# Turkish Eggs with Spinach and Garlic Yogurt

> Spinach is 90% water, and any spinach dish turns watery if that water is not removed. The fix is to **cook it uncovered over high heat** until the water evaporates, or to **squeeze it out after wilting** — and only then do the eggs go in.

**Turkish Cuisine · 30 min · 3 servings · 290 kcal per serving**

Turkish eggs with spinach is a well-known breakfast served over a layer of garlicky yogurt, filling and packed with iron and protein. Its only real problem is the water in the spinach.

## Ingredients

- 500 g — fresh spinach
- 6 — eggs
- 1 cup — Greek yogurt
- 3 cloves — garlic, crushed
- 1 — onion, chopped
- 3 tbsp — butter
- 1 tsp — crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp — salt
- 0.5 tsp — nutmeg
- bread, to serve

## Method

1. **Garlic yogurt** — Mix the yogurt with two crushed garlic cloves and a pinch of salt, and leave it **out of the fridge** to come to room temperature. Cold yogurt under hot eggs curdles.
2. **Wash the spinach** — Wash the spinach well and chop it coarsely. Spinach carries a lot of grit in its stems — wash it in a bowl of water, not under the tap.
3. **Drive off the water** — In a wide pan over **high heat and uncovered**, add the spinach and stir for **5 minutes** until it wilts and its water has fully evaporated.
4. **Squeeze** — If any liquid remains, lift the spinach into a sieve and **press it with the back of a spoon**. Any water left will show up in the finished dish.
5. **Onion and garlic** — Melt the butter and soften the onion for **5 minutes**, add the remaining garlic and the nutmeg, then return the spinach, stir and season.
6. **Eggs in wells** — Make wells in the spinach and crack the eggs into them, then cover over **low heat for 5 minutes** until the whites set and the yolks stay runny.
7. **Chilli butter finish** — Heat a tablespoon of butter with the red pepper flakes until it colours, and pour it over. Serve the dish on the yogurt layer with hot bread.

## Tips

- Uncovered over high heat — a lid traps steam and the spinach boils in its own water.
- Room-temperature yogurt, not straight from the fridge — cold yogurt curdles.
- Wash spinach in a bowl, not under the tap, so the grit sinks to the bottom.
- The chilli butter is not a garnish — it is what gives the dish its Turkish identity.

## FAQ

### Why is my spinach watery?
Spinach is 90% water. Cook it in a wide pan over high heat with no lid until the water evaporates, and if liquid remains, press it out in a sieve before you carry on.

### Can I use frozen spinach?
Yes, but it must be fully thawed and **squeezed hard** — frozen spinach holds more water than fresh. Its flavour is milder too, so add a little extra garlic and nutmeg.

### Why did my yogurt curdle?
It was fridge-cold, or you put it in the pan. Take it out 15 minutes ahead and spread it on the plate under the hot spinach — it should never go into the pan at all.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/turkish-cuisine/turkish-eggs-with-spinach
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-29