Quiche Lorraine
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Quiche Lorraine is a classic for a reason—richly flavored with nutty Gruyère and smoky bacon, it’s one of the most satisfying dishes imaginable.
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 stopping by a local boulangerie for lunch, where I’d treat myself to a mini quiche Lorraine—rich, savory, and still warm from the oven. I’d savor every bite while strolling back to class through the winding, cobbled streets. While I can’t remember much about my courses, that simple pleasure has stayed with me ever since.
Named after the region of France where it originated, quiche Lorraine is one of the most iconic—and most 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 when paired with a green salad and a crisp glass of 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!”
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
Step 1: Blind bake the crust. Remove the pie crust from the freezer and let it thaw for about 10 minutes. Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork, then bake until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it—if the crust puffs up as it bakes, just gently prick it with a fork so it deflates.
Step 2: Fry the bacon. While the crust cooks, dice the bacon and add it to a medium nonstick sauté pan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp, about 10 minutes.
Step 3: Drain the bacon. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate and let it drain; this removes excess grease so the finished dish isn’t oily.
Step 4: Cook the shallots. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan, then add the shallots. Cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes—don’t let them brown. Set aside.
Step 5: Make the custard. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk until everything is evenly combined.
Step 6: Layer the fillings. Spread the shallots evenly over the bottom of the baked crust, then sprinkle on half of the bacon. Add all of the Gruyère, followed by the remaining bacon.
Step 7: Add the custard. Carefully pour the egg and cream mixture over the fillings, stopping just below the top of the crust. If you have a little extra custard, discard it—overfilling can cause the quiche to spill over.
Step 8: Bake. 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. Baking quiche at a lower temperature is a technique I learned in culinary school and while working in a French restaurant—it prevents the eggs from scrambling (a common issue at higher heat) and helps the custard set up silky smooth. It really does make a difference. Serve the quiche 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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Sorry it’s taken so long for me to review this, but here it is.
I love quiche, but this one most of all.
There’s a restaurant nearby that is locally famous for its quiche. Unfortunately, it’s in a touristy little town and I don’t people. After yet another night of craving quiche, but unable to stomach the crowds, I went on a quest for a good recipe. It normally takes several recipes before finding one I like, but I hit the ball out of the park when I made this one first. I’ve shared it with so many people and every one of them love it as much as I do.
The only thing I changed ( I’m incapable of NOT making at least one change per recipe) is to use Swiss instead of Gruyère. I grew up with quiche made with Swiss and don’t particularly care for Gruyère.
After making it for 2+ years, I have some tips/shortcuts that I’ve come up with.
+Shred your own cheese. I bought one of those rotary shredders a couple years ago and haven’t looked back.
+Make “quiche kits” when you have the time to meal prep. There are a lot of steps and dishes with this recipe, which can make you decide it’s too much work sometimes. NEVER deprive yourself of this wonderful quiche. I shred a pound of cheese, chop and saute shallots, and cook and chop bacon ahead of time. Each ingredient goes in its own bag (enough for one quiche), then the three bags get vacuum sealed in a freezer bag and frozen. I can then make 4 quiches, but only wash the knife, cutting board and skillet one time.
+Make more than one at a time. I made 2 tonight. Since there are only 2 people here, I will cut the extra into single meal portions, wrap well and then freeze. It makes a wonderfully quick meal for busy nights or one where I forgot to defrost anything.
+Back to meal prepping. If you use it a lot, prep ahead. Bacon is served every day here, so I cook 6lbs at a time in the oven and freeze the surplus. 30 second in the microwave in the morning and breakfast is ready.
I use a food chopper (search on Amazon – they have a ton) to chop 6-9 lbs of onions at a time, then freeze in gallon bags. I do the same with a couple bunches of celery and a bag or two of carrots. The 6 lbs of onions take less than 10 minutes and save TONS of time energy later.
This was amazing. We always use the same type of frozen pie crust, but the pre-baking made it so flaky! Am going to always pre-bake for other recipes. Custard filling was perfect.
This was excellent. Because I had cooked a large ham the day before, i used chopped ham rather than bacon. It does make a large pie so I would suggest cutting it 25% if you are using a frozen pie crust. I had made my own pastry and have a big pie pan and the recipe filled it to the brim!
Best quiche I ever tasted and best quiche I ever made. Thank you Jenn Segal
I didn’t have a deep dish crust so reduced everything by 25%, and subbed deli ham for bacon and Gouda for the Gruyere and then messed up the steps and it *still* was absolutely delicious. Thank you for making recipes that are so great they can tolerate my lack of cooking skills!
Wow! That was truly amazing and easy to make. With a side salad, and a nice white wine, we had a perfect gourmet evening. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Jennifer! I have made this quiche – actually, I have made ALL of your quiche recipes and they are all amazing! I always get so many compliments! SO DELICIOUS! In fact, because of your recipes, my family loves my quiche and has asked me to make individual sized quiches for my nieces wedding shower. I have bought 4 inch quiche pans (12 of them) and want to know how to proceed. I need to make around 24 individual quiches. I’m willing to make a home made crust if you think that would be the way to go. Any suggestions? The easier the better! LOL
Hi Georgia, so glad the quiches have been enough of a hit that you’ve been asked to make mini ones for your niece’s shower! I think making your own crust is the way to go as I don’t recommend the store-bought refrigerated kind. The bake time will be less for these, but I’m not sure by how much, so just keep a close eye on them. Hope everyone enjoys!
THANK YOU! I will be a busy little baker tonight! Have a great weekend –
Hi, Georgia. What was the cook time on your 4-inch quiches? My plan is to bake some up later this week.
I made this over the holiday and it was fantastic! I was wondering if you could offer tips for adding asparagus? Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it! To add asparagus, I’d season and sauté it or boil and then season it and add it as a layer. Keep in mind that it will be tight and you may have some of the egg batter left over.
Hi Jen – I don’t have bacon and was thinking of using some Xmas ham instead. Need to use it up. Will that work? Thanks.
Definitely – enjoy!
Thanks! Worked a treat
Jenn, this Quiche recipe could not be better! The flavor is absolutely outstanding!! Perfect ingredients, perfect amounts, perfect directions!! I Rate it 10
Stars and more.
It is so delicious it rivals an incredible Quiche my husband and I enjoyed in a Bistro we dined in Metz, adjacent to the Metz Cathedral, on a rainy evening last May. It isn’t surprising, knowing you trained in France.
Thank you for sharing this delectable recipe. It will be the only Quiche recipe included in my “preferred recipe” box. My husband nearly inhaled it!
I know you have many, many fans & followers and I’m happy to be one of them! I’ve written to you in the past because just reading your recipes made it evident you’re an outstanding chef and home cook. I look forward to every email from you to see what you’re sharing next. So happy to “follow” you.
Thank you!
Sharon H.
Las Vegas, Nv. .
❤️