Irresistibly flavored with crispy bacon, sharp Swiss, and caramelized onions, Quiche Lorraine is a crowd-pleasing recipe perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Love classic French recipes? Don’t miss my recipes for crepes, green beans almondine, Instant Pot beef bourguignon, and Instant Pot Coq au vin.
Classic for a Reason
Quiche Lorraine was the first quiche to become popular in the United States. After one bite, it is easy to see why!
From the flaky, buttery pie crust to the sharp melty cheese to the fluffy eggs to the slightly sweet onions to the savory bacon, Quiche Lorraine has it all. It is creamy, rich, and downright divine.
And while classic French dishes have the reputation of being a bit time-consuming to make, Quiche Lorraine comes together rather easily. Caramelizing the onions is the only time-consuming step–but don’t let that step intimidate you! It is SUPER easy to do AND the results are amazing!
Even better? Quiche Lorraine can be prepared in advance and tastes delicious warm or at room temperature, making it the ultimate dish to entertain with. Not to mention, most everyone finds it hard to resist a dish starring bacon.😉
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
You will find the full list of ingredients, along with quantities in the recipe card. Below is a quick glance at what you need and tips to help you make the right selection.
- Pie Crust: For this recipe, you will need one deep-dish pie crust. Use a homemade pie crust, refrigerated pie dough sheets, or a 9-inch deep-dish frozen pie crust.
- Bacon: To keep integrity of this classic and render off enough fat to saute the onions, use thick-cut bacon (cubed or diced), not turkey bacon.
- Onions: Use Vidalia or sweet onions, rather than yellow or red onions, for the best sweet, mellow flavor.
- Cream and Milk: Using both cream and milk will keep the eggs creamy, yet light. Use any fat percentage for the milk you have on hand.
- Cheese: Swiss Cheese is a must for Quiche Lorraine recipes. I recommend using either Gruyere cheese or Baby Swiss for the best flavor. I also add a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese for additional flavor.
- Nutmeg: A bit of grated whole nutmeg adds warmth and complexity to the quiche. Do not substitute the grated nutmeg for ground nutmeg, as the flavor can become overpowering.
How to Make Quiche Lorraine
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prebake Pie Crust. To prevent the crust from becoming soggy and to ensure the pie crust cooks through, the crust needs to be prebaked if you begin this quiche recipe using a refrigerated or homemade pie crust.
Using a Frozen Pie Crust?
For a frozen pie crust, there is no need to use pie weights or dried beans, simply bake the pie crust from frozen for 10 minutes and then cool slightly.
- Pan-Fry Bacon. While I typically opt to bake bacon for ease, for this recipe, you need to pan-fry chopped bacon. The rendered bacon grease is key to caramelizing the onions and adding flavor to the quiche.
- Caramelize Onions. Use one tablespoon of the rendered bacon grease to cook the onions. That grease will help to flavor the onions much so more than using olive oil and is the classic French way!
- Prepare Eggs. In a large whisking bowl, whisk the eggs with milk, cream, and seasonings.
- Assemble Quiche. Add the bacon, onions, and cheese (in that order) to the prepared pie crust. Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust, and then gently tap on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake. Bake until the eggs are set around the edges and the center is just slightly wobbly, this will make sure that your filling is rich and creamy, rather than tough and overcooked.
Prevent a burnt Pie Crust
After baking for 20 minutes, peek on the quiche. If you notice your pie crust browning too much, use a pie shield or foil to shield your crust from browning further.
Serving Suggestions
Quiche Lorraine is perfect for just about any occasion!
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Once baked and cooled, cover the pie plate tightly with plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, place the unwrapped quiche on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes at 250°F/120°C, or until warmed through.
- Freeze: Bake the quiche in a freezer-safe pie plate. After baking and cooling, flash freeze by placing the quiche directly into the freezer and freezing until frozen to the touch, about 1 hour. Then remove the quiche from the freezer, wrap well in a layer of plastic wrap, then foil, and place in freezer storage bag. Store in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat from frozen, place the unwrapped quiche on a baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350°F/177°C, or until warmed through.
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For the Pie Crust
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If using homemade or refrigerated dough, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface and then transfer to a 9-inch pie pan. Press the pastry dough into the pan. Fold under the overhanging crust so that the edge is thick and even and then flute the edges of the pie crust. Place the form pie crust into the freezer for 15 minutes to chill. Preheat the oven to 350℉/175℃.
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To pre-bake the crust, line the crust with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and continue baking until the bottom crust is golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. Let cool slightly. For a frozen pie crust, there is no need to use pie weights or dried beans, simply bake from frozen for 10 minutes and then cool slightly.
For the Quiche Lorraine
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In a medium skillet, cook ½ pound thick-cut bacon (diced) over medium heat until crisp. Remove it from the skillet and place it onto a paper-towel-lined plate.
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Pour off all but one tablespoon of the fat remaining in the skillet. Add the 1 large Vidalia or sweet onion (thinly sliced) to the rendered bacon grease and cook until the onion is transparent and soft, stirring often. Turn off the heat on the skillet.
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To the prepared pie crust, add the cooked bacon and onion. Sprinkle the onion and bacon evenly with 1 cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese and ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese.
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In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 4 large eggs, 1 cup cream , 1 cup whole milk, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg until well combined. Pour the egg mixture over the pie crust. Gently tap on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
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Place the quiche onto a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the eggs are just set. The edges should be nice and firm and the center a tiny bit wobbly. After 20 minutes, check your quiche to determine if the crust is browning too much. At this point, you can use a pie shield or foil to shield your crust from further browning if needed.
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Remove to wire rack and let cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutmeg: It is best to use grated whole nutmeg rather than ground nutmeg. If you don’t have nutmeg on hand, I would personally omit it from the recipe.
Storing Quiche:Once baked and cooled, cover the pie plate tightly with plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, place the unwrapped quiche on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes at 250°F/120°C, or until warmed through.
To Freeze:Bake the quiche in a freezer-safe pie plate. After baking and cooling, flash freeze by placing the quiche directly into the freezer and freezing until frozen to the touch, about 1 hour. Then remove the quiche from the freezer, wrap well in a layer of plastic wrap, then foil, and place in freezer storage bag. Store in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat from frozen, place the unwrapped quiche on a baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350°F/177°C, or until warmed through.
Calories: 175kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 18gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 491mgPotassium: 350mgFiber: 4gVitamin A: 190IUCalcium: 67mgIron: 0.5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published in 2017 and updated in 2025.
