Quiche Lorraine

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Richly flavored with Gruyère cheese and smoky bacon, quiche Lorraine is one of the most satisfying dishes imaginable.

Slice of quiche Lorraine on a plate with a salad.

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.

“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!”

Marsha Gale

What You’ll Need To Make Quiche Lorraine

quiche lorraine ingredients
  • 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
Kaltbach gruyere cheese.

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.

pricking quiche crust with 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.

blind baked crust

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.

Diced bacon cooking in a skillet.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Diced bacon on paper towels.

Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat from the pan and add the shallots.

Skillet of diced shallots.

Cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown. Set aside.

Cooked shallots in a skillet.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, and then the heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg.

eggs, cream and seasoning in bowl

Whisk until evenly combined.

whisked egg and cream mixture

Spread the shallots evenly over the bottom of the cooked crust.

Shallots on the bottom of a pie crust.

Top with half of the bacon.

first layer of bacon in quiche lorraine

Then all of the Gruyère.

Shredded gruyere in a pie crust.

Then the remaining bacon.

Diced bacon on shredded gruyere in a pie crust.

Pour the egg/cream mixture over top.

Pie crust full of and egg mixture.

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.

quiche fresh out of the oven

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make quiche Lorraine ahead of time?

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.

Can quiche Lorraine be frozen?

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.

Why do you bake quiche at 325°F?

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!

Slice of quiche Lorraine on a plate with a salad.

Video Tutorial

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Quiche Lorraine

Richly flavored with Gruyère cheese and smoky bacon, quiche Lorraine is one of the most satisfying dishes imaginable.

Servings: 4 to 6
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg; whisk until evenly combined.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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 Edamam

  • 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.

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Comments

  • Fantastic! I made 2, one crustless for low-carb, and one just as listed. Both were so creamy and delicious for the ladies’ breakfast at church. Many kudos. Next time, I’ll pancetta, loved the different flavors. Thanks Jen!

  • I recently made a crustless version while on Keto and it turned out to be a favorite meal with a side salad. It reheats beautifully and I didnt miss the crust one bit. The gruyere could easily be swapped for a less expensive cheese but is so delicious that its worth getting for this dish alone. The shallots are also perfect combined with gruyere and bacon. Added to my regular rotation.

  • Made this quiche last Saturday, added a bit more shallot and some parmesan with the gruyere (plus microplaned some on a slice right before I ate it), divine! Can’t wait to make it again and again!

  • I made this quiche today for a lunch with some friends. It turned out both beautiful and delicious. I loved trying the gruyere cheese as I had never used it in quiche before. Between that and the heavy cream, this quiche was over the top in deliciousness. Thank you for your recipes as well as the pictures and clear instructions. Also appreciate knowing when something will freeze well.

  • Delicious! I had to try this as soon as I read My Once Upon a Chef email today! I am sooo happy that I did and so was my husband! We both were amazed and I see why Jenn mentioned in that email how she had this every day for lunch while in school at one of the schools she attended in France. No shallots so I used red onion and was careful not to brown them per Jenn’s instructions and what great advice because as a result the onions did not overwhelm the eggs and cheese(had only mozzarella but it’s mild enough although not as good as the listed cheese(can’t spell it! :)). Exquisite!

  • I made this tonight and it was delicious!! So rich and fluffy and flavorful. I was wondering however, my quiche seemed to be cooked perfectly but only the top was golden yellow while the inside was pretty white. Is this normal or did I do something wrong?

    • This is normal, Lauren. Glad you enjoyed it!

  • I find myself wishing to review each recipe I make in your collection but I make too many of your recipes now to comment on each one. I do however; need to submit review of the Quiche Lorraine because it is now my family’s favorite quiche recipe. It is so light and fluffy and contains such great flavors from the gruyere and bacon. Great for brunch “get together” due to being so easy to assemble. I have one preparation question. What is the difference in frying out strips of bacon(crumbling then) and dicing bacon to pan fry(the latter being a tad more labor intensive)? Again, thank you for never disappointing with your extensive shared cooking knowledge and your trouble shooting expertise.

    • So glad your family enjoyed the quiche, Jennie! It makes no difference how you cook the bacon, so go with the method that’s easiest for you. 🙂

  • Hi Jen, Can I make this ahead and place in the freezer? Also curious why you bake the crust beforehand? Thanks

    • Sure, Melissa, you can freeze this. And the reason for baking the crust before adding the filling is because the moisture eggs can make the crust soggy before it has time to actually bake. Blind baking the crust helps it to remain firm. Hope that helps!

  • Sorry for the late review. This was amazing!!!! I paired with simple mixed greens and the dressing you suggested and it was a huge hit. I plan to make tomorrow night for company and wanted to know if you had any dessert paring suggestions. Thanks again for a fabulous recipe. When I told my husband I was making it again. He was ecstatic!

  • Perfect in every way! Having recently moved back to the States from living in France I appreciate your simple, authentic recipe. The flavors are as good as any we’ve tasted. BTW, now that we are ‘home’ I make much use of my public library and I always check out cookbooks before deciding if they are worth buying and I have to say that yours definitely is on my BUY list! Even with so many resources on online your book is gorgeous and chock full of recipes that I will be making. Thanks so much for sharing your many talents Jenn!

    • So glad you enjoyed the quiche and thanks in advance for buying the book!💗

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