July 28, 2026

tzatziki turkish eggs (cilbir with dill and cucumber yogurt)

testing out tzatziki turkish eggs has been on my list all summer! imagine my surprise when i went to brunch in cabo, and there was a “dill yogurt turkish egg” on the menu that was very similar to what i had been wanting to try out. naturally, i had to order it, and it was delicious! i knew i had to put my own twist on it when i got home.

it’s loosely inspired by çılbır, a classic turkish breakfast of poached eggs served over garlicky yogurt and finished with a warm drizzle of chile butter. this version isn’t traditional — it’s more like if çılbır and tzatziki had a baby. the grated cucumber makes the yogurt extra cool and refreshing, plenty of fresh dill keeps everything bright, and a drizzle of salsa macha adds a little crunch and heat in place of the chile butter. it’s the kind of breakfast (or lunch, honestly) that feels especially right on a hot day, with plenty of crusty bread for scooping up every last bite.

while çılbır is usually made with poached eggs, i’ll be the first to admit that poaching eggs is not my specialty, so i almost always opt for a soft or medium boiled egg that i’m more confident making. it still gives you that jammy yolk that’s perfect for mixing into the yogurt mixture.

i used:

2 eggs, cooked to preference (soft-boiled, medium-boiled, poached all work!)
3/4 cup full fat greek yogurt (technically i hacked this together with 1/4 cup labneh and 1/2 cup regular full-fat yogurt since i didn’t have greek yogurt)
1 persian cucumber, grated, water squeeze out
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 small clove garlic, grated
1 tsp olive oil
squeeze of lemon juice
salt
black pepper
optional: drizzle of salsa macha (a chinese chili oil that’s less aromatic could work as well)
serve with: crusty bread

to make tzatziki turkish eggs:

in a mixing bowl, mix together the yogurt, grated cucumber, fresh dill, garlic olive oil, and lemon juice. season with salt and pepper to taste
transfer the yogurt mixture to a low, medium-width bowl
halve the eggs and plate on top of the mixture (i did an 8 minute egg for these)
finish with a drizzle of salsa macha and additional fresh dill
dip crusty bread into the egg and yogurt mixture and enjoy!