Harissa Fried Eggs

There’s no shortage of ways to jazz up fried eggs. You can basically take any condiment and fry an egg in it (like sesame fried eggs, pesto fried eggs, chili crisp fried eggs, and even Buffalo sauce eggs). One more condiment that’s worthy of your fried eggs: harissa sauce.  

Although eggs are still pricey, this hasn’t stopped me from buying them or slowed down how often I cook with them (which is several times a week). What has changed, however, is that whenever I choose to cook eggs I make them count. 

Enter: these harissa-fried eggs. The eggs sizzle in a rosey-tinged pool of olive oil and harissa sauce — an aromatic North African chile paste blended with peppers, citrus, cumin, coriander, and caraway — and cook up with spice-infused whites and crisp, lacy edges. 

Save the dried harissa spice for another time. For these fried eggs, you’ll want to use a jar of harissa sauce — my favorites are NYShuk and Mina — or a tube of harissa paste. Heated in a skillet with a splash of olive oil, the flavors in this chili-based sauce (or paste) come to life to create the perfect base for cooking eggs.

There is truly no wrong way to eat harissa fried eggs. Enjoy them on their own, layered on a breakfast sandwich, topped with crumbled feta, or draped over a slice of creamy avocado toast — these are all great options. 

My absolute favorite way to turn harissa fried eggs into a magical meal is to slide them onto a bed of creamy, tangy Greek yogurt, top them with quick pickled red onions and fresh mint leaves, and serve them with crusty sourdough toast alongside to mop up every last drop. The richness of the yogurt, acidic tang of the onions, and bright freshness of the mint play so nicely with the harissa and truly balance out the heat.