Learn how to make the perfect Turkish eggs with our recipe. We'll take you through the process of making this classic Turkish breakfast, giving you all our tips and tricks to succeed on your first try. Enjoy perfectly poached eggs served on a herbed yogurt base and drizzled with a spiced butter sauce.
Turkish eggs are one of the most popular recipes in Turkish Cuisine. This dish featured poached eggs, herbed yogurt, and spicy butter made with chili flakes and smoked paprika.
Before we tried this dish for the first time at a local Coffee Shop that serves brunch, we felt a bit unsure about the combination of eggs and yogurt. I normally prefer Shakshuka as a safe Brunch dish, but I'm so glad I decided to give this dish a go, it blew my mind! My favorite part is definitely the spiced butter, I can't never get enough of it when we cook this recipe.
I know it can be a bit intimidating to make poached eggs; it's something I didn't think I could do properly, but it turns out that with a few tricks, you can make poached eggs like a pro! So follow our tips and tricks, and you will succeed on your first try!
Enjoy the best of Turkish cuisine using simple ingredients. The combination of textures and flavors of this recipe, also known as Cilbir, is definitely something I recommend everyone try!
What Our Readers Think of This Recipe:
- Christy: Absolutely delicious and easy to follow recipe. It was my first attempt at poaching eggs, I loved it!
- Elizabeth: I wish I would have found this recipe earlier. I would have saved so much money by not going out for brunch. This recipe was restaurant quality! So easy to make and the taste was divine. Will be my go-to recipe.
- Marilyn: Just made this and served it to my husband. He said “Wow” three times. I loved it too. We’ll be making this again.
Ingredients
Cilbir is something that is made when you don't have many ingredients in the fridge, and you want to prepare something quick, healthy, and delicious for your family. It uses staple ingredients that many people already have at home, especially in Middle Eastern or Mediterranean countries.
Turkish Yogurt. Turkish yogurt is actually very similar to Greek yogurt, which we normally use when we can't get to the Middle-Eastern store. Whether you choose unsweetened Greek or Turkish Yogurt, the consistency needs to be creamy and thick to act as a base for the eggs. If you cannot find Turkish or Greek yogurt, make sure you get any creamy yogurt (unsweetened).
Fresh herbs. We use fresh dill and fresh mint. You can add parsley, oregano, cilantro, or other fresh herbs. For our Turkish Eggs, we use what is growing in our garden, so depending on the time of the year, we use different fresh herbs.
Garlic. We like garlicky food, and we normally add a couple of garlic cloves to our recipes, but when served raw, garlic can overpower the rest of the flavors. Make sure to not add too much. For our taste, half a clove should be more than enough.
Eggs. Make sure you are using fresh eggs; the fresher, the better, as they will be easier to poach. Normally, we make one egg per person if we are serving Cilbir for breakfast. Served with Greek yogurt, spiced butter buttery sauce, and some crusty bread, it should be enough to start the day. If you are thinking of making Turkish eggs for lunch or dinner, maybe two eggs would be better.
Butter. Our favorite butter to use at home is Kerrygold butter (we are a Spanish-Irish family; I guess the Irish side takes over for butter). We recommend using room-temperature unsalted butter. You can also use margarine or olive oil.
Spices. Chilli flakes and smoked paprika are the spices we use for this recipe, as we always have them at home. If you have Aleppo pepper, you will want to use this instead.
Cooking Method
Prepare the yogurt by combining the Greek yogurt with minced garlic and finely chopped fresh herbs of your choice. Then, season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Next, you'll want to poach the eggs, and I know this part sounds easy for some and really challenging for others.
If you are in the second group or this is your first time making poached eggs, don't worry; getting a perfect poached egg is easier than you think. Fill a deep pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar and create a vortex using a spoon. Crack the egg and add it to the middle of the boiling water vortex. Cook for 2-3 minutes to get the perfect egg with a runny yolk. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and leave it aside while you cook the second egg.
Make the spiced butter sauce using a small pan or pot. Melt the butter at medium heat, and when it starts to bubble, add the smoked paprika and Aleppo peppers or chili flakes, and stir using a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are well combined and the sauce is ready to serve.
Traditionally, Aleppo pepper is used when making Turkish eggs, but for our recipe, we use chili flakes and smoked paprika.
Plating Turkish Eggs
Spread one thick layer of the garlicky yogurt with herbs on a serving plate or small bowl. You can use shallow bowls and plates for this recipe.
Add the poached eggs to the yogurt base. At this point, you can use a knife to gently break the eggs to release the egg yolk on the yogurt. Sooo satisfying!
Drizzle the spiced butter and garnish with some more fresh mint, dill, and black pepper before serving.
Turkish Eggs (Cilbir)
Ingredients
- 1 cup yogurt Turkish or Greek
- A handful fresh dill
- A handful fresh mint leaves
- ½ garlic clove
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 2 oz butter (55g)
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Finely chop the dill and mint, crush or grate the garlic clove and combine the ingredients with the yogurt. Season with salt and pepper and leave aside.
- Fill a deep pot with water and bring it to the boil. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar and create a vortex. Crack the egg and add it to the middle of the vortex. Cook for three minutes to get the perfect egg with a runny yolk.
- Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and leave aside while you cook the next egg.
- Using a pan, melt the butter. When the butter starts to bubble add the spices. Stir until well combined and the sauce will be ready to serve.
- Spread one thick layer of the garlicky yogurt with herbs on a serving plate or small bowl.
- Add the poached eggs to the yogurt base.
- Drizzle the spiced butter and add some more fresh mint and dill and black pepper before serving.
Notes
- The garlic can overpower the rest of the ingredients, so we suggest adding just ¼ or ½ a garlic clove and adjusting later to taste. We use a microplane to grate the garlic so it's easily incorporated with the rest of the ingredients.
- Do not add salt to the water as it will help to separate the white part of the egg and always try using fresh eggs.
- Make this recipe mild by swapping the chili for sweet paprika.
Newsletter
Nutrition
FAQ
Turkish eggs is a breakfast recipe normally enjoyed with a cup of tea. You can enjoy this dish with your regular morning coffee or a refreshing drink to cool down the spice!
This breakfast is a protein-packed breakfast. Eggs and yogurt are high protein sources. Butter is saturated fat, but using a small amount makes this breakfast still a healthy choice.
We like veganizing dishes that most people would think can't be veganized! For Turkish eggs, you can use plant-based yogurt and firm tofu instead of poached eggs. Also, substitute the butter for a plant-based alternative. Sarah's Vegan Kitchen has a great recipe for Vegan Turkish Eggs.
Yes, you can pan-fry the eggs, leaving the yolk runny to enjoy with some crusty bread.
Expert Tips
- The garlic can overpower the rest of the ingredients, so we suggest adding just ¼ or ½ a garlic clove and adjusting later to taste. We use a microplane or garlic presser to grate the garlic so it's easily incorporated with the rest of the ingredients.
- Do not add salt to the water, as this will help to separate the white part of the egg.
- Get fresh eggs for this recipe, as it will make the poaching process easier.
- You can make this recipe mild by swapping the chili for sweet paprika.
Serving Suggestions
Turkish eggs are originally served with crusty bread for breakfast, together with a cup of tea.
Now, at home, we've had Turkish eggs for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. Our favorite bread to serve it with is homemade Pita, red lentil wraps, or Garlic bread.
Make sure you add enough chili melted butter on top of the eggs and yogurt; I find this to be the best part of this meal.
Megan says
Amazing! The entire family enjoyed this for Saturday morning brunch
Laura says
Lovely to hear that Megan!
Lorena says
Deliciosos!
Juliane says
Woah, this is mouth watering!!! I would love to try this!
Andrea says
Oh, wow. This looks amazing. I've never tried this before. We're going to make it this weekend!
Laura says
Let me know how it goes 🙂
Jo says
Amazing recipie and has become a firm favorite. Thank you!
Laura says
Thank you Jo! Really happy to read this 🙂
veenaazmanov says
Looks delicious and definitely need to give this a try. Weekend Breakfast for sure.
Laura says
Thank you 🙂
Sharon says
I agree, why hadn't I learned of this amazing egg dish before? Brunch will never be the same now that I know how to make it.
Laura says
So true Sharon!
Amanda says
These Turkish eggs are divine! The chile butter sauce added the perfect kick, and I love the creaminess from the yogurt. So good!
Laura says
Thank you Amanda !
Heather says
This is new to me but oh my I need to make ASAP!! Definitely going to make sure I have plenty of grilled bread on hand!
Laura says
Thank you Heather! I'm sure you will love it 🙂
Amy Casey says
I'm am adding this to my list of brunch recipes to try. They look absolutely decadent! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Laura says
Thank you Amy!
Daniela says
Made this for an early Mother's Day Brunch and everyone is still raving about these turkish eggs. SO good! Thank you for the detailed instructions
Laura says
Thank you Daniela, glad you liked it!
Jessica says
This was my first time preparing and eating Turkish eggs and I was not disappointed. I was surprised by how easy it was to prepare. My favorite part was definitely the chili butter. It was so darn good I was tempted to just drink it. lol. Thanks for yet another stellar recipe!
Laura says
This chili butter is just too good!
Amanda Mason says
A culinary work of art!! So delicious and not overly difficult to make!
Tristin says
Mmm, my new favorite recipe to make for brunch! Tried this on a whim and so glad I did!
Nicole says
What a great news way to make eggs. Your pictures look great!!!
christy says
Absolutely delicious and easy to follow recipe. It was my first attempt at poaching eggs, I loved it!
Abdelfatah Traichine says
Délicieux
Laura says
Merci 🙂
Marija says
Delicious! I did it twice already, but I still can't figure out how to make poached eggs nicely... I will find a way sometime 😀 Glory to the Turkish cuisine!
Laura says
Thank you Marija, make sure you read all our tips and tricks to make nice poached eggs 🙂
Laura Liberge says
This recipe was recommended to me by one of my best friends. I find that her recommendations are always the best and this one did follow suit! It was simple, quick, filling, and overall delicious! If you are looking for a high protein breakfast that is a bit unique and fresh tasting, try these Turkish eggs!
Renee Rocheleau says
Delicious and easy to make. I suggest serving with boiled or roasted potatoes to sop up any sauce on the plate!
Laura says
Thank you Renee!
Sarah Hibbing says
I made this on a whim for lunch. I just discovered a new favorite thing 🙂
Laura Arteaga says
Thank you Sarah! So glad you loved it!
Elizabeth says
I wish I would have found this recipe earlier. I would have saved so much money by not going out for brunch. This recipe was restaurant quality!
So easy to make and the taste was divine. Will be my go-to recipe.
Laura Arteaga says
Thank you Elizabeth! Glad you enjoyed the recipe! It is really easy to make and tastes fantastic, way better than going out for brunch, I agree!
Marilyn says
Just made this and served it to my husband. He said “Wow” three times. I loved it too. We’ll be making this again.
Laura Arteaga says
Thank you Marilyn, so glad you guys liked it!
Sherri says
Now a family favorite. We just did butter with smoked paprika our family does not like hot and spicy. Also, instead of greek yogurt we did Labneh, and it was amazing. We used Iraqi diamond bread.
Laura Arteaga says
Thanks Sherri, great your family loves it too!
Erica says
This was by far my favorite way to eat eggs! So flavorful and comforting! The fresh herbs are delightful! 10 out of 10!!! I will be eating this everyday!!
Laura Arteaga says
Thank you Erica!