Poached eggs set over garlicky yogurt and finished with sizzling Aleppo pepper butter.
Cilbir is a breakfast or light supper that feels luxurious despite relying on simple staples: yogurt, eggs, butter, garlic, and pepper. The technique is all about temperature and contrast. Yogurt is seasoned with garlic and salt, then brought close to room temperature so it stays creamy beneath the eggs. The eggs are poached until the whites are just set and the yolks remain molten. Finally, butter is heated with pul biber until ruby-red and fragrant, then spooned over the eggs so it stains the yogurt in warm streaks. Served with bread, cilbir is rich, tangy, spicy, and cooling all at once.
Serves 2
Stir yogurt with grated garlic and salt. Spread it in shallow bowls and let it sit at room temperature while you poach the eggs.
Bring a wide pan of water to a gentle simmer. Add vinegar. The water should tremble, not boil hard.
Crack each egg into a small cup, slide into the water, and poach 3 to 4 minutes until whites set and yolks remain soft. Lift with a slotted spoon and drain briefly.
Melt butter until foaming. Stir in pul biber for 10 to 15 seconds, just until the butter turns red and aromatic.
Remove the pan from heat quickly; pepper flakes turn bitter if scorched.
Place eggs over the yogurt, spoon pepper butter on top, and finish with dill. Serve immediately with bread for scooping.
Use thick yogurt; runny yogurt will turn watery under the hot eggs.
Room-temperature yogurt prevents an unpleasant hot-cold shock.
Fresh eggs poach more neatly because the whites hold together.
Do not skip bread; the sauce is the point of the dish.
Add a spoon of labneh for an even thicker yogurt base.
Use smoked paprika with Aleppo pepper for a deeper butter finish.
Serve over wilted spinach for a more substantial brunch plate.
Cilbir is best assembled fresh. The garlic yogurt can be mixed 1 day ahead and refrigerated.
Cilbir has Ottoman roots and appears in palace cooking records as a preparation of poached eggs with yogurt. Its survival in modern Turkish kitchens shows how enduring the combination of yogurt, butter, and eggs has been across centuries.
Yes, though the texture changes. Keep the yolks runny and place them directly over the yogurt.
It was probably too cold or too thin. Use thick yogurt and let it lose its refrigerator chill before serving.
It is gently warm rather than fiery. Use sweet paprika for a milder version.
Per serving (300g / 10.6 oz) · 2 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes
Have feedback or need help?
We read every email and reply within 1–2 business days.
© 2026 MyCookingCalendar. All rights reserved.
