Quiche Lorraine
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Richly flavored with Gruyère cheese and smoky bacon, quiche Lorraine is one of the most satisfying dishes imaginable.
During my college years, I spent a semester studying abroad in Tours, France, a charming university town located an hour away from Paris. One of my daily rituals was visiting a local boulangerie for lunch. I’d treat myself to a mini quiche Lorraine, then savor every bite while strolling back to class through the winding, cobbled streets. While I can’t remember much about my courses, the memory of that simple pleasure still lingers to this day.
Named after the region of France where it originated, quiche Lorraine is is one of the most iconic French quiches and also one of the most satisfying dishes imaginable. Richly flavored with smoky bacon, nutty Gruyère cheese, and shallots, it’s ideal for brunch, lunch, or dinner, especially paired with a green salad and crisp white wine.
Table of Contents
“This is hands down, the BEST quiche Lorraine recipe ever! As a personal chef, I am asked to make dishes that reheat well – this one does, but it’s also exceptional when served fresh out of the oven…People always tell me it’s the best quiche they’ve ever tasted!”
What You’ll Need To Make Quiche Lorraine
- Frozen pie crust: Serves as the base for the quiche. I recommend using frozen crusts over rolled refrigerated crusts—they are ready to cook and won’t shrink during par-baking. Ensure it’s a deep-dish variety to accommodate all the filling.
- Thick-cut bacon: Adds smoky, savory flavor and meaty texture that is quintessential to the flavor profile of quiche Lorraine. To make it easier to work with, pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes or so before cutting.
- Shallots: Offer a mild, slightly sweet flavor that complements the richness of the other ingredients without overpowering them.
- Eggs: Act as the foundation of the custard filling, binding the ingredients together and giving the quiche its signature texture and structure.
- Heavy cream: Contributes to the luxurious, creamy consistency of the filling. When making quiche, I always use heavy cream over milk or half-and-half.
- Salt, cayenne pepper, ground nutmeg: These seasonings flavor of the quiche, with salt balancing the flavors, cayenne pepper adding a slight heat, and ground nutmeg providing a warm, nutty undertone.
- Gruyère: This cheese lends a rich, nutty flavor that is essential to quiche Lorraine. Use an authentic Swiss-made Gruyère with the AOP seal for the best flavor and quality, and be sure it’s finely shredded so that it melts easily. It’s a bit pricey, but you only need 4 ounces. Plus, any leftover cheese can be used for making delicious grilled cheese sandwiches.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step instructions
To begin, remove the pie crust from freezer and thaw for about 10 minutes. Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork.
Bake on until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on it; if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with a fork so it will deflate.) Don’t panic if your crust cracks in the oven. You can easily fix it by making a smooth paste from 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of water. Using your fingers, patch up and fill any cracks with the paste, then place the crust back in the oven for a minute or so to set. It should be good as new.
While the crust cooks, dice the bacon. Place the diced bacon in a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat from the pan and add the shallots.
Cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, and then the heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg.
Whisk until evenly combined.
Spread the shallots evenly over the bottom of the cooked crust.
Top with half of the bacon.
Then all of the Gruyère.
Then the remaining bacon.
Pour the egg/cream mixture over top.
Slide the quiche (still on the baking sheet) into the oven and bake at 325°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is set and lightly golden. Serve the quiche hot or at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! You can prepare this recipe a day ahead of time and refrigerate. To reheat, cover the quiche with aluminum foil and heat in a preheated 300°F (150°C) oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
Yes, quiche Lorraine freezes beautifully for up to three months. After baking and cooling the quiche, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Remove the quiche from the freezer about 24 hours prior to eating. Remove the plastic wrap and reheat it, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven until hot in the center.
Baking quiche at 325°F is a technique I learned in French culinary school and while working in a French restaurant. This lower temperature prevents the eggs from scrambling, a common issue at higher heats, and ensures the custard sets to a silky smooth consistency. It makes a difference!
Video Tutorial
You May Also Like
Quiche Lorraine
Richly flavored with Gruyère cheese and smoky bacon, quiche Lorraine is one of the most satisfying dishes imaginable.
Ingredients
- One 9-inch deep-dish frozen pie crust
- 8 oz thick-cut bacon (about 6 slices), diced
- ½ cup chopped shallots, from 2 medium shallots
- 4 large eggs
- 1¼ cups heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- 4 oz Gruyère, finely shredded (about 1¼ cups)
Instructions
- Blind bake the crust: Preheat the oven to 400°F and set a rack in the middle position. Remove the pie crust from freezer and thaw until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork, about 10 minutes. (If there are any cracks in the crust, see note below on how to patch them up.) Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork. Place the crust on a baking sheet to make it easy to move in and out of the oven. Bake on until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it; if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with a fork so it will deflate. (If it cracks while baking, see note below for instructions on how to patch it up.) Set aside and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
- In a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the shallots and cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg; whisk until evenly combined.
- Spread the shallots evenly over the bottom of the cooked crust. Top with half of the bacon, all of the Gruyère, and then the remaining bacon. Pour the egg/cream mixture over top.
- Slide the quiche (still on the baking sheet) into the oven and bake at 325°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is set and lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.
- Note: Don't panic if your crust has cracks -- you can easily fix it. Make a smooth paste by mixing 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of water. Use your fingers to patch up and fill any cracks, then proceed with the recipe. If the crust cracks while blind baking, patch it afterwards and place it back in the oven for a minute or so to set. It should be good as new.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: This quiche can be fully prepared up to a day ahead of time and refrigerated. To reheat: Cover the quiche with aluminum foil and heat in a preheated 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked quiche can be frozen for up to 3 months. After baking and cooling the quiche, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Remove the quiche from the freezer about 24 hours prior to eating. Remove the plastic wrap and reheat it, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 616
- Fat: 51 g
- Saturated fat: 24 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Sodium: 575 mg
- Cholesterol: 232 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I loved it. Made a vegetarian version as well.
Would you also share a recipe for homemade crust?
Glad you enjoyed it, Lora! If you scroll down to one of the first few comments, you’ll find my go-to crust recipe.
In addition to your recipies, I admire that your photos show the honest reality of cooking, right down to the permanent burns on your baking sheet. Your cooking is real and not overly staged. It makes all of us feel empowered to see a professional like yourself being an honest cook! Thank you for that.
💗
As soon as I received this in my inbox, I decided it was worth a shot. Did as instructed and it turned out perfectly. Thanks, Jenn! I have never been let down by one of your recipies. My current favorite is the red wine braised short ribs.
Cheers!
Store bought crust? I’ve never done this before and boy am I glad for the discovery.. thanks for removing my stigma Jenn! Our store only had the Pillsbury PetRitz pack available which comes with two in it so I made the extra one and will freeze it now:)) it is cooling. As usual your recipes never disappoint:))
This was amazingly delicious and easy. I followed the recipe exactly as written, including getting the crust at Whole Foods (which I happened to have in the freezer). I have nothing to add except “Make it. You’ll love it!”
Absolutely delicious! The custard just melts in your mouth without that omelette texture that you so often get in a quiche. I can’t recommend this highly enough. Thank you!
Hi Jenn,
Love your recipes, your site and your beautiful photos! Can this quiche be made crustless? Would love to make for my husband who is avoiding flour. Thanks for all you do!
Honor Jimenez
Sure, Honor. I would adjust the quantities as follows:
10 oz thick-cut bacon (about 8 slices), diced
3/4 cup chopped shallots, from 1 large shallot
6 large eggs
1-3/4 cups heavy cream
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
5 oz Gruyère, finely shredded (about 1-1/2 cups)
Hi Jenn,
Can this recipe be frozen?
Yep, see the freezing and make-ahead instructions at the bottom of the recipe. 🙂
Hi Jenn,
Can I use a refrigerated pie crust (like Pillsbury)? Love your recipes.
Sure, Peggy – that’s fine. 🙂
Hi Jenn! This looks delicious, can’t wait to try it. I don’t have access to good quality frozen pie crust, do you have a recommendation for a recipe I could use instead?
Hi Elise, Here’s the recipe I use:
1-1/8 cups all-purpose flour, plus some for dusting work surface
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
About 3 tablespoons ice water, plus more if necessary
1. Combine the flour and salt in a food processor fitted with the steel blade; pulse once or twice. Add the butter and process until the butter and flour are blended and the mixture looks crumbly with pea-sized bits of butter within, about 10 seconds. (You can also do this by hand: Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Cut butter into 1/4″ pieces, then “cut” into flour mixture with a pastry cutter.)
2. Place the mixture in a bowl and sprinkle 3 tablespoons of ice water over it. Use your hand to gently gather the mixture in the bowl; if the mixture seems dry, add more water little by little. When you can, shape the mixture into a ball with your hands, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit on the countertop for 10 minutes. Sprinkle a work surface with flour. Unwrap the dough and place it on your the floured surface; sprinkle the top with flour. Rub the rolling pin with flour, then roll the dough from the center out. Continue to roll, adding small amounts of flour as necessary, rotating the dough occasionally and flouring the surface underneath to prevent sticking. (Use ragged edges of dough to repair any tears, adding a drop of water while you press the patch into place.) When the dough is about 12 inches in diameter (it should be about 1/8 inch thick), transfer the dough into the pan by draping it over the rolling pin. When the dough is in the pan, press it firmly to the bottom and sides. Using a scissors, trim the excess dough to about 1/4 inch all around, then tuck it under itself around the edge of the pan, “anchoring” it to the sides. Decorate the edge using the prongs of a fork or your fingers. Place the pan in the freezer for a quick 10-minute chill. Follow directions for blind baking but use pie weights or dried beans to prevent the crust from shrinking.
Thank you so much for the detailed response, Jenn! Excited to try it 🙂
Hi Elise,
Most well-known brands make a pretty good crust. I use deep-dish. Holds more volume.
I make mine with regular so-called Swiss cheese instead of the imported gruyere. Also, I use 5 eggs, 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream and regular breakfast bacon. I do not use onions or shallots or anything like that since the classic quiche Lorraine, I was told some years ago, does not call for that. I also add a tablespoon of Kirsch ( vodka will do); a pinch or two of sugar and nutmeg to taste. My family always go nuts over my quiche. BTW, I always make two at a time; one for the freezer and one to eat immediately.