Short answer
Turkish eggs, called cilbir, are poached eggs served on cool garlic yoghurt and topped with warm chilli butter. The dish is eaten with bread for scooping and mixes hot and cold, creamy and spicy in every bite.
Turkish eggs, known in Turkey as cilbir, are poached eggs served on a bed of garlic yoghurt and finished with a spoonful of hot chilli butter. The dish pairs warm eggs with cool, tangy yoghurt and is eaten with bread. This guide explains what Turkish eggs are, how to make them and how to serve them.
What are Turkish eggs?
Turkish eggs are poached eggs laid on thick garlic yoghurt and topped with melted butter flavoured with red chilli, usually Aleppo pepper. The name cilbir (pronounced roughly “chil-buhr”) is the Turkish name for the dish.
It is a breakfast and brunch plate across Turkey, and it has become popular in cafes in Britain and elsewhere in the last decade. Fresh herbs, such as dill or mint, and a piece of bread complete the plate.
What is cilbir and where does it come from?
Cilbir is a traditional Turkish dish of poached eggs with yoghurt, and it appears in Ottoman-era cookery writing under the same or similar name. The exact origin and age of the dish are disputed, and sources vary.
What is clear is that eggs with yoghurt and spiced butter is an old combination in Turkish and wider Middle Eastern cooking. Cafes outside Turkey often call it “Turkish eggs” so that customers recognise it, and some menus spell it “cilbir” or “chilbir”.
What goes into Turkish eggs?
Turkish eggs need only a handful of ingredients: eggs, thick yoghurt, garlic, butter and chilli. Each part has a job in the dish.
- Eggs: poached with the white set and the yolk runny, so it mixes into the yoghurt.
- Yoghurt: plain, thick, full-fat yoghurt, brought to room temperature and mixed with crushed garlic and a little salt.
- Chilli butter: butter warmed with Aleppo pepper (pul biber), paprika or mild chilli flakes until it sizzles gently.
- Herbs: dill, mint or parsley, torn and scattered on top.
- Bread: crusty bread, sourdough or flatbread, for scooping.
Some versions add a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of sumac or a drizzle of olive oil. These are small variations on the same idea.
How do you make Turkish eggs?
You make Turkish eggs by spreading garlic yoghurt on a plate, poaching eggs, resting them on the yoghurt and spooning hot chilli butter over the top. The whole dish takes about 15 minutes.
- Stir 200 g of thick yoghurt with one small crushed garlic clove and a pinch of salt. Spread it on a warm plate and leave it at room temperature.
- Bring a pan of water to a gentle simmer and add a splash of white vinegar.
- Crack two eggs into small cups. Swirl the water, slide the eggs in and poach for about three minutes.
- Melt 30 g of butter in a small pan with a teaspoon of Aleppo pepper or mild chilli flakes. Cook until it foams, then take it off the heat.
- Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon, drain on paper, and place on the yoghurt.
- Spoon the chilli butter over the eggs, scatter with herbs and serve with bread.
Serve immediately. The yoghurt should be cool and the butter hot, and the contrast fades as the plate sits.
How do you poach an egg for Turkish eggs?
For Turkish eggs, poach the egg in barely simmering water with a splash of vinegar for about three minutes, so the white sets and the yolk stays runny. Very fresh eggs keep their shape best.
- Use water at a gentle simmer with small bubbles, not a rolling boil.
- Crack each egg into a cup first, then lower it gently into the water.
- Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon and rest them on paper to drain.
If you are cooking for several people, poach the eggs ahead, keep them in a bowl of warm water and drain just before serving.
What does cilbir taste like?
Cilbir tastes tangy and creamy from the yoghurt, savoury and rich from the egg yolk and warm and mildly spicy from the chilli butter. The garlic gives a sharp edge, and the herbs add freshness.
Aleppo pepper is milder than many chilli flakes, with a fruity, slightly smoky flavour, so the heat is gentle. If you prefer more spice, add a pinch of cayenne to the butter.
What is the difference between Turkish eggs and shakshuka?
Turkish eggs are poached eggs on cold garlic yoghurt, while shakshuka is eggs baked or simmered in a hot spiced tomato and pepper sauce. The two dishes both come from the eastern Mediterranean and are eaten with bread.
| Feature | Turkish eggs (cilbir) | Shakshuka |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Garlic yoghurt | Tomato and pepper sauce |
| Egg method | Poached, then added | Cooked in the sauce |
| Temperature | Warm on cool | Hot throughout |
| Spice | Chilli butter, mild | Cumin, paprika, chilli |
| Cooked in | A small pan for the eggs | One pan for everything |
What mistakes spoil Turkish eggs?
The most common mistakes with Turkish eggs are cold yoghurt straight from the fridge, overcooked eggs and burnt chilli butter. Each one is easy to avoid with a little timing.
- Fridge-cold yoghurt: it turns stiff and dulls the garlic. Take it out 20 minutes ahead.
- Hard yolks: a yolk that sets firm cannot sauce the yoghurt. Stop at about three minutes.
- Scorched butter: chilli burns quickly in a hot pan. Take the pan off the heat as soon as the butter foams and turns red.
- Too much raw garlic: one small clove is enough for two portions, because raw garlic gets stronger as it sits in the yoghurt.
- Slow serving: assemble at the table or just before, so the warm and cool parts stay distinct.
What should you serve with Turkish eggs?
Serve Turkish eggs with something to scoop: toasted sourdough, pide, simit or flatbread. Add fresh tomatoes, cucumber or olives on the side for a fuller plate.
Drinks that suit the plate include Turkish tea, black coffee or a flat white. A plain, sharp salad of sliced tomato, onion and parsley balances the richness of the butter.
Are Turkish eggs on the Kozi Cafe menu?
Yes. Turkish eggs are listed on the menu compiled for this guide as a regular favourite in reviews of Kozi Cafe in Glasgow. No price was recorded, and the cafe’s own recipe, bread and toppings are not documented.
The cafe has no website, and this guide is independent. For the items recorded so far, see the menu page, and to check opening times first, see the hours and location page. Ask staff about ingredients if you have dietary needs.
Common questions
Are Turkish eggs served hot or cold?
Both. The poached eggs and the chilli butter are warm, while the garlic yoghurt underneath is cool or at room temperature. The contrast is part of the dish, so serve it quickly before the yoghurt warms through.
What is the red oil on Turkish eggs?
It is melted butter infused with Aleppo pepper or other mild chilli flakes, sometimes with paprika. The butter is warmed until it foams and turns red, then spooned over the eggs and yoghurt at the end.
Can you use Greek yoghurt for cilbir?
Yes. Thick strained yoghurt such as Greek yoghurt is the closest widely available match to Turkish yoghurt. Use plain, full-fat yoghurt at room temperature, and add garlic and a pinch of salt before spreading it.
What is the difference between cilbir and shakshuka?
Cilbir is poached eggs on cool garlic yoghurt with chilli butter. Shakshuka is eggs cooked in a hot spiced tomato and pepper sauce. One is creamy and mild, the other is saucy and savoury.
What bread goes with Turkish eggs?
Crusty bread, sourdough or toasted flatbread all work, because you need something sturdy to scoop up the yoghurt and butter. Simit and Turkish pide are the traditional choices where they are available.
Before you go, check the Kozi Cafe Glasgow guide for the current hours and the menu.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Kozi Cafe itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.