I can’t think of a more impressive breakfast or brunch recipe than this Quiche Lorraine.
I love that this recipe can be made ahead of time, too. Serve it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. Keep reading for all my tips and secrets on how to make the BEST quiche recipe!
How to Make Quiche Lorraine
What is Quiche?
Quiche is a savory French tart. It’s a creamy, soft egg-based filling in a crisp pastry shell. Don’t think of this as being similar to an omelet or frittata; it’s much softer, creamier and less egg-y than either of those egg-forward dishes. Countless variations of quiche are common, with various cheeses and spinach being the most notable. What makes quiche special is its versatility; you can add any variety of ingredients inside and make it your own special creation, perfect for any meal of the day.
For this easy quiche recipe, I took inspiration from the French original and gave it a bit of a twist. We’re making a Quiche Lorraine and using crispy bacon, caramelized red onion, and Gruyère to give this quiche a deliciously fun update.
Ingredients for Quiche Crust:
- All-purpose flour – Measured correctly! If you add too much flour, you may end up with tough pastry, and nobody wants that!
- Salt – Essential to flavor the crust. I prefer to use fine sea salt instead of table salt, simply because I prefer the flavor. Learn more about the differences between types of salt here.
- Paprika – I like the very subtle flavor this spice adds to the pastry, as well as the fun hint of color it brings. You can use any type of paprika you like, or skip it entirely if you prefer.
- Butter – Always use unsalted butter in baking. It’s important that your butter is very cold and stays as cold as possible throughout the process.
- An egg – Cold. An egg brings moisture and richness to pastry to make a sturdier crust for the filling.
- Cold water – Ice cold, to bring the pastry together.
Ingredients for Quiche filling:
- Eggs – The base for our quiche. We want these eggs at room temperature to ensure they emulsify well (cold eggs won’t beat together with the other ingredients as easily).
- Whole milk and heavy cream – To make this quiche super creamy and delicious. Feel free to just use one or the other, but note the texture of your quiche will be different.
- Seasonings – we’re using salt, pepper, garlic powder and a hint of cayenne pepper to flavor our quiche. The cayenne is optional, so skip that if you don’t like a little heat.
- Fillings – Bacon, onion, and cheese. Cook the bacon (you can use thick-cut bacon or regular) until it’s crispy and caramelize the onion for the best flavor and texture. I opted for Gruyère cheese because I love the flavor it brings and the way it melts. I highly recommend sticking with an aged Gruyère, but if you can’t find it or don’t prefer it, opt instead for a more mature cheddar in its place.

How to Make Quiche Lorraine:
- Make the crust and allow it to rest. Combine the dry ingredients by hand or in the bowl of a food processor. Add the cold, cubed butter and cut in with a pastry cutter, or pulse in the food processor, until the butter is about the size of a pea. Add the egg and ice water and mix gently until the pastry just comes together, without overworking. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
- Roll out the dough and rest the dough again. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface and place in the prepared quiche pan. Refrigerate for an hour more.
- Cook the bacon and onion. Cook the bacon in a large skillet or pan, cool slightly, and then dice the bacon into 1/4-inch cubes and set aside. Cook onions until caramelized.
- Par-bake the crust. Place parchment paper over the pastry and fill with pie weights. Par-bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, or until the crust is set and is fragrant.
- Prepare the quiche filling. Whisk together the eggs, milk, and heavy cream. Add the salt, pepper, garlic and cayenne (if using) to the egg mixture. Add 1 cup of Gruyère cheese and the bacon. Set aside.
- Fill the quiche. Spread the caramelized onions evenly over the bottom of the crust. Pour in the filling mixture, and top evenly with the remaining ¼ cup of Gruyère cheese.
- Bake. Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown, the center looks set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Rest for 10 minutes and serve.

Quiche Ingredient Temperatures:
I noted to use room-temperature eggs just because they whisk up better/easier when at room temp, compared to when they’re cold and straight out of the fridge. The temperature of the milk and cream doesn’t really matter (you can use it straight out of the fridge). If you’ve forgotten to get your eggs out of the fridge, no problem! Place the uncracked eggs in a bowl covered with warm tap water for about 5-10 minutes, and you’re good to go!
The crust, on the other hand, needs a cold egg (along with the cold butter and ice cold water) because pastry always needs everything to be as cold as possible to keep the butter from melting and ensure maximum flake and crispness. Learn more about my pie crust making tips here!
What Kind of Pan is Best for a Quiche Lorraine?
I love using a 10 x 2-inch tart pan with a removable base. The base makes it super easy to remove the quiche, allowing everyone to see the beautiful fluted edges of your crust! If you don’t have a 10-inch tart/quiche pan, feel free to use a 9-inch pie plate that’s at least 2 inches deep instead, though it may take a few extra minutes to bake. If using a glass pie pan and freezing your dough or reheating from frozen, make sure to use a pan made from borosilicate glass to avoid your pan from shattering in the oven.
How to Achieve a CRISP Crust in Your Quiche Recipe:
No soggy bottoms here! If we were to simply throw this filling into an unbaked crust, it would produce soggy, underbaked results that would be very unpleasant to eat. Instead, we are going to par-bake this crust before we fill it with the wet eggy filling, to ensure the crust stays crisp.
Learn more about this process in my How to Blind Bake and Par-Bake Pie Crust article here!

How to Prevent a Crust from Overbrowning:
If you notice the edges of your crust beginning to brown but the center of your quiche isn’t quite done yet, simply cover the crust edges with aluminum foil for the final few minutes of baking – or, if you have one, use a pie crust shield.
Can I Make Quiche Ahead of Time?
Yes! You can do this a couple of different ways. Firstly, you can make the dough up to two days ahead; simply wrap well in plastic wrap and place in the fridge until it’s time to roll out and use. You can also caramelize the onions and cook the bacon a day or two ahead of time, and just place both in separate airtight containers or ziptop bags until you’re ready for them.
How to Store Quiche:
To store, place quiche slices in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days, or freeze for up to two months (more info on that below).
How to Reheat Quiche:
Reheat slices of quiche at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. If reheating from frozen, add about 15 minutes.
Can you Freeze Quiche?
Yes! Quiche actually freezes well and reheats well. To freeze, wrap quiche slices in plastic wrap and store inside a ziptop bag or an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving, and reheat at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. If reheating from frozen, you will need to add an additional 15 minutes to heat through. I recommend wrapping slices in foil for the first 15 minutes or so, and then undo the foil carefully for the final 5-20 minutes, to re-crisp the crust.
It depends somewhat on the meal you’re making, but for brunch, here are some delicious additions to your quiche-centric meal:
If it’s more of a lunch or dinner situation, a simple green salad and some fresh fruit is the perfect accompaniment to balance the richness of the quiche.
I have a perforated tart pan so I want to bake without blind baking crust. How long should I bake the quiche?
Hi Robin! We haven’t tested this recipe using a perforated pan, so I can’t say for sure – but as long as the pan size is the same as listed in the recipe, no modifications should be needed. Let us know what you think of this quiche once you have given it a try! 🙂
I made this with chorizo instead of bacon, and it turned out wonderful!
I also used a muffin tin by cutting fluted rounds from the dough and pressing them into the cups. Cupcake liners substituted nicely for parchment paper with the pie weights. There was a little extra crust that went into a 4″ pie plate, and even still a little extra quiche batter that I may try baking without a crust.
this was wonderful. the sheer amount of detail Tess goes into is so helpful and it was what gave me the confidence to try this recipe. I made a pie crust before from another recipe and it was not successful, this one was amazing. The only piece I would give would be to watch your quiche in the oven like a hawk because it goes from runny to overdone in a matter of minutes.
This was more of a challenge for me, but I was so glad I made it!! It was a big hit with the family, and I now am willing to try making more quiches for future family gatherings!
Love the crust and the filling.
I’m using a glass pie pan, and I’m going to spring for the 2″ tart pan (only have a 1″ now).
This is my first time making a quiche and it was really easy. I love the fact that I can make ahead to break up the tasks ( and give my back a break). The quiche not only came out beautiful but tasted scrumptious.
Delicious! I didn’t include the onions because no one likes them in my family but it was still so good. The crust was nice and flaky.
It’s my first time to make a quiche and I must say this recipe is a keeper. Easy to follow instructions with helpful tips delivered a delightful filling in a nice crust, not soggy at all! Served it to hubby & kids for breakfast & they love it!
This was the best quiche I ever had, and my family is French!
Normally, I use store-bought crust because I’m never a fan of the crust anyway (whether I make it from scratch or not), and store bought is way more convenient. But because this recipe was used for the baking challenge, I went ahead and made the crust, and OH MY GOODNESS IT WAS AMAZING! It’s like an entire flaky and savory pastry at the bottom of the pie! And the filling was perfect for flavor and texture and also “heaviness,” if that makes sense.
This is totally worth the extra time of making homemade crust. All you have to do is follow the directions, and the end product is heavenly! My super picky 5yo took one bite and then raved about it for the rest of the meal!
Yay! We are so thrilled to hear this, Gabriella! So glad you and your son enjoyed it so much 🙂
Delicious! Perfect end of January/chilly night dinner.
I have never had quiche before this recipe. I joined because I wanted to improve my cooking skills. I loved the crust. It has so much flavor. The quiche was delicious. I am not an onion fan, carmelized made them much more palatable. My only issue was that it was a little onion heavy. Everything else was delicious.
Delicious! What’s not to love about caramelized onions, bacon, and Gruyère!?!? The crust was really great too. We used a glass pie pan and had to extend baking time about 10 minutes. Thanks for another great recipe!
Loved this! The caramalized onions added a nice layer of sweetness and the paprika in the crust was great. I used turkey bacon instead of pork and it turned out great. Each piece of quiche is more filling than it seems at first glance. Thanks for all the tips and step-by-step instructions. Will definitely be making again!
This is very tasty! Not a quick meal but with make ahead preparation, super easy. The crust was a little hard to roll out after being in the fridge for 24 hours, but worth it.
This Quiche Lorraine is so good for dinner with a tossed salad and just as yummy reheated for brunch with blueberry scones and fruit. Exceptionally flavorful and flaky crust! The recipe is well written (as -always) and easy to follow. Love this!
This is worth the wait. Making homemade crust and the bacon, oh my goodness the bacon WITH carmelized onions! Match made in heaven. We had this for dinner with a side salad, so delish!
Many steps though not complicated. Once you have made it a couple times you’ve got it!!
Good thing, bc your family will ask you for more!
Delicious buttery crusty, rich creamy custard + savory bacon, cheese & onion…mmmm.
Shrinkage of the crust during first bake occurred. Added leftover crust to back fill to edge of tart pan. Also- I should have used a baking sheet underneath the pan for the crust bake as s small amount of butter from the crust seeped out of the tart pan bottom edge, smoking up the oven and kitchen.
Can’t wait to try this recipe with mushrooms
I was very hesitant to try this recipe because pie crusts are my baking nemesis, but the crust for this quiche turned out amazingly well!
This quiche is beautiful, and it tastes even better! The crust is heavenly!!
Oops, forgot to put 5 stars!!
Great recipe! I subbed bacon for smokey, crispy mushrooms that really made for a delicious meal!
Delicious! It was not nearly as difficult to make as I initially thought. loved using a cheese I don’t often use.
Lifelong baker, first time making Quiche Lorraine. Recipe was easy to follow and the end result was a tasty quiche.
Delicious!!
Very easy and tasty. I had some fresh spinach I needed to use up, so I threw that in as well. Husband loved it too.
This recipe is delicious! I modified it a bit by using a crust of thinly sliced potatoes instead of the pie crust (not that i don’t love pie crust, I just wanted a gluten free option.) the custard was perfect!
Tasted great.
Great recipe! Haven’t made my own crust until today… recipe is clear and helpful. I felt confident I could do it from the start.
I couldn’t wait to try this recipe for the challenge, and thrilled at the results. Very flavorful and the aroma had the kids excited for what was baking!
This is a wonderful recipe!!!!
Delicious and flavourful quiche with a flaky crust! Perfect for brunch!
Crust very nice. Too much bacon in my opinion in quiche.
This was my first time making quiche and I’m happy to report, it turned out amazing! I couldn’t believe how light and creamy it was. It’s a bit time-consuming but it’s definitely worth the time and effort.
full of flavour. tasty crust but had to bake longer than anticipated. would makie it again for sure
I tried this one out on a friend who is very specific when it comes to her love of quiche. She gave it 10 stars. The caramelized onions were the ticket. Will definitely make this again!
This was delicious! I was wondering if it would be worth the time it took ti make and it was a definite yes! The caramelized onions are the best part.
Quiche Lorraine is my favorite! This is delicious and not too difficult to make. We added a few more herbs and veggies for additional nutrients.
Missed the stars the first time, lol.
I really enjoyed this combination of flavors and the texture of the filling. I live in France and have found that I have to add a little extra flour to most recipes so that they aren’t too soft and fall apart or get really greasy. I was really happy that I guessed the right amount to add and it was one of the best crusts I’ve made so far – lots of good butter flavor!
Yay! So glad to hear that you were able to make this work for you and enjoyed it, Emily! We’re thrilled that this quiche is tasty, even to someone living in The Land of Quiche! 🙂
first time making quiche. it was easy and my husband loved it. will certainly make it again.
This was my first pie crust ever and it came out flaky and delicious, and the quiche was awesome too! I love the step by step directions for the recipe!
Go make this right now! Seriously it’s amazing. It’s so worth the caramelized onions. Pro tip: make extra caramelized onions while you’re at it and add them to other foods.
Yay! So thrilled you enjoyed this quiche so much, Taylor! 🙂
Easy to follow instructions made it so simple to make. My family loved the pairing of the caramelized onions with the gruyere cheese, bacon and creamy egg mixture! Even my husband that doesn’t like eggs loved this quiche! Will definitely make it again!
My family LOVED this! I can’t wait to make it again. It was fairly time-consuming, but not difficult. The only change I made to the recipe was the addition of fresh spinach, because I’m one of those moms who sneaks in veggies as often as possible 😉 I didn’t have a tart pan with removable bottom but it worked well in my normal pie dish.
I had so much fun starting off my quiche adventures this year with Tessa’s Quiche Lorraine recipe! It’s always been a struggle for me to work with pie crust, but this recipe worked amazing and was easy to handle. The recipe came together easily with delicious results. The paprika in the curst was a fun little twist I hadn’t seen before. Loved the flavour of this quiche, the caramelized onions put it over the top! Would definitely recommend making this recipe if you’ve made quiches before, or it’s your first time trying them out : )
Thank you for making me challenge myself. I put myself in an uncomfortable position because I’ve never made a quiche before. Happy to report that although I need to work on my crust, the quiche itself was delicious.
Yummy. I liked the paprika in the crust
So good! I did the crust dough, bacon and onions the day before then just threw it together day of and it was delicious!! Doing it this way made it definitely feel less overwhelming to do the morning of guests coming over.
So tasty! The process is not for the impatient but it was worth the wait. I made the dough in the evening, refrigerated overnight and made the quiche itself for breakfast.
Excellent! I’m vegetarian, so I substituted brocolli, mushrooms and red pepper for the bacon. We had it for dinner on Friday. Everyone loved it. Will definitely make again. I was thrilled with how easily it stayed together when taking it out of the pan. 🙂 🙂 Five stars for sure!
First time making quiche and the instructions were simple to follow. Delicious!
The family loved this.
Crust came out beautifully! Super crispy and buttery. I don’t have a food processor and it still worked great by hand!