Çılbır – Turkish Poached Eggs with Garlic Yogurt and Chili Butter

Ingredients:

Preparation mode:

👉 Çılbır (chil-burr) is a classic Turkish breakfast: soft poached eggs on cool garlic yogurt, finished with sizzling red chili butter. It takes 15 minutes and tastes like a restaurant brunch.

The contrast of warm, runny yolks, tangy yogurt and spicy butter is what makes it so addictive – have bread ready for wiping the plate.

How to Make Çılbır

1. Prepare the yogurt. Mix the yogurt with the grated garlic and a pinch of salt. Spread it into two shallow bowls so it can come to room temperature.
2. Make the chili butter. Melt the butter over low heat until it foams, take it off the heat and stir in the Aleppo pepper. It should turn a deep red.
3. Poach the eggs. Bring a wide pan of water to a gentle simmer and add the vinegar. Crack each egg into a cup, stir the water into a gentle swirl and slide the eggs in. Cook for 3 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks runny.
4. Assemble. Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon, drain briefly on paper towel and place two on each bowl of yogurt.
5. Finish. Spoon over the warm chili butter, scatter with dill and serve straight away with crusty bread.

👉 More Turkish favourites: browse all recipes

Footnotes:

Tip: use room-temperature yogurt – cold yogurt makes the eggs go cold fast.

Variation: add a pinch of dried mint or sumac to the butter.