Eggs in Purgatory is a simple Italian dish where eggs are gently poached in a fiery tomato sauce until tender and flavorful. My version gives it a twist with harissa sauce for smoky heat and depth, making it perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even a quick dinner. Serve it with crusty bread to soak up every last drop.
Eggs in Purgatory With Harissa
Eggs in purgatory is a classic Italian recipe similar to Shakshuka, but I put a little spin on the traditional version by using harissa to add the smoky heat. If you haven’t had it before, harissa is a bright red Moroccan condiment that can be used with couscous, vegetables, meats, or whatever you want—but my first thought upon discovering it was eggs in purgatory. I love the flavor it adds to the sauce, making it not just fiery hot but also smoky, garlicky, and a little bit tangy. (Try harissa in my Harissa Chicken Meatballs and Grilled Harissa Lamb Chops too!)
Why Eggs in Purgatory Is One of My Favorite Ways to Cook Eggs
This dish combines bold flavors with the simplicity of eggs. Here’s why I love it:
- An all day recipe. This is the type of dish you can have for breakfast, lunch or dinner (Hello Meatless Mondays). It’s versatile and satisfying, no matter what time of day you make it!
- Easy to customize. While the traditional recipe calls for just eggs and tomato sauce, you can add in your favorite vegetables or beans to create a heartier meal.
- One pot wonder. Who doesn’t love a one pot meal? Not only does it make clean up a breeze, but all the flavors from the sauce and eggs come together beautifully in a single skillet.
What You’ll Need
Here’s the short list of ingredients you’ll need to make eggs in purgatory. Scroll down to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Olive oil – Or another oil you like to use for cooking.
- Red onion – You can swap in a yellow onion or shallots if needed.
- Petite tomatoes – For a chunky tomato sauce base.
- Harissa – For a bold, spicy kick. Different brands vary in intensity, I love Mina Harissa which comes in mild or spicy.
- Eggs – The main ingredient for eggs in purgatory!
- Salt and pepper – I like to use kosher salt in my cooking.
- Fresh parsley or chives – For a bright, fresh garnish. Cilantro would also work if you have it on hand.
How to Make Eggs in Purgatory
Follow these simple steps for delicious eggs in purgatory. See the recipe card below for printable instructions.
- Soften the onion. Warm the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Make the sauce. Stir in the tomatoes, harissa, salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens a little.
- Add the eggs. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Crack the eggs into the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook until the eggs are set to your liking.
- Finish. Garnish with parsley or chives and serve.
Variations
This eggs in purgatory recipe is fantastic as-is, but here are some ways to make it your own.
- Add cheese. For an extra layer of flavor, sprinkle some crumbled feta or grated Parmesan over the top right before serving. The heat from the dish will melt the cheese.
- Make it heartier. You can bulk up the dish by adding canned white beans or chickpeas; drain and rinse them well, then stir them into the sauce before adding the eggs.
- Switch up the spices. If harissa isn’t your thing, you can use red pepper flakes or even try sriracha or chili garlic sauce.
- Go green. Add in a handful of fresh spinach, kale, or arugula before cracking in the eggs for some added nutrients.
Serving Suggestions
Serve eggs in purgatory with crusty bread, or any type of grain and call it a meal or double the portion and skip the starch if you are following a low carb or paleo diet. It’s great with Cauliflower Rice too!
Proper Storage
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: Add eggs and sauce to a skillet over medium heat, cover, and gently cook until warmed through.
More Egg Recipes
Eggs in Purgatory
Equipment
- large nonstick skillet
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced red onion
- 14.5 oz can petite tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons prepared Harissa, I used Mina or more if you like it spicier
- 4 large eggs
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley, or chives for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, add the oil then the onion and saute until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, harissa, salt and pepper and increase the heat to medium-high and simmer until the liquid reduces a bit, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, carefully add the eggs, salt and pepper and cover.
- Cook until the top of the eggs set, about 4 to 5 minutes, or to your liking.
- Top with chopped fresh parsley or chives and serve.
Delicious but since when was shakshuka an Italian dish lol
Delicious but I don’t understand why someone would say in NOT WW friendly?
It absolutely is!!!! And it simple and delicious.
This recipe was easy. I felt like it was missing something though. I added another Tbsp harissa made it better but still to tomatoey for me. Maybe I’ll add some extra garlic next time. 3 minutes was perfect for my eggs.
Really loved this recipe. So quick and easy, and really tasty. I added a tiny bit of parmesan to mine
I have Harissa ground spice. Can you tell me how much to sub for the paste?
I have the spice harissa but it’s not in sauce form like the one you used. Would that be okay to use? This recipe looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it. My family loves spicy stuff!
just add some hot water to what you have
Loved this recipe!
This dish is so yummy… so happy we were able to try it. We used Portuguese hot sauce which is seemingly very similar to MIna Harissa sauce. This will become a weekly staple in our kitchen for sure!
Thank you for the recipe.
I make something like this by poaching eggs in spicy hot V8 juice.
I cannot wait to make this after Easter (we will be on egg overload). I happened to find a jar of Mina Harissa in the markdown section of Stater Brothers so I grabbed it thinking of this recipe (which I think I saw like 5 years ago).
Tried it! I totally overcooked the eggs but it was yummy! I used my cast iron skillet. Perfect! And my husband loves that we had vegetables in breakfast. Oh, I had some chopped spinach with my onion which goes along nicely with the sauce.
Love this! Since WW made eggs zero points I have been obsessed with egg recipes. Idea for you: shakshuka. I’m eating a shakshuka with bell peppers and chick peas and two lovely eggs on top along with a dollop of Greek yogurt right now. 1 point (for a tsp of olive oil)! You should do a skinny taste take on shakshuka for all your fans on WW!!!!!
Had this bookmarked for months and I finally made it for breakfast/brunch today. My local grocery chain had mild Mina harissa on sale. Followed the recipe exactly (used white onion instead of red because I needed to use it up) and had it over brown rice. Delicious and simple and made my body happy.
we call this shakshouka! my favorite
Picked up a jar of Harissa last weekend so was looking for ways to use it and came across this recipe. Made a different shakshuka recipe last week but this was much quicker with the Harissa. Very tasty and delicious. I made it with 2 eggs and had it with half of the tomato sauce. I’ll eat the rest tomorrow with a couple of freshly poached eggs. Yum!
I didn’t have harissa, but added Siracha with red pepper chili flakes and some cilantro. Spicy and good!
FINALLY made this last night for dinner (and breakfast this morning) and OHMYYYYGOOOOODDDD SO GVOOD! And so EASY!! And filling. LOVE!!!
Lisa in Seattle.
This looks super yummy, but if you're making it ahead of time, would you undercook the eggs so that they don't overcook when reheating in the microwave?
I would add the eggs fresh, shine they only take a minute to microwave.
Love this Moroccan harissa eggs dish. Its a family favorite. Works for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The harissa really gives it a great kick. Harissa is our new favorite condiment. Sorry sriracha!
That's funny! My mom called it "Spanish Eggs". She started out using leftover spaghetti sauce if I remember correctly, but it eventually morphed into ketchup and salsa mixed together. Far less swanky than using the Harissa, but similar in concept.
I grew up (I'm 49) with a simple basic recipe using red/green peppers,onions chopped & unsalted canned stewed tomatoes and a tsp of sugar you can use less to taste, helps cut the acidity. Salt & pepper to taste. My mom always called it breakfast goulash. Of course she served it with bread for dipping. I am going to try yours 🙂
Was looking for a shaksuka recipe and found this one. This recipe with harissa looks so good. making it tonight. My first time using harissa. I also bought mina harissa. can't wait to try it.
I made this and served it over my homemade Garlic Hummus and it was AMAZING!
How to make ice creamYuuummmm….ya, here is the recipe foe delicious dessert. This is really very simple, even kid can try this..!! Ingredients • Vanilla or any other Flavoured essence 1.5 tea spoon • Cornflou…
This was awesome! I didn't have any Harissa and didn't feel like driving across town to The Fresh Market so I used Siracha instead. Super yummy! I served it over some lightly wilted spinach that I warmed with garlic and it was very filling and tasty!
Has made this today for lunch,and come really good 🙂 has used small tomatoes in different type and flavour are so good 🙂
TQ for the recipe.Will try to cook others recipe tomorrow for dinner..
Made this for supper tonight, and it was fabulous! Hubs loved it so much he went back for seconds. I didn't have Harissa, so used Asian chili-garlic paste. I will be trying this with different spice combos, and expect it will end up in our regular rotation. 🙂
Just made this today and it was lovely! Though I had trouble making sure my egg whites were cooked through, so got to the point that the yolks were cooked :/ Which was fine but I need to experiment to figure out how to get a runny yolk but well done whites! Maybe higher heat?
May be a silly question but would you use the same amount of Harissa paste as you did the prepared? Thank you for all your wonderful recipes. Tried the Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with your flounder picatta last night and it was wonderful.
I would use it to your taste, if you like it spicy add more.
Had this for lunch and it was so good! I even ate TWO eggs with half the sauce recipe and even with some crusty ciabatta it was still a perfectly sized meal. Also people should know it's super easy to make your own harissa (I'm in NZ and finding anything like that can be tricky). Google a recipe for harissa and you're away!
Wow, yum! I found a jar of Shiloh's spicy harissa at Whole Food today and just had this for dinner. I was a little heavy spooned with the harissa, it was really spicy! I sauteed some potatoes and onions and had the eggs served on top. Delish!! Thanks Gina:)
Sounds delish!
this looks so goood – this is happening on the weekends 🙂
This was delish! I made it for dinner last night and served it over sourdough toast.
Oh, yum! I'm definitely making this one! I think I will add some spinach and kale to the sauce to get some more veggies into it.
Very nice recipe. I've just started playing with the eggs-in-purgatory style. It began with my enjoyment of huevos rancheros and thinking how much better the dish would be with basically sauce-poached eggs instead of the usual fried. This will go well with a chickpea version I think. Thanks for the idea.
Hi– this might be a silly question but what is the difference between the canned petite tomatoes versus normal crushed/canned tomatoes? Does it matter if I use the standard San Marzano?
Canned crushed tomatoes are more of a puree and usually have basil which will change the taste.
Never tried Harissa but this sure looks delicious!!!
This looks deliciously unique. I am reserving the recipe for a special sleep-in breakfast….Can't wait!
Looks amazing! It especially sounds good with quinoa. =)
Gina: I have a recipe to make Harissa. I made a batch and have had it in my refrigerator for a very long time. Seems to last and last.
Jeanne
Looks amazing. Do you need to drain the tomatoes?
I didn't, I just let it simmer longer but you can drain it, it would probably be a few minutes quicker.
I just got a jar of that in my Fancy Food box this month! My husband was like "what are you going to make with that??" Now I know!!!
What's a Fancy Food Box? I want one : )
I had to look it up. Then I HAD to subscribe – it sounds so fun!
go to thefancy.com search for the fancy food box. every month they send you a bunch of different food/kitchen items. Now they have 2 of them the regular food one and one that tyler florence picks out the stuff.
Here's a link http://fancy.to/79f1na
There are other brands of Harissa widely available, eg Sabra. In Israel this dish is called Shakshuka, but I like your name for it! There are restaurants that serve nothing but…
So I've been told 🙂 Yes, I'm sure there are other brands, you can use whichever is available.
To make Harissa there is a recipe on about.com here
http://mideastfood.about.com/od/dipsandsauces/r/harissa.htm
I'm going to try with Vietnamese chili garlic sauce that I have in the fridge, and a little extra olive oil. I'm hoping I'll get the similar heat and flavor as harissa.
No Harissa or Vietnamese chili garlic sauce either but I do have a jar of medium heat salsa in the fridge. How bad could that be?
It would be fine, I love Mexican style eggs. Beauty of cooking is, there are no rules!
Just to say you are amazing. I've been following your blog for a long time and some of your recipes are now "classics" in my family. Thank you so much !
Thank you 🙂
Gina, will cooking the eggs 4-5 minutes make them over easy? How long do you think I would need to cook them for over hard? My husband doesn't like eggs over easy. Thanks!
Amy yes, over easy-ish. To make them well done, closer to 8, you can test it with a fork and take a poke at the yolk.
Looks great – but what do you serve it "with" or "over"? One person mentioned quinoa; any other suggestions, or just put it in a bowl?
I just ate it as is, but bread would be good, quinoa, brown rice if I was having this for dinner. I love rice and eggs for dinner!
Just made this for dinner with a few modifications – no harissa so I added garlic, crushed red pepper, and an extra splash of both olive oil and vinegar. Ate two portions over quinoa – AMAZING! And super filling! Might even just try one egg next time!
Perfect!
Looks great Gina! I looooove harissa, especially in a chickpea and sweet potato stew recipe that I have up on my blog. I never thought to pair it with eggs but now you've got me curious!
Yummy and super comfy!
This looks absolutely gorgeous!
Ohhh. I have never tried Harissa and now I am intrigued!
Harissa is to die for! I was introduced to it in Tunisia. Yum!! Will try to find some and make this recipe!
this looks delicious, but $1 an ounce + shipping!? I think a recipe for making Harissa from scratch is in order!
I think they sell it at Whole Foods and other specialty stores. I've even seen it at West Elm of all places.
Thanks for sharing this scrumptious spring dish, Gina! It looks so delicious and simple!
This looks so yummy! I was just about to cook some eggs and toast when I came across this and now my breakfast looks frumpy and boring. I guess I'll have to have my sexy eggs after I order some Mina Harissa.
This looks delicious! I think I'll make some home-made harissa to use with this recipe later in the week. YUM.
Where can you buy Mina Harissa?
You can buy it online from Amazon.
Daring Gourmet has a recipe for homemade harissa, which is what I would try if I do this.
I found it at Fresh Market. Though mine only had the mild version, the flavor is still great.
I got it at Wegmans but Walmart has it to! It is a little pricey but I have to try this recipe and I love spicey!! I thought it was cheaper at the grocery store than on line for sure!
I ordered some as soon as I read it needed to be bought online. I’m making these to have over quinoa later this week! 🙂
Is there a less spicy substitute or should I just use less?
They sell a milder one, but I only used 2 tbsp so it wasn't too hot. I would add more to make it spicier.
Raylene, I make poached eggs in purgatory all the time with just tomato sauce doctored up with Italian herbs. This one looks fantastic though! Gonna have to find that Mina Harissa and give it a shot!! 🙂
I make this all the time too. I use a can of diced tomatoes and add crushed red pepper . I top it with some shaved parmesan or provolone….YUM!
Such a great ad for Mina! Did you get paid for this?
No, not an ad, just an ingredient I bought and used. If it was paid for, I would have had to mention that it was a sponsored post. They got this one free 🙂
This is a classic Israeli dish called shakshouka.
there are no eggs in the ingredients…
Ah thanks for pointing that out, 4 eggs… will fix.
Looks sooooo good!