Reader Favorite Review
Nicole said, “I made this twice in as many weeks and it’s the perfect savory breakfast. I was out of ricotta for the second round, subbed in goat cheese, and have no regrets. 🙂”
An Easy Breakfast with Poached Eggs & Savory Yogurt
Turkish Eggs with Herbed Yogurt—also known as Çılbır—are a sublime combination of creamy yogurt, runny poached eggs, and a warm, spiced butter sauce. The tanginess of Greek yogurt mingles with fresh herbs, while perfectly poached eggs melt into each spoonful. And that final drizzle of vibrant, peppery butter ties every element together. It’s a comforting, brunch-worthy dish that looks (and tastes) impressively gourmet but is surprisingly simple to make.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Picture a bed of garlicky, herby yogurt with soft poached eggs nestled on top, then drizzled with a warm, fragrant butter sauce. The Aleppo pepper adds rich flavor without adding too much heat. Serve with warm bread for dipping and revel in its simplicity!
I love all things savory, so this recipe is right up my alley. For more delicious homemade breakfast dishes, try my poached eggs Florentine with homemade hollandaise sauce, soft-poached eggs in purgatory, or this irresistible smashed eggs on toast next!
Ingredient Notes
No need for a formal checklist–just gather Greek yogurt, a little olive oil, fresh lemon juice, a clove of garlic, and any soft, leafy herbs you like (fresh dill is classic, but I love adding mint as well).
You’ll also want eggs, butter, a dash of Aleppo pepper (or your favorite mild chili flakes). Finally, have some vinegar on hand to make poaching the eggs extra foolproof!
Aleppo pepper has a mild, fruity heat. If you don’t have it, you could use a milk chili flake, red pepper flakes, or paprika for a gentler zing. I’ve also subbed Aleppo pepper with ‘nduja, and while it’s not traditional at all, I love the flavor of the prosciutto-spread!
Make The Herbed Yogurt
Start by combining Greek yogurt with a drizzle of olive oil, a bit of lemon juice, a single grated garlic clove, chopped dill, and a sprinkle of salt. Whisk until the yogurt is smooth.
The flavor should be tangy, creamy, and lightly garlicky. Set is aside while you poach the eggs.
Perfect Poached Eggs
Here’s how to poach eggs perfectly every single time:
Fill a saucepan with water (about three inches deep) and add a spoonful of white vinegar. Keep the heat medium or slightly lower so that the water is just below a simmer–tiny bubbles, but no rolling boil. Crack each egg into a small bowl, then gently slide them into the water.
Poach for about 3 minutes, just until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft and runny. Cook eggs in batches of two for best results.
Pro tip: You can poach eggs a day in advance. Store them in cold water and quickly warm them in a gentle simmer before serving.
Make The Sauce
Warm butter in a pan, then stir in Aleppo pepper. As soon as the butter is fragrant–after about a minute–remove from the heat. This simple but deeply flavorful step adds a light smokiness and vibrant color to the finished dish.
Bring It All Together
Spread the herbed yogurt along the bottom of shallow bowls or plates, then nestle two poached eggs on top. Spoon the peppery butter sauce over the eggs, letting it trickle into the yogurt. Garnish with fresh dill and/or mint and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
For serving, all you need is crusty bread, pita, or a flatbread. Trust me, you’ll want to scoop up every possible bite!
Expert Tips
- Room-temperature eggs: Bring the eggs to room temperature to ensure they poach evenly.
- Taste the yogurt: Adjust the seasoning, adding extra lemon if you want more tang.
- Prevent overcooking: Make sure you keep the water just below a simmer when poaching to prevent the yolks from cooking too hard. Jammy yolks are where it’s at!
Make-Ahead and Storage
Some parts can be prepped in advance, but not all. Whip up the yogurt mixture a day in advance and keep it chilled. Poach the eggs earlier and store them in cold water in the fridge–just reheat for about a minute in simmering water.
Leftover components (yogurt sauce and poached eggs) should be kept separate in airtight containers for up to 2 days. Do not freeze either.
It’s creamy, a little spicy, and entirely crave-worthy! One bite and I’m convinced you’ll make this again and again. If you try these Turkish Eggs (Çılbır), don’t forget to leave a rating and a review to let us know how it turned out — we love hearing from you!
And make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook for more Well Seasoned recipes! Don’t forget to tag us on social channels when you make a recipe at #wellseasonedstudio and upload your photos below! We love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Tell Us What You Think!
If you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a review and rating—we value your feedback and it helps us keep creating (and sharing!) free recipes. Your support means the world!
Rate this Recipe
Çılbır: Turkish Eggs with Creamy Yogurt & Butter Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Herbed Yogurt
- 1 cup (240g) whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp (15ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, about ½ a small lemon
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and grated or minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
- 2 tsp fresh mint, finely chopped
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For Serving
- 4 large eggs, recommended 2 per person
- 1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
- Pita or crusty bread
- Flaky sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the Sauce
- 3 Tbsp (42g) unsalted butter
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
Instructions
- Make the herbed yogurt. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of Greek yogurt, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 grated garlic clove, 1 Tbsp chopped dill, and ½ tsp kosher salt. Whisk well, then set aside.
- Poach the eggs. Fill a medium saucepan with at least 3 inches of water, then add 1 Tbsp white vinegar. Set over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, or just lower. You don’t want the water to boil. Crack each egg into a small ramekin or bowl. When the water is just below a simmer, carefully drop one egg at a time into the water and poach for 3 minutes, or until the whites are fully set, but the yolk is still runny. I recommend doing two eggs at a time to ensure even cooking. The eggs will not overcook as they rest.
- Drain the eggs. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the poached eggs to a paper towel or kitchen towel lined plate to absorb excess moisture. Repeat with remaining eggs. Eggs can be poached a day in advance, see below.
- Make the sauce. Place 3 Tbsp butter and 1 tsp Aleppo pepper in a pan over medium heat. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring often.
- Assemble, then serve! Divide yogurt evenly between shallow bowls. Top each with two poached eggs, then spoon the sauce on top. Garnish with additional fresh dill or mint, then sprinkle each poached egg with flaky sea salt. Serve immediately with pita or crusty bread.
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include pita or crusty bread.
- To make poached eggs in advance: The eggs can be poached 1 day in advance. Store in a sealed container filled with ice cold water, then refrigerate until needed. When ready to eat, heat a saucepan of water on a stovetop over medium heat. When it’s hot, lower each egg into the warm water for 30-60 seconds, then serve.
- Make-ahead: The yogurt mixture can be prepared a day in advance.
Nutrition
A previous version of this recipe was posted with ‘nduja in the sauce and ricotta cheese folded into the yogurt sauce. It has since been re-tested, revisited, and updated as of March 2025 with the goal of better improving its taste and effectiveness.
Photography by Katilin.
This sounds like a dream, Ari! Yum! And such gorgeous photos, as always. I’ll be on the hunt for some ‘nduja now! – Anita
Hooray!! Trying to spread as much ‘nduja love and awareness as possible! We had luck finding it at a small local Italian deli here. If you’ve got one in your town, might be a good place to start!
We got a small crowd of picky teenage boys to willingly eat this and they all enjoyed it, so I really feel like that that speaks volumes to the recipe. I’m a big fan of a savory breakfast, and this was perfect. We even brought it to a book club brunch after reading a book by a Turkish author and it was a huge hit!
I am so majorly impressed by the boys! Not that I blame them, that rich ‘nduja sauce with the creamy eggs and yogurt is heaven! And DANG that’s high praise from the book club! Yay! xo, Ari
This recipe is so simple and delicious. My local grocery store carries chorizo but not ‘nduja so I made that substitution. She is not kidding when she says you need something to soak up all the deliciousness! I ate mine with crusty artisan bread. The herbed yogurt kept it light and fresh whole the eggs and pan fried melty chorizo made it hearty. These were all flavors I already loved that I would never have thought to put together, YUM.
I love that you substituted chorizo for ‘nduja, what a great option for folks who can’t find it! It’s seriously one of our favorite, most requested breakfast recipes! xo, Ari
I made this twice in as many weeks and it’s the perfect savory breakfast. I was out of ricotta for the second round, subbed in goat cheese, and have no regrets. 🙂
YES! It is so wonderful when you’re craving a savory breakfast. The substitution of goat cheese sounds FAB, we adore chevre!! xo, Ari