Two eggs, crispy bacon, melty cheese, hot sauce, and a generously buttered bun: Harley Quinn’s sandwich in Birds of Prey only lasts a few minutes on screen, but it’s become one of the film’s most memorable dishes.
And for good reason: the scene is filmed as a real declaration of love to the American breakfast sandwich. After her breakup with the Joker and a particularly chaotic night, Harley is waiting for only one thing: to get the famous egg sandwich prepared by Sal in his bodega.
So we’ve recreated this famous sandwich at home with two eggs, crispy bacon, melty cheese, a dash of hot sauce, and a fluffy buttery golden brown bun. A recipe that’s ready in 15 minutes, perfect for a hearty breakfast, brunch, or just to accompany a fresh Birds of Prey viewing.
On the menu
The Extended Universe of Harley Quinn
Today we enter the world of DC Comics and more generally of comics with a tribute to our favorite heroine of recent years: Harley Quinn! Totally revisited in comics since the early 2010s, played in the cinema by Margot Robbie and adapted in the excellent animated series where she is voiced by Kaley Cuoco, Harley Quinn is one of the most refreshing characters in the saturated world of superheroes.
For the story, Dr. Harleen Quinzel is a psychiatrist who followed the Joker to Gotham City. After being manipulated by the latter, she will turn into a super villain and will be chased like the others by Batman.
However, the latest adaptations distance her from the Joker, for our greater good, and make her a kind of anti-heroine, very anarchist, accompanied by a completely crazy group of friends and special pets since she owns indeed several hyenas, a stuffed beaver and in the comics a hundred dogs, cats, ferrets…
Harley Quinn and food
Harley Quinn loves to eat, street-food, world cuisine, all her adaptations make cooking a central element like the recent movie Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), where she lives above a Taiwanese restaurant and spends the first 10 minutes being chased by a series of enemies while her only wish is to eat Sal’s perfect egg sandwich! This is the one we chose to show you, even if the choice was difficult! For this recipe, we opted for a soft ciabatta bread.
What exactly does the Harley Quinn Egg Sandwich contain?
The composition is very close to the great American classic called bacon, egg and cheese:What is Harley Quinn’s sandwich in Birds of Prey?
In Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), released in 2020 and directed by Cathy Yan, Harley Quinn is portrayed by Margot Robbie.
After her breakup with the Joker, she finds herself alone in Gotham and quickly discovers that many people now have good reasons to want her.
But in one of the most memorable scenes at the beginning of the film, her immediate problem is much simpler: she wants to eat her sandwich.
Harley goes to Sal’s house, who makes her what she describes as the perfect egg sandwich: two eggs cooked on the griddle, crispy bacon, two slices of American cheese, a few drops of hot sauce, all encased in a buttered golden bun.
The realization lingers on each step: the bacon that grills, the cheese that melts, the egg yolk that is still runny and the bread shiny with butter.
In other words: a few seconds of pure food porn in the middle of the chaos of Gotham.
Why has Harley Quinn’s sandwich become famous?
The sandwich works because it represents much more than just breakfast.
At the beginning of Birds of Prey, Harley has just lost the relationship around which she had built a large part of her identity. She tries to start from scratch, while discovering that the Joker’s protection saved her a lot of problems until then.
In the midst of this chaos, his egg sandwich is a perfectly trivial little moment of comfort.
It’s precisely this contrast that makes the scene funny: Harley is being chased through Gotham by several people who want to kill her, but what really seems to upset her is seeing her breakfast fall to the floor before she can even eat it.
The sandwich thus becomes the
- 2 eggs;
- crispy bacon;
- 2 slices of American cheese;
- a small amount of hot sauce;
- a soft bun;
- butter.
Nothing particularly sophisticated about the ingredients.
What makes all the difference is the assembly: the bread should be golden brown and buttery, the bacon very crispy, the cheese completely melted and the eggs cooked enough to fit in the sandwich while keeping a slightly runny yolk.
Bacon, Egg and Cheese: a classic American breakfast sandwich
Harley Quinn’s sandwich is directly inspired by bacon, egg and cheese, a great American breakfast classic particularly associated with New York bodegas and delis.
The principle is simple: eggs cooked in a pan or on a plate, bacon and cheese are enclosed in a roll or other soft bun.
It’s ordered for breakfast, brunch, or after a long night out, exactly the type of situation Harley finds herself in at the beginning of Birds of Prey.
It is a rich, salty, warm and comforting sandwich, designed to be eaten immediately, often wrapped in paper.
Which cheese to use?
In the movie, the sandwich is made with American cheese.
This sliced cheese has a very important advantage in this type of sandwich: it melts extremely easily and forms an almost creamy layer around the eggs.
Alternatively, you can use:
- sliced mild cheddar;
- Monterey Jack;
- Emmental;
- a burger cheese.
The cheddar will bring more character, but a slice of American cheese will give a result closer to the sandwich in the movie.
Which bread to choose?
In the film, Sal uses a round and soft bun, buttered and then golden.
For our homemade version, we chose a piece of ciabatta that was tender enough to absorb the butter, egg yolk, and cheese without falling apart.
You can also use:
- a Kaiser Roll;
- a burger bun with little sugar;
- a brioche bread with little sugar;
- a soft white bun.
The most important thing is to choose a bread that remains tender enough after being toasted.
The secret: toast the bread in the fat of the bacon
To get a real gourmet breakfast sandwich, don’t just heat the bread.
Start by cooking the bacon in the pan until crispy. Remove it, but keep some of its fat.
Brush the inside of the loaf with butter and brown it for a few moments in the same pan.
The bread then absorbs a small part of the butter and bacon fat while developing a golden and crispy surface.
It’s a detail, but it’s probably the one that most radically transforms the result.
How do you keep yolk slightly runny?
Crack the two eggs side by side into the pan and let the white start to set.
Then place the bacon and cheese directly on top, then cover the pan.
The steam allows the white to finish cooking and melt the cheese quickly without overcooking the yolks.
Two minutes is usually enough. Of course, adapt the cooking to your preferences.
For an easier-to-eat sandwich, you can also lightly pierce the yolks so that they spread over the whites before possibly flipping the eggs.
Which hot sauce to use?
In the movie, Harley simply asks for hot sauce.
A relatively fluid and vinegary American sauce therefore works perfectly: a few drops are enough to provide acidity and spiciness without masking the cheese and bacon.
Tabasco, Frank’s RedHot or another spicy sauce of your choice will do just fine.
For a more spicy version, you can obviously add more.
What to serve Harley Quinn’s sandwich with?
This sandwich is more than enough on its own for breakfast or brunch.
However, you can accompany it with sautéed potatoes, hash browns or simply a salad if you serve it for breakfast.
And to stay completely in the spirit of the movie, serve it wrapped in baking paper or sandwich paper rather than on a plate.
Eat quickly, ideally before a chase begins.
Can you make the sandwich ahead of time?
Not really.
The contrast between crispy bacon, melted cheese, warm egg and French toast is what makes this recipe so interesting.
Once cooled, the fat freezes, the cheese loses its texture, and the bread absorbs moisture from the eggs.
You can make the bacon a few hours in advance and simply reheat it in a pan before assembling the sandwich.
Harley Quinn’s Egg Sandwich – Birds of Prey
Ingredients
- A piece of ciabatta bread cut in half (or kaiser roll)
- Melted butter
- 2 eggs
- 4 Bacon slices
- 2 slices of cheddar (or American cheese)
- A touch of hot sauce
Preparation
- Cook the bacon and fried eggs in a hot, oiled skillet.
- Just before the eggs are done, place the bacon slices on top, then the cheddar. Cover and continue cooking for another 2 minutes, or until the cheddar cheese melts. Place everything on the slice of bread previously brushed with melted butter. Pour a pinch of hot sauce and close. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
FAQ – Harley Quinn’s Sandwich
What movie does Harley Quinn’s sandwich appear in?
The sandwich appears in Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), released in 2020 with Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn.
What’s in Harley Quinn’s sandwich?
It contains two eggs, crispy bacon, two slices of American cheese, hot sauce, and a buttery, golden brown bun.
What is Harley Quinn’s sandwich called?
It is usually presented as Harley Quinn’s egg sandwich or Sal’s sandwich. It corresponds to an American breakfast sandwich such as bacon, egg and cheese.
What cheese does Harley Quinn use in her sandwich?
The sandwich shown in Birds of Prey has sliced American cheese. You can substitute mild cheddar cheese if you can’t find it.
Can you substitute bacon?
Yes. For a pork-free version, use turkey bacon, beef bacon, or a plant-based alternative that’s crispy enough.
Can you make this sandwich for brunch?
Yes. It’s especially brunch-friendly since it brings eggs, bacon, cheese, and bread together in one warm, generous sandwich.
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