Quiche Lorraine
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Bacon, Gruyère, and a rich egg custard baked in a flaky crust—there’s a reason this quiche Lorraine recipe is a French classic.
During my college years, I spent a semester studying abroad in Tours, France, a charming university town about an hour from Paris. One of my daily rituals was walking to a local boulangerie for lunch, where I’d get a mini quiche Lorraine, still warm from the oven. I’d savor every bite while walking back to class through the cobbled streets. This quiche Lorraine recipe takes me right back.
Named after the region of France where it originated, quiche Lorraine is one of the most iconic—and satisfying—French quiches. Made with smoky bacon, nutty Gruyère cheese, and shallots baked into a silky custard, it’s ideal for brunch, lunch, or dinner, especially paired with a green salad and a crisp glass of white wine.
“Hands down, the BEST quiche Lorraine recipe ever…People always tell me it’s the best quiche they’ve ever tasted!”
What You’ll Need To Make Quiche Lorraine
- Frozen pie crust: I prefer a frozen deep-dish crust to refrigerated rolled dough—it’s convenient, holds all the filling, and is less prone to shrinking during par-baking. You can also use homemade pie crust.
- Thick-cut bacon: Gives the quiche its smoky, savory flavor and meaty texture. Pop it in the freezer briefly before cutting to make it easier to dice.
- Shallots: Milder and sweeter than onions, they complement the bacon and Gruyère without overpowering the custard.
- Eggs & heavy cream: Form the custard. I always use heavy cream rather than milk or half-and-half for the richest, silkiest texture.
- Gruyère: Its nutty flavor is a classic match for bacon and eggs. I recommend authentic Swiss Gruyère with the AOP seal; shred it finely so it melts evenly.
- Salt, cayenne & nutmeg: Season the custard. Cayenne adds just a hint of warmth, while nutmeg is a classic addition to creamy French egg dishes.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Quiche Lorraine
Blind bake the crust: Par-bake the crust until lightly golden. This gives the crust a head start so it stays crisp once the custard filling goes in. If it puffs as it bakes, gently prick it with a fork to deflate it.
Cook the bacon and shallots: Cook the bacon until crisp, then drain it well so the quiche doesn’t become greasy. Sauté the shallots in a little of the bacon fat until soft and translucent, taking care not to brown them.
Make the custard. Whisk the eggs to break them up, then add the heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg and whisk until evenly combined.
Assemble the quiche: Layer the shallots, bacon, and Gruyère in the par-baked crust, then pour the custard over top.
Bake: Bake until the filling is just set and lightly golden. Baking quiche at a relatively low temperature is a technique I learned in culinary school and while working in a French restaurant—it cooks the eggs gently so the custard sets up silky and tender rather than firm or rubbery. It really does make a difference. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Video Tutorial
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Quiche Lorraine
Ingredients
- One 9-inch (23-cm) 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 (200°C) 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 (170°C).
- 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.
Notes
- 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/Freezing Instructions: This quiche can be baked up to a day ahead of time and refrigerated. 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. 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
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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Hm. That was super rich. I love fat but it was too much even for me. Didn’t reheat very well, fell apart. Maybe i have unreasonable expectations. Also, got super expensive with the gruyere in the US costing more than parmesan.
This is supposed to be a peasant dish that’s affordable. People at the brunch made positive noises but I’m wondering if they weren’t just being nice. Nothing fundamentally wrong with it but i won’t make it again.
If I make it the day before, how long should I cook it and how should I reheat it?
It truly is the best quiche I’ve ever had!
So glad you like it, Susanna! To reheat it, cover the quiche with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
I love your site and every recipe I’ve made has gotten rave reviews!!! I made this more like a frittata, because I wanted to eliminate the crust and its carbs! I just added 2 eggs and made it exactly as you wrote it! Family loved it!! So light and flavorful!! Came out of my double walled deep dish stainless pie plate just like you would want it to!! Thank you soooo much. The shallots were so sweet and good as the ‘crust’!!! (Much better than other recipes that use green onions!! ❤️❤️❤️
The BEST quiche ever. I used my favorite homemade crust recipe, but everything else was totally Jenn. Perfect. My daughters and I made this for Mother’s day brunch. WOW. I can’t wait to have it again. We love many of your recipes, thank you.
I made this for Mother’s Day today & it was a huge hit!! It was easy to assemble & not too time consuming and oh so yummy!!
I made this for Mother’s Day and it was a hit! I will make this again and again. I added Smoked Paprika and nutmeg.
This was delicious! My husband thinks it may be one of the best things he’s ever tasted. High praise indeed. I made it in an eleven inch old fashioned tart pan with a removable bottom using two thawed Marie Callender’s pie crusts combined into a ball and rolled out. There was a bit of dough left over, but I didn’t want to run short. I par-baked the crust the night before to save time.
I mistakenly used three shallots because that’s what I bought. Everything else as written.
Thanks, Jenn
I am planning on making your quiche soon and was wondering which deep dish pie crust do you recommend? Thanks
Hi Judith, I really liked Whole Foods’ Wholly Wholesome brand, but they no longer have a deep dish version. I’d recommend Marie Callender’s if your store carries that.
Jen,
I love all your recipes! Thank you! You are my go-to girl! I will be making both the crustless broccoli quiche & the quiche Lorraine this weekend. Can I bake ahead? Will it still taste as good? Thanks again for your fabulous recipes!
So glad you like the recipes! Yes, both quiches reheat nicely. See the bottom of the recipe for make-ahead instructions. Hope you enjoy!
I’m in Colorado and this took about 20 extra minutes to bake. It was wonderful and my kids all had seconds!