Turkish Eggs (Cilbir)

I love Turkish Eggs (Cilbir). They’re so easy to make and are always such a delicious and satisfying meal. Traditionally served for breakfast, I love eating this dish anytime of the day. It’s a great quick and easy meal, especially when served with a big piece of crusty baguette and a simple mixed greens salad. We promise you won’t be disappointed by this tasty dish!

What are Turkish Eggs (Cilbir)?

It’s a Turkish dish consisting of poached eggs over garlic infused yogurt and topped with a pepper flake (traditionally dried Aleppo peppers) butter sauce, or infused olive oil.

We kept our recipe is mostly traditional, but added a little bit of cumin to the yogurt and butter sauce and paprika to the butter sauce for a mildly smoky flavor.

How to Make Turkish Eggs

Ingredients

Process

1. In a bowl add the yogurt, garlic, salt and cumin.
2. Whisk together. Set aside.

3. Pour 3 cups water into a small pot and bring to a simmer. Stir in vinegar. Create a whirlpool with a whisk in the simmering water.
4. Carefully drop one of the eggs into the center of the whirlpool, cover with a lid and remove from heat. Allow egg to sit for 3 to 4 minutes or until whites have set but yolk is still runny.

5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer poached egg to a plate. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with remaining egg.
6. In a small pan, melt butter over medium heat.

7. Add crushed pepper flakes, paprika and cumin and swirl pan to evenly mix spices into butter. Remove from heat.
8. Spoon yogurt into bowl and drizzle with butter sauce. Top with poached eggs. Spoon more butter mixture over eggs and top with fresh dill and more pepper flakes. Serve cilbir with crusty bread.

Tips and Tricks for Success

• Add the vinegar to the simmering water for your poached eggs. The acidity of the vinegar will help the eggs hold their shape quicker and better.
• Don’t leave your poached eggs in the water for too long. The yolks will begin to seize up quickly and you won’t have the glorious soft yolks you really want for this dish.
• Don’t overcook the butter sauce which will burn the spices, giving off a bitter flavor.

Turkish Eggs Variations

• Swap the melted butter out for olive oil (which is also considered traditional).
• Turn the heat up in the sauce by adding a couple dashes of cayenne pepper.
• Add a nutty crunch to the dish by sprinkling the top with crushed pistachios or toasted sesame seeds!
• If poaching eggs seems intimidating, just fry some eggs up instead!

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