There’s a dish that’s been quietly taking over my table lately: eggs, fried in olive oil until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft, resting on a bed of cool, garlicky strained yogurt, then finished with a spoonful of olive oil bloomed with chili flakes. In Turkey, it’s called çılbır, traditionally made with poached eggs. In Greece, we just call it meze, and once you’ve had it, plain fried eggs will feel like they’re missing something.
What I love about it is how little this dish asks of you. Ten minutes of prep, five minutes of cooking, and the kind of payoff that makes people think you spent much longer on it than you did.
If you love trying different ways with eggs, try my saucy eggs and tomatoes, crispy fried eggs and fries (avga me patates), and comforting strapatsada (Greek eggs). Once you start, you won’t want to stop.
Why you will love Greek yogurt eggs
Looking for the perfect bread to go with this? I have my go-to Greek village bread (horiatiko psomi) — rustic, chewy, and perfect for scooping up every bit of yolk and yogurt.
Ingredients
Eggs. The freshest eggs you can find will hold their shape best in the pan, with tighter, less-spread whites. Crack them in gently, close to the oil rather than from a height, to keep splatter and spreading to a minimum.
Strained Greek yogurt. Go full-fat here. This isn’t the place for low-fat yogurt. Full-fat strained yogurt is thick enough to hold its shape as a bed under the egg and rich enough to balance the chili oil. If yours seems loose, tip it into a cheesecloth-lined sieve over a bowl and let it drain in the fridge for 20–30 minutes before using.
Garlic. Grated, not minced, so it disperses evenly through the yogurt rather than sitting in chunks. One clove is enough to make its presence known without overpowering the tang of the yogurt — if you love a sharper bite, a raw garlic dish like this is exactly where an extra half-clove pays off.
Chili flakes (boukovo). This is what gives the dish its color and warmth. If you can find it, use Boukovo, or a similar Aleppo-style pepper, which is milder and fruitier than standard red pepper flakes. It can be bloomed gently in oil without turning acrid. If you only have hot, sharp chili flakes, start with half the amount.
Fresh dill. Adds a grassy, slightly anise-like brightness that cuts through the richness of the yolk and yogurt. Parsley or mint can stand in if dill isn’t available, though the flavor will shift.
Olive oil. Use a good one — since it’s barely cooked and drizzled on at the end, its flavor comes through directly. A fruity, peppery Greek extra virgin olive oil is ideal.
A note on portions. This recipe is written for one egg per person, which works well if you’re serving it alongside bread, a salad, or potatoes as part of a bigger spread. If you’d rather make it a stand-alone, heartier breakfast, it easily scales to two eggs per person. Just increase the yogurt to about 1½ cups for 2 servings, so there’s still enough of a base underneath.
Step by step
STEP 1. Make the garlic yogurt. In a bowl, mix the strained yogurt with the grated garlic until fully combined. Set aside — this can sit at room temperature while you do everything else.
STEP 2. Heat the chili oil and fry the eggs. In a medium (10-inch) cast-iron or nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil with the chili flakes over medium-high heat until it ripples like the ocean, about 2–2½ minutes.
Crack the eggs into the pan, holding the shell close to the oil rather than from high up, and let them slide in slowly to minimize splatter and spreading. Leave them untouched until the edges turn golden brown, 2–3 minutes.
Gently tilt the pan toward you, spoon up some of the chili oil, and baste just the whites and edges of the yolks until the whites are fully set, about 1 minute — avoid the yolk itself so it stays runny. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper.
STEP 5. Assemble and serve. Spread the garlic yogurt across two plates. Using a spoon or slotted spatula, transfer an egg onto each, then spoon over any remaining chili oil from the pan. Scatter with dill and serve immediately with toasted bread for scooping.
Tips for the best result
- Use the freshest eggs you have. Fresh eggs hold their shape much better in the poaching water — older eggs tend to spread into wispy strands.
- Don’t skip the vinegar. It helps the egg whites set faster and stay compact.
- Serve immediately. This dish is all about temperature contrast — warm egg, cool yogurt — so it doesn’t hold well once assembled.
- Adjust the heat to your taste. If your chili flakes are potent, start with half a teaspoon and add more oil on top at the table.
FAQs
Serving suggestions
This dish is meant to be scooped up with something, so bread is non-negotiable — but there’s a lot of room to build it into a full Greek-style spread:
- Toasted bread or a warm pita for scooping up every bit of yolk and yogurt — the essential pairing.
- Dakos or paximadi (barley rusks), briefly dampened with water or olive oil, add a rustic crunch that plays well against the soft egg and yogurt.
- A simple horiatiki salad — tomato, cucumber, olives, and feta — on the side turns this into a proper Greek brunch plate, especially in summer.
- Fried or roasted potatoes alongside give the meal more staying power for a weekend breakfast.
- Tsigarides or loukaniko (Greek sausage), if you want something heartier, for a more substantial version of a Cretan-style breakfast.
- A cup of Greek coffee and tiny baklava to finish the meal.
Greek recipes featuring eggs
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If you tried this recipe, I’d love to know how you liked it — drop a comment below or tag me on Instagram @thegreekfoodie__.
Greek Yogurt Eggs
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup strained Greek yogurt, full-fat
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes , (boukovo or Aleppo-style)
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt, to taste
- toasted bread, for serving
Instructions
- Mix the strained yogurt with the grated garlic in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil with the chili flakes over medium-high heat until it ripples, about 2–2½ minutes.
- Crack the eggs in gently, holding the shell close to the oil. Let them cook untouched until the edges are golden, 2–3 minutes.
- Tilt the pan and baste the whites and yolk edges with the hot oil until the whites are set, about 1 minute — keep oil off the yolk itself. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the garlic yogurt on two plates, top each with a fried egg, spoon over remaining chili oil, scatter with dill, and serve immediately with toasted bread.
Notes
- Use the freshest eggs you can find — they hold together far better in the pan.
- Let the oil fully ripple before adding the eggs for crisp, golden edges.
- Baste only the whites and yolk edges, not the yolk itself, to keep it runny.
- Serve immediately — the contrast of warm egg against cool yogurt is the whole point.
Nutrition
