Cilbir - Turkish Poached Eggs

Cilbir is a delicious Turkish breakfast egg dish made with poached eggs served on a bed of silky garlic-yoghurt and finished with a drizzle of chilli-infused butter. Despite being made with only a few simple ingredients, this egg dish looks and tastes amazing!

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Cilbir?
• Related Recipes
• Top Tip From the Chef
• Cilbir - Turkish Poached Eggs

The combination of garlicky yoghurt, poached eggs, and chilli infused butter is so good that you can easily get addicted. Our favourite way to enjoy these delicious Cilbir eggs is with a piece of pillowy Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi or a crusty Simit (Turkish Sesame Bagel) to wipe every last bit of the deliciously silky yoghurt.

Why This Recipe Works?

• It is very easy to make this scrumptious egg dish with a few simple and healthy ingredients like egg and yoghurt.

• Cilbir is a great dish to serve for breakfast/brunch on special occasions to impress your guests!

• The combination of the ingredients is simple and affordable yet is incredibly delicious and contains plenty of protein and nutritional value.

Ingredients and Substitutes

• Yoghurt - Çılbır is as much a yoghurt recipe as it is a poached eggs recipe. Use good quality, thick and creamy Greek or Natural Yoghurt as it is the base of the dish. Bring the yoghurt to room temperature before serving.

• Eggs - The most important rule for having perfectly poached eggs is to use the freshest eggs you can find. Bring them to room temperature before poaching them if stored in the fridge.

• Garlic  - Fresh garlic is a great flavouring that adds sweetness and nuttiness to dishes. 1 small garlic clove is enough for up to 500 grams of yoghurt. Turn it into a paste with a Mortar and Pestle or grate it using a Microplane Zester Grater.

• Butter - Good quality butter or olive oil is the best way to finish this amazing egg dish!

• Herbs - I use fresh mint or dill, depending on what I have in hand. It is optional and can be substituted with any other herbs you like.

• Vinegar - It helps the egg whites set firmly while poaching them when added to water. Use light-coloured vinegar so that it doesn't change the colour of the eggs.

How to Make Cilbir?

Making this poached eggs and yoghurt breakfast is surprisingly easy. However, you need to follow a few simple steps to achieve the best results:

Prepare the Yoghurt Base

Bring the yoghurt to room temperature and add the garlic, sea salt and chopped mint or dill (optional).

Transfer the yoghurt sauce into a serving bowl and set it aside.

Poach the Eggs

It's okay if you've never poached an egg before. It's very simple but there are a few things to keep in mind. I have learned how to make perfectly poached eggs when I was working as a professional chef and I'll be sharing my tips in this recipe:

• Fill a saucepan with water, add the vinegar and bring it to a boil. Crack the eggs into two separate small dishes to ensure their freshness. Let the water gently boil before adding the eggs.

• Once the water is boiling gently, use a wooden spoon to stir the water to create a vortex. This helps to keep the eggs in a nice round shape while poaching.

• Leave the first egg in the middle of the vortex and then add the second egg straight afterwards.

• Swirl your boiling water again gently without touching the eggs and let them poach for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on how soft you want your yolk to be. Depending on the size of the pan, you can poach multiple eggs at the same time without overcrowding the pan.

Prepare the Chilli Butter and Serve

Prepare the chilli butter while the eggs are poaching. Melt the butter in a small pan, and add the chilli when the butter starts to bubble. Stir and the sauce will be ready to serve.

When the eggs are done to your liking, remove them using a slotted spoon and place them on the yoghurt. Drizzle on a generous amount of chilli-infused butter and serve with your favourite crusty bread on the side.

Related Recipes

For more delicious breakfast/brunch recipes why not try:

• Menemen (Turkish Scrambled Eggs)

• Su Boregi - Water Borek

• Borek With Meat and Spinach

• Cheese Pide With Mushrooms

• Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes)

• Homemade Toast Bread

• Traditional Shakshuka Recipe

• Pitka (Bulgarian Christmas Bread)

• Pogaca (Turkish Cheese Buns)

• Lemon Blueberry Cake

• Spinach With Eggs

Top Tip From the Chef

Allow the yoghurt to come to room temperature before stirring in the garlic and other ingredients. Do not refrigerate the yoghurt mixture while you are cooking the eggs. Serve it at room temperature to avoid the chilli butter setting on cold yoghurt!

I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Turkish eggs recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂

Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

FOOD SAFETY

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking points to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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