卟啉（英语：Porphyrin）是一类由四个吡咯类亚基的α-碳原子通过次甲基桥（=CH-）互联而形成的大分子杂环化合物。其母体化合物为卟吩（porphin，C₂₀H₁₄N₄），有取代基的卟吩即称为卟啉。卟啉环有26个π电子，是一个高度共轭的体系，并因此显深色。“卟啉”一词是对其英文名称porphyrin的音译，其英文名则源于希腊语单词，意为紫色，因此卟啉也被称作紫质。

许多卟啉以与金属离子配合的形式存在于自然界中，如含有二氢卟吩与镁配位结构的叶绿素以及与铁配位的血红素。人体内卟啉积累过多时会造成卟啉病，也称紫质症。

Porphyrins are a group of heterocyclic macrocycle organic compounds, composed of four modified pyrrole subunits interconnected at their α carbon atoms via methine bridges (=CH−). The parent porphyrin is porphin, and substituted porphines are called porphyrins. The porphyrin ring structure is aromatic, with a total of 26 atoms in the conjugated system. Various analyses indicate that not all atoms of the ring are involved equally in the conjugation or that the molecule's overall nature is substantially based on several smaller conjugated systems. One result of the large conjugated system is that porphyrin molecules typically have very intense absorption bands in the visible region and may be deeply colored; the name "porphyrin" comes from the Greek word πορφύρα (porphyra), meaning purple.