Turkish Eggs (Çılbır)
Soft poached eggs on a bed of cool, garlicky yogurt, drizzled with sizzling chili butter and fresh dill. Hot and cold, tangy and rich, it is an unforgettable 15-minute breakfast.
Nutrition per serving
2 eggs with yogurt- Net carbs
- 6g
- Calories
- 360kcal
- Protein
- 23g
- Fat
- 27g
- Total carbs
- 6.5 g
- Fiber
- 0.5 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
With spiced lamb: Crisp, cumin-spiced ground lamb spooned around the eggs makes a hearty brunch plate.
- Before poaching the eggs, brown the lamb with the cumin and a pinch of salt in a dry skillet over medium-high heat 5–6 minutes, until crisp at the edges and cooked through (160°F/71°C). Drain off the fat.
- Scatter the lamb over the yogurt around the eggs before spooning on the chili butter.
With garlicky spinach: A nest of wilted spinach between the yogurt and the eggs adds some greens and soaks up the chili butter.
- Wilt the spinach in the olive oil with a pinch of salt over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, press out the liquid and pile it on the yogurt before adding the eggs.
- Garlic yogurt
- Eggs
- Chili butter
- Nice to have (optional)
- Garlic yogurt
- Eggs
- Chili butter
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Garlic yogurt
- Eggs
- Chili butter
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $2.97 for 2 servings ($1.48 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Stir the yogurt, garlic and salt together and leave it at room temperature while you cook. Yogurt straight from the fridge cools the eggs too quickly.
-
Bring a wide saucepan of water about 3 inches (7.5 cm) deep to a bare simmer and add the vinegar. Crack each egg into a fine sieve for a few seconds to drain the watery outer white, then tip it into a small cup.
-
Stir the water into a gentle whirlpool and slide in the eggs one or two at a time. Poach 3–4 minutes, until the whites are fully set and the yolks still soft. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
-
While the eggs poach, melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat until foaming and just starting to smell nutty, about 2 minutes. Take it off the heat and stir in the paprika and pepper flakes; they will sizzle and turn the butter brick-red.
-
Spread the yogurt across two shallow bowls, nestle two eggs in each, spoon the chili butter over the top and scatter with dill. Eat right away.
Tips for success
-
Take the butter off the heat before the spices go in. Paprika scorches in seconds over direct heat and turns bitter. - Aleppo pepper (pul biber), which is fruity and mildly hot, is the traditional choice. Sweet paprika with a pinch of cayenne gets you close.
- Scoop it up with toasted 90-second mug bread or cloud bread.
Nice to have, not needed
- Fresh dill on top is traditional — chopped mint or parsley works, or leave it off.
Storage & meal prep
- Best eaten fresh
Reheat: Best eaten immediately. The garlic yogurt keeps 3 days, so only the eggs and butter need cooking fresh.
Best made and eaten immediately. The garlic yogurt keeps 3 days refrigerated.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosWith spiced lamb
ProteinCrisp, cumin-spiced ground lamb spooned around the eggs makes a hearty brunch plate.
- + 4 oz ground lamb
- + ½ tsp ground cumin
6.2 g net · 521 kcal · 33 g protein · 40 g fat · ≈$2.64 per serving (+0.2 g net carbs vs the original)
With garlicky spinach
VeggiesA nest of wilted spinach between the yogurt and the eggs adds some greens and soaks up the chili butter.
- + 4 oz baby spinach
- + ½ tbsp olive oil
6.8 g net · 404 kcal · 25 g protein · 31 g fat · ≈$2.14 per serving (+0.8 g net carbs vs the original)
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