook very gently. Let the egg cook for 1 to 2 minutes as per your liking and use a slotted spoon to remove the egg gently from the water and drain it on a paper towel.
Serving Cilbir
Now let's do the plating. Take a serving dish, spoon the garlic yoghurt onto the dish and spread it evenly. Place the poached egg over the yoghurt and spoon the butter over the eggs generously. So with any bread of your choice and enjoy.

📖 Recipe Card
Turkish Eggs Recipe | Cilbir Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt
- Salt to taste
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- ½ cup Butter
- 2 tsp Cumin powder
- 2 tsp Paprika
- 2 tsp Red Chilli Flakes
- 2 tsp Dried Parsley
- 4 Eggs
Instructions
- Take yoghurt in a bowl add in minced garlic and salt. whisk really well till smooth, set aside. The yoghurt has to be at room temperature.
- For making the toasted chilli butter. Take butter in a saucepan heat till it is completely melted. Lower the flame and add cumin powder, Paprika, chilli flakes and dried parsley. Mix well and set aside.
- Now let's make poached eggs. Take water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Lower the flame completely so the water doesn't boil too much it has to be in steady simmer stage. Add in vinegar and uses a spoon and swirl the the water so it creates swirl. Crack open one egg in a small bowl and add the egg slowly into the water. The egg will swirl in the water and cook very gently. Let the egg cook for 1 to 2 minutes as per your liking and use a slotted spoon to remove the egg gently from the water and drain it on a paper towel.
- Now let's do the plating. Take a serving dish, spoon the garlic yoghurt onto the dish and spread it evenly. Place the poached egg over the yoghurt and spoon the butter over the eggs generously. So with any bread of your choice and enjoy.
Video

Notes
- Make sure the yogurt is at room temperature for Best taste. Sometimes the yoghurt is placed in a bowl over simmering water to keep warm.
- Use good quality butter and add a generous amount of parsley. Instead of dried parsley you could use fresh parsley.
- If you're not familiar with poached eggs you could simply fry some eggs and use it instead.
- This dish is best served immediately with some bread. Traditionally just served with Turkish bread.
- When plating the dish use generous amount of the butter which is the best part of the dish.
Nutrition
Turkish Eggs Recipe Step by Step Pictures
1)Take yoghurt in a bowl

2)add in minced garlic and salt. whisk really well till smooth, set aside.

3)The yoghurt has to be at room temperature.

4)For making the toasted chilli butter. Take butter in a saucepan

5)heat till it is completely melted.

6)Lower the flame and add cumin powder.

7)Add Paprika.

8)Add chilli flakes.

9)Add dried parsley.

10)Mix well and set aside.

11)Now let's make poached eggs. Take water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Lower the flame completely so the water doesn't boil too much it has to be in steady simmer stage. Add in vinegar.

12)and uses a spoon and swirl the the water so it creates swirl.

13)Crack open one egg in a small bowl and add the egg slowly into the water. The egg will swirl in the water and cook very gently.

14)Let the egg cook for 1 to 2 minutes as per your liking.

15)use a slotted spoon to remove the egg gently from the water and drain it on a paper towel.

16)Now let's do the plating. Take a serving dish, spoon the garlic yoghurt onto the dish and spread it evenly.

17)Place the poached egg over the yoghurt.

18)spoon the butter over the eggs generously.

19)Serve with any bread of your choice and enjoy.

Tips & Tricks
- Make sure the yogurt is at room temperature for Best taste. Sometimes the yoghurt is placed in a bowl over simmering water to keep warm.
- Use good quality butter and add a generous amount of parsley. Instead of dried parsley you could use fresh parsley.
- If you're not familiar with poached eggs you could simply fry some eggs and use it instead.
- This dish is best served immediately with some bread. Traditionally just served with Turkish bread.
- When plating the dish use generous amount of the butter which is the best part of the dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you eat Turkish eggs?
Turkish eggs are best when you eat them with some toasted bread. Traditionally Simit is served with this dish.
What are Turkish eggs Wikipedia?
Turkish is very popular recipe. It is often served for breakfast along with a piece of bread or Simit which is the Turkish popular bread. The dish consist of three components the first one is the yoghurt which is flavoured with garlic and salt sometimes it has chopped parsley added which I didn’t use.
How do you pronounce the Turkish egg?
Çılbır is roughly pronounced “chl-br” – the Turkish ç is pronounced as a “ch”, while the 'undotted i' (ı) is sounded out like a very short 'i'.
What is in a typical Turkish breakfast?
Accordingly, a classic Turkish breakfast is generally comprised of black and green olives, cucumbers, cured meats, dips and sauces, eggs, fresh cheeses, fresh tomatoes, fresh-baked bread, fruit preserves and jams, honey, pastries, and sweet butter.
Leave a Reply