While this recipe is not quite traditional çilbir, this Green Çilbir with soft-boiled eggs is just as delicious as the classic Turkish version. Traditionally, çilbir is made with poached eggs served over salty, garlicky yogurt with a drizzle of chili oil. This recipe swaps a bright red chili oil for a green chili oil – aka the green stuff. It’s bright, herby, a little spicy, and honestly hard not to want to put on everything. Made with cilantro, serrano peppers, honey, lime, and garlic, it brings a fresh, vibrant twist while still keeping all the cozy richness that makes çilbir so good.
And while çilbir traditionally uses poached eggs, I’ve opted for soft-boiled eggs here instead. They’re just as jammy, a little easier to control, and satisfying without much work.
This Turkish breakfast staple has now become one of my favorites for an easy (but impressive!) brunch, lunch, or even a quick dinner. It’s filled with flavor and protein, and served with crusty bread, it’s hard to find anything better. Read on for my take on a çilbir!
Table of contents
First, what is çilbir?
Çilbir, known colloquially as Turkish Eggs, has been served in the region dating all the way back to the 15th century Ottoman Empire. Çilbir is usually comprised of three ingredients: a garlicky yogurt dip, runny poached eggs, and a fat, like melted butter or oil, that has been infused with paprika. The dish also usually has some bread on the side for dipping into the luscious yolk and sopping up the creamy yogurt.
How does this recipe vary from traditional çilbir?
While the key components of this dish are all present, a few important differences are at work in this çilbir verde when compared with the traditional recipe. My version swaps the soft, poached egg for a soft-boiled version, and replaces the red chili oil for a chunkier green sauce. Paired with a crusty slice of bread, this dish ticks so many flavor and texture boxes, serving you crispy, crunchy, creamy, spicy, and herbaceous.
So truly, what more could you ask for from an easy breakfast?
Ingredients needed for this recipe
The ingredients for this dish bring creamy, crispy, bright, and spicy elements to your plate all at once — no small feat. And it doesn’t even require a big grocery store haul. Here’s what you’ll need to make this çilbir with a green yogurt sauce:
- 2 large eggs
- 2 medium Serrano peppers, seeds removed
- 1 cup (2 oz) fresh cilantro
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, about 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1 cup greek yogurt or skyr
- 2 slices bread of choice, toasted
- Olive oil and black pepper, for finishing
Ingredient substitutions
This recipe is really flexible, most of the ingredients are adaptable. Here are some substitution suggestions:
- Serrano peppers: Can be swapped for jalapeño peppers or Birdseye chiles
- Cilantro: Can be swapped for dill, parsley, basil or any tender herbs you prefer
- Garlic cloves: Swap for 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, or you can omit
- Honey: Swap for agave or maple syrup
- Lemon: Swap for either lime juice or white wine vinegar
How to make this twist on turkish eggs
A dish this good should require dedication, concentration, and effort, but honestly, it comes together pretty quickly and effortlessly. Here’s how you make this green çilbir:
- In a small pot, boil two eggs for 6 minutes. Immediately transfer them to an ice bath.
- Add 2 serrano peppers, 1 cup of cilantro, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon of coriander, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, 2 teaspoons of honey, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a food processor. Pulse until you have a green, chunky blend. Taste and season with more salt as preferred. It will be vibrant and slightly spicy.
- Scoop 2 tablespoons of the green sauce into 1 cup of skyr. Stir to combine and season with more salt.
- Portion the skyr into two plates or bowls and evenly divide the remaining green sauce between them. Peel the eggs and put one on each portion. Top with pepper, olive oil and serve with crusty bread!
Storage tips and how to prep ahead of time
Although this recipe is quick as is, you can absolutely get ahead here, which makes this feel way more doable for a weekday breakfast or brunch situation. The yogurt base and the green sauce can both be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge – I actually think they get even better after sitting for a bit as the flavors meld together.
The one thing I always recommend making fresh is the eggs. Jammy eggs are really at their best right after cooking, when the whites are soft and the yolk is still warm and runny. So I like to treat those as the “final step” right before serving.
When you’re ready to eat, just boil your eggs, toast your bread, and assemble everything!
Watch the recipe here
The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.
Looking for similar recipes?
Çilbir Sandwich with Paprika Garlic Oil
Kimchi Fried Eggs
Greeny Tahini Egg Salad
And that’s everything for this Green Çilbir!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Equipment
- 1 small pot
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2 medium Serrano peppers, or one large jalapeño pepper, seeds removed
- 1 cup (2 oz) fresh cilantro
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, about 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1 cup greek yogurt or skyr
- 2 slices bread of choice, toasted
- Olive oil and black pepper, for finishing
Instructions
- In a small pot, boil two eggs for 6 minutes. Immediately transfer them to an ice bath.
- Add 2 serrano peppers, 1 cup of cilantro, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon of coriander, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, 2 teaspoons of honey, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a food processor. Pulse until you have a green, chunky blend. Taste and season with more salt as preferred. It will be vibrant and slightly spicy.
- Scoop 2 tablespoons of the green sauce into 1 cup of skyr. Stir to combine and season with more salt.
- Portion the skyr into two plates or bowls and evenly divide the remaining green sauce between them. Peel the eggs and put one on each portion. Top with pepper, olive oil and serve with crusty bread!
Old Version
Below is the single-serving recipe that was first developed in 2023. For the updated recipe, please see the above.
Total cook time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 medium Serrano peppers, or one large jalapeño pepper
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon each of coriander and cumin
- 2 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, the juice from 1 whole lime
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup greek yogurt or skyr
- 2 slices bread of choice, toasted
- 2 teaspoon Calabrian chili oil, for garnish
Instructions
- Remove half of the seeds of the Serrano peppers and finely chop them up. Finely chop up the cilantro with the peppers and add to a large bowl.
- In the bowl, grate in the garlic, add the coriander, cumin, honey, lime juice, and salt.
- Heat up all but 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a small pan or pot. Let this get to about 325°F-350°F. Pour over the cilantro mixture and stir. Set aside.
- Use the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil to fry the eggs. In a pan on medium heat, add the oil and then add the eggs one at a time, tilt the pan and baste the top of the egg white with hot oil to help it cook all the way through.
- To serve, smear the yogurt evenly onto two plates. Add one egg on each plate and drizzle with the green oil. See recipe notes for any leftover green chili oil!
- Dot with Calabrian chili if you like extra heat, and serve with crusty bread!
Note: Depending on your verve for sauce, this recipe will make a bit more chili oil than you’ll probably use. But don’t fear, this oil is great on roasted veggies, with avocado toast, on grain bowls, with yogurt for an egg-less savory yogurt dish, or even on pasta! It will last in the fridge for up to a week. Oil hardening in the fridge is normal, so just let it come to room temperature before using again.
Comments
Amazing recipe, but my poaching technique needs some work. It took two attempts with the eggs to try and get it right, but it tasted fantastic. I added cherry tomatoes and roasted kale and swapped chili oil and chives on top. Thank you for the inspiration!
So thrilled you liked it! And that’s why I opted for a fried egg haha, sometimes I don’t have the patience to poach!
The recipe looks amazing, and will try very soon. I lived in Istanbul years ago, and loved having Çilbir for breakfast. Do you think basil would taste okay in lieu of the cilantro? I love cilantro, but have some friends that think they don’t like it, and won’t eat it – no matter how delicious the dish is.
I’d swap in parsley, basil can tend to get a bit overpowering and a tad bitter with this!
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