Skip to content
veggyz

Breakfast for dinner · 18 minutes

Turkish Eggs on Hummus with Chili Butter

Çılbır-style poached eggs sit on a swirl of hummus and garlicky yogurt instead of yogurt alone, which turns a light brunch into a filling dinner.

Prep
8 min
Cook
10 min
Total
18 min
Serves
2
Jump to recipe
VegetarianGluten-freeStovetop

Çılbır is the Turkish dish of poached eggs on garlicky yogurt with hot, chili-stained butter poured over the top. It’s fantastic, but on its own it eats more like a brunch plate than a dinner. Spreading a layer of hummus underneath and swirling the yogurt into it adds body, protein and a nutty sesame flavor that loves the chili butter.

The yogurt keeps the classic tang and the hummus does the heavy lifting. Use good store-bought hummus at room temperature, poach the eggs while the butter foams, and you’re dragging warm bread through it within 20 minutes.

The recipe

Turkish Eggs on Hummus with Chili Butter

Prep 8 min · Cook 10 min · Total 18 min · Serves 2

Ingredients

Tap to tick off as you go.

For the base

For the eggs

For the chili butter

To serve

Method

  1. Step 1: Make the base

    Stir the yogurt with the garlic, lemon juice and salt. Spread the hummus over two shallow plates, then spoon the yogurt over it and swirl the two together loosely with the back of the spoon.

  2. Step 2: Heat the water

    Bring a wide saucepan of water, at least 3 inches deep, to a bare simmer, with small bubbles just breaking the surface. Add the vinegar.

  3. Step 3: Poach the eggs

    Crack each egg into a fine-mesh sieve for a few seconds to drain off the watery white, then tip it into a small cup. Stir the water gently, slide in the eggs one at a time, and poach for 3 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are soft. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel.

  4. Step 4: Make the chili butter

    While the eggs poach, melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat until it foams and smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the Aleppo pepper, cumin and salt; it will sizzle and turn brick red.

  5. Step 5: Assemble

    Nestle 2 eggs on each plate, spoon the chili butter over the eggs and base, and scatter with dill and mint. Serve right away with warm bread.

Good to know

  • Take the hummus and yogurt out of the fridge when you start. Cold base plus hot eggs and butter turns lukewarm fast.
  • Straining the eggs through a sieve gets rid of the wispy outer white, so they poach into neat ovals without swirling tricks.
  • Add the chili off the heat. Aleppo pepper scorches quickly and turns bitter in very hot butter.
  • Runny yolks are the point here, but anyone pregnant or immunocompromised should poach the eggs for 5–6 minutes until the yolks are set.

Swaps

Poached eggs
Jammy 6½-minute boiled eggs, halved, if you’d rather not poach
Butter and Greek yogurt
Make it dairy-free: olive oil warmed gently with the chili for 1 minute, and unsweetened plain coconut or oat yogurt
Classic hummus
Roasted red pepper or white bean hummus

Questions people ask

What are Turkish eggs?

Turkish eggs, or çılbır, are poached eggs served on garlicky yogurt and topped with butter infused with Aleppo-style chili. They’re usually eaten with bread for breakfast or brunch.

What can I use instead of Aleppo pepper?

Mix equal parts sweet paprika and red chili flakes. Urfa biber or Korean gochugaru also work, with slightly different heat and smokiness.

How do you poach eggs without them falling apart?

Use very fresh eggs, drain the thin outer white in a sieve, and keep the water at a bare simmer rather than a rolling boil. A splash of vinegar helps the whites set faster.

Get the garlic, dill and lemon from a farmer.

This recipe is only as good as what goes in it. Find a farmers market or CSA farm near you, or get a produce box delivered when there’s no market this week.

Cook this next

All breakfast for dinner