Çılbır
Soft poached eggs on thick garlic yoghurt, with butter foamed and reddened with pul biber poured over the top. Bread for the bowl.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Rest
- 30 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Mild
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Çılbır is poached eggs on a bed of garlicky yoghurt with hot red butter spooned over the top. It takes ten minutes and very few things, so each one has to be right. The yoghurt must be thick and at room temperature, or it chills the eggs. The eggs are poached soft, with set whites and runny yolks. The butter is heated until it foams and just starts to brown, then pul biber goes in off the heat so it turns the butter red without burning. Mop it all up with bread. Some cooks add dill or dried mint; both are fine.
What you'll need
9 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Egg, very fresh4
- Yoghurt, thick, strained, at room temperature300 g
- Garlic, crushed1 clove
- Salt1 pinch
- White wine vinegar, for the poaching water30 ml
- Butter40 g
- Chilli flakes, pul biber (Aleppo-style)4.9 ml
- Dill, chopped (optional)1 handful
- Bread, thick slices, to serve (optional)4
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Take the yoghurt out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead. Beat it with the crushed garlic and salt and spread it in two shallow bowls.
5 min
Step 2
Bring a wide pan of water to a bare simmer and add the vinegar. Crack each egg into a fine sieve for a few seconds to drain off the watery white, then tip it into a cup.
8 min
Tip: The sieve is what gives tidy eggs without wisps.
Step 3
Stir the water into a gentle swirl and slide the eggs in one or two at a time. Poach for 3 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks still soft, then lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on a cloth.
6 min
Watch: Runny yolks are not fully cooked. For anyone pregnant, very young, elderly or with weak immunity, poach for 5 to 6 minutes until the yolks are firm.
Step 4
Melt the butter in a small pan until it foams and smells nutty. Take it off the heat, stir in the pul biber and let it sizzle for a few seconds until the butter turns bright red.
2 min
Watch: Add the chilli off the heat. Burnt pul biber goes black and bitter.
Step 5
Set two eggs on each bowl of yoghurt, spoon the red butter over, scatter with dill and serve straight away with bread.
1 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 608 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 48.4 g
- Fat
- 34.8 g
- Saturated fat
- 17.2 g
- Fibre
- 2.3 g
- Sugar
- 12.3 g
- Sodium
- 814 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.
Substitutions
Pul biber → Sweet paprika with a pinch of cayenne
Closer in colour than flavour. Paprika burns even faster, so keep the pan off the heat.
Tips
- Warm the bowls with hot water for a minute before spreading the yoghurt.
- If your yoghurt is thin, strain it through a cloth for an hour first.
- Eggs can be poached up to an hour ahead, kept in cold water, and rewarmed for 30 seconds in hot water.
History & culture
In Turkey çılbır is a home breakfast or a quick supper more than restaurant food, and every family has a view on how much garlic. Abroad, brunch cafés have made it famous as Turkish eggs, usually with sourdough and sometimes with additions a Turkish grandmother would question.
Eggs on yoghurt are old in Ottoman cooking, and çılbır is said to appear in palace kitchen records as early as the 15th century, when the name may have covered several egg dishes. The red butter, coloured with chilli flakes from the southeast, is a later and now essential touch. Brunch cafés, London's among the first, made it an international dish in the early 21st century.
Traditional — Some families stir dried mint into the butter; some finish with sumac. Bread is not part of the dish as such, but nobody eats it without.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Çılbır take?
55 min all in — 10 min prep, 15 min cook, 30 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 2 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
Mild.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Eggs, Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Nut-free.
8 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Mixing bowl, Saucepan, Spider or strainer.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 pinch.
What can I use instead?
Pul biber → Sweet paprika with a pinch of cayenne. Closer in colour than flavour. Paprika burns even faster, so keep the pan off the heat.
What should I watch for?
Runny yolks are not fully cooked. For anyone pregnant, very young, elderly or with weak immunity, poach for 5 to 6 minutes until the yolks are firm. Add the chilli off the heat. Burnt pul biber goes black and bitter.
Any tips from this recipe?
Warm the bowls with hot water for a minute before spreading the yoghurt. If your yoghurt is thin, strain it through a cloth for an hour first. Eggs can be poached up to an hour ahead, kept in cold water, and rewarmed for 30 seconds in hot water.
Can I prepare this ahead?
Eggs can be poached up to an hour ahead, kept in cold water, and rewarmed for 30 seconds in hot water. Take the yoghurt out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead. Beat it with the crushed garlic and salt and spread it in two shallow bowls.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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