
Turkish Inspired Eggs (Çılbır)
In celebration of World Egg Day, Egg Farmers of Ontario asked me to create an egg dish with an international flair. So I present my take on çılbır (Turkish Eggs).
A traditional çılbır is poached eggs with yogurt and melted butter, but I made mine using sunny side up eggs with silky, runny, yolks.
The yogurt is mixed with garlic & fresh mint, then topped with eggs, drizzled with spicy butter and for some extra flavour, a parsley & jalapeño oil (we still have fresh parsley & jalapeños in the garden). Served with garlic naan to sop up every last bit of this delicious meal.
In our house, eggs are a food staple. We love them for their versatility and ease of preparation. Full of essential nutrients, 6 grams of protein and just 70 calories, eggs produced in Canada use no hormones or steroids, making them an excellent choice to keep us active and healthy.
What is your favourite way to enjoy eggs?
Click here for more recipes showcasing delicious eggs!
Disclosure: I have participated in a paid partnership with Egg Farmers of Ontario. Opinions in this post are my own.
If you get the chance to try this recipe, please drop back and leave us a comment and rating. We would love to know what you think.
Cheers! James & Elaine

Turkish Inspired Eggs (Çılbır)
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt room temperature
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- ½ stick unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon hot chili powder
- 1 tablespoon chili flakes
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon diced jalapeno pepper seeds removed
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided 3 & 1
- 4 large free range eggs
For Serving
- Maldon salt
- Chopped parsley
- Flatbread or crusty bread (buy or make my easy skillet flatbread)
Instructions
- Add yogurt, mint, garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne into a bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. Set aside at room temperature.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add cumin, paprika, and chili powder & flakes. Stir until color is uniform, then turn off heat and set aside.
- Add the pinch of salt, parsley, and jalapeno into a mortar, then grind together. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons of olive oil and stir to combine. Set aside
- Prepare two plates and dollop ½ the yogurt mixture onto each. Use the back of a spoon to spread yogurt out into a bed for the eggs, making ridges to catch the oil. Drizzle on some jalapeno oil.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium to large, nonstick skillet over low heat until slightly shimmering, about 3-4 minutes. Crack an egg into a small ramekin and slowly add it to the skillet; repeat with the other 3 eggs, spacing each egg around the skillet (try not to have them all run together). Cover with a tight lid (or sheet pan) and cook, uninterrupted, until the whites are just set but the yolks are still vibrant & runny, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Place 2 eggs onto each of the prepared yogurt plates. Top with a spoonful or two of the spicy butter.
- Finish with a sprinkle of Maldon salt & chopped parsley on top.
- Serve with flatbread or crusty bread and enjoy
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