Turkish Eggs Cilbir – All You Need To Know

Turkish Eggs cilbir or “Çılbır” as we say in Turkish is one of the best and easy egg dishes you can make. It is famous from Ottoman times, from the 15th century.

Simple ingredients like yogurt, garlic, red pepper flakes “pul biber”, poached eggs, and butter turn into a feast with this traditional Turkish egg recipe.

Ingredients For Turkish Eggs Cilbir: (For 3-4 servings)

• 4 eggs
• 1 liter of hot water
• 2 tbsp apple or grape vinegar
• about 1 cup or more thick plain yogurt
• 2 cloves of garlic (optional)
• For the red pepper sauce:
• 2-3 tbsp butter or 4-5 tbsp olive oil
• 1+1/2 tsp pul biber (red pepper flakes) or less depending on your taste
• dried mint (optional)

How To Make Turkish Eggs

Poaching Eggs

If you are using garlic add it to the yogurt. On an individual or big serving plate, place the thick yogurt as a base. Let it sit for 15 minutes to come to room temperature.

1. To poach the egg: In a wide medium-size pan boil about 1 liter of water. Add vinegar. You can stir to create a swirl in the water if you like.
2. Crack an egg into a small bowl and gently drop it into the boiling but simmering water. You can help to keep the whites together with a slotted ladle. Cook the eggs for about 2.5 to 3 minutes. Check the yolk with your finger. It should be springy meaning the yolk is not fully set.
   
3. If you are doing it for the first time you can cook them one by one. After you feel confident it is not a big deal to cook more than one at a time.
   
4. After eggs are cooked, drain them with a slotted ladle and place them into the yogurt base. Some people prefer to drain the eggs in a paper towel. (Little bit of water is fine rather than having fine microtissues of paper in your meal 🙂

Red Pepper Butter Sauce

• Melt the butter or oil in a small saucepan. After adding the red pepper flakes, stir for about 20 seconds to infuse the pepper into the butter and turn off the heat.
  
• Drizzle the sauce over the eggs and yogurt base. Sprinkle dried mint if you like and enjoy it with fresh bread like pide, bazlama, or your favorite one.

Here are some other Turkish Egg recipes you may like:
How To Make Turkish Menemen
3 Ingredients Turkish Egg Kapama: https://youtu.be/1Io0Lgx_J3s
4 Ingredients “Kaygana” Turkish Omelet: https://youtu.be/N3iW1XX4N7A
MENEMEN: Turkish Egg With Tomato & White Cheese: https://youtu.be/7NlQJ_FHSG8
Egg With Fried Potatoes: https://youtu.be/u367-PJWMDM

Turkish Eggs Cilbir

Turkish Egg cilbir or “Çılbır” as we say in Turkish is one of the best and simple egg dishes you can make. It is famous from Ottoman times, from the 15th century. Simple ingredients like yogurt, garlic, red pepper flakes “pul biber”, poached eggs, and butter turn into a feast with this traditional Turkish cuisine recipe.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Breakfast

Cuisine Turkish

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 4 eggs
• 1 liter of hot water
• 2 tbsp apple or grape vinegar
• about 1 cup or more thick plain yogurt
• 2 cloves of garlic optional

For the red pepper sauce:

• 2-3 tbsp butter or 4-5 tbsp olive oil
• 1+1/2 tsp pul biber / red peper flakes or less depending on your taste
• dried mint optional

Instructions

 

• If you are using garlic add it to the yogurt. In an individual or big serving plate, place the thick yogurt as a base. Let it sit for 15 minutes to come to room temperature.
  
• To poach the egg: In a wide medium-size pan boil about 1 liter of water. Add vinegar. You can stir to create a swirl in the water if you like. I tried without it since I boiled 3 of them together and it worked fine 🙂
  
• Crack an egg into a small bowl and gently drop it into the boiling but simmering water. You can help to keep the whites together with a slotted ladle. Cook the eggs for about 2.5 to 3 minutes. Check the yolk with your finger. It should be springy meaning the yolk is not fully set.
  
• If you are doing it for the first time you can cook them one by one. After you feel confident it is not a big deal to cook more than one at a time.
• After eggs are cooked, drain them with a slotted ladle and place them into the yogurt base. Some people prefer to drain the eggs in a paper towel. I think a little bit of water is fine rather than having fine microtissues of paper in your meal 🙂
  
• While cooking the eggs, make the butter & red pepper sauce: Melt the butter or oil in a small saucepan. After adding the red pepper flakes as much as you like stir for about 20 seconds to infuse the pepper into the butter and turn off the heat.
  
• Drizzle the sauce over the eggs and yogurt base. Sprinkle dried mint if you like and enjoy it with fresh bread like pide, bazlama, or your favorite one.
  

Video

Keyword cilbir, poached eggs, turkish eggs