French Quiche Alsacienne with Bacon and Onions
A classic Alsatian quiche featuring smoky lardons (or bacon), caramelized onions, and a silky custard made with eggs and crème fraîche. This savory tart is equally at home at a French lunch table or as part of a brunch spread. The pastry crust is tender and buttery, and the filling is rich without being heavy—a perfect balance of pork, vegetables, and creamy egg custard.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Wait
- 1 hr
- Total
- 2 hr 10 min
- Makes
- One 9-inch (23 cm) quiche, 6 servings
Steps
Before you start
- Remove the pie crust from the freezer 15 minutes before use so it's just pliable enough to fit into the pan without cracking
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) 20 minutes before baking
- Have all filling ingredients prepped and measured before you begin cooking the bacon and onions
Cook bacon and onions
- In a 10-inch (25 cm) cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet, cook the bacon pieces over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the bacon is crispy and golden, about 8–10 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of bacon fat in the skillet.
- Add the sliced onions to the warm fat, stir to coat, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Cook the onions, stirring every few minutes with a wooden spoon, until they are deeply golden and very soft, about 25–30 minutes.
- Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
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Ready when: Bacon is crispy and golden; onions are deep golden-brown and completely soft
Tip: Don't rush the onions—slow caramelization brings out their natural sweetness. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
Set up and prebake crustOven 375°F / 190°C
- Remove the pie crust from the freezer and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes until pliable but still cold.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Gently fit the thawed crust into a 9-inch (23 cm) ceramic or glass pie dish, letting any excess hang over the edge.
- Trim the overhang to ½ inch (13 mm), then fold it under and crimp the edge with a fork.
- Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork to prevent puffing.
- Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake on a baking sheet for 12–15 minutes until the sides are set but the bottom is still pale.
- Remove the parchment and weights, return to the oven, and bake for another 3–5 minutes until the bottom is pale and firm but not browned.
- Remove from the oven and let cool while you prepare the custard.
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Ready when: Crust sides are set; bottom is pale and firm but not browned
Tip: Pre-baking the crust is essential for a crispy, not-soggy quiche. Don't skip this step.
Whisk custard filling
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the room-temperature eggs, crème fraîche, and whole milk until completely smooth and homogeneous, about 1–2 minutes.
- Season with ⅛ teaspoon (0.5 g) of freshly grated nutmeg, a few grinds of black pepper, and a small pinch of salt.
- Whisk once more to combine the seasonings evenly throughout the custard.
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Ready when: Custard is smooth, pale yellow, and free of streaks
Tip: Room-temperature eggs and cream blend more smoothly and help the custard cook evenly. Cold ingredients can cause lumps.
Assemble and fill quiche
- Scatter the cooled caramelized onions over the bottom of the pre-baked crust, spreading them in an even layer.
- Distribute the crispy bacon pieces evenly over the onions.
- Sprinkle the grated Gruyère cheese over the bacon and onions.
- Pour the whisked custard slowly and gently over the filling, tilting the pan slightly as you pour to ensure even distribution.
- The filling should come to about ⅜ inch (10 mm) from the rim of the crust.
- If you have any custard left over, set it aside.
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Ready when: Filling is evenly distributed and reaches nearly to the crust edge
Tip: Pour the custard slowly to avoid splashing and to ensure it seeps down through the layers. If overfilled, the quiche may leak.
Bake quiche until setOven 375°F / 190°C
- Return the pie dish to the baking sheet and place in the preheated 375°F (190°C) oven.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes.
- The quiche is done when the custard is set around the edges but still very slightly jiggly in the very center—about a 2-inch (5 cm) circle in the middle should barely wobble when you gently shake the pan.
- The surface will be pale golden to light tan.
- At no point should the filling appear soupy or liquid.
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Ready when: Edges are set and pale golden; center is barely jiggly in a 2-inch (5 cm) circle; no soupy custard visible
Tip: Overbaking makes the custard rubbery. The quiche continues to cook from residual heat as it cools, so it's better to underbake slightly than overbake.
Cool and rest
- Remove the quiche from the oven and let it rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
- This allows the custard to firm up and makes cutting much cleaner.
- The quiche may be served warm or at room temperature.
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Ready when: Quiche has cooled enough to slice without the custard running
Tip: Resting is not optional—it lets the residual heat finish cooking the center and allows the custard to set fully.
Good to know
Tips
- Do not skip the pre-baking step. It's the only way to guarantee a crispy, not-soggy crust. Even a small amount of filling drips to the bottom and weights everything down.
- Caramelize the onions slowly over medium-low heat, stirring every few minutes. Rushed onions taste sharp and raw; slow onions taste sweet and deep. This is where the magic happens.
- For a restaurant-quality result, use freshly grated Gruyère from a block of cheese rather than pre-shredded. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can make the quiche slightly grainy.
- Freshly grated nutmeg is essential—pre-ground nutmeg loses its volatile oils and adds a dusty, bland flavor. A microplane grater and whole nutmeg take 10 seconds and make a huge difference.
Make ahead
The quiche may be baked completely up to 1 day ahead, cooled, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerated. Reheat in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 12–15 minutes until warmed through. You may also assemble the quiche (through the filling step) up to 4 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator before baking; add 2–3 minutes to the bake time if baking from cold.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: cover with plastic wrap and store up to 3 days; reheat in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 12–15 minutes. Freezer: wrap the completely cooled, baked quiche tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil; freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 15–20 minutes until warmed through.
Substitutions
- Crème fraîche → Heavy cream or sour cream (at room temperature). Heavy cream will make the quiche slightly lighter; sour cream adds a subtle tang. Use the same volume.
- Gruyère cheese, finely grated → Emmental or Comté cheese, finely grated. Both are traditional Alsatian cheeses with a similar nutty flavor. Use the same amount.
- Thick-cut bacon or lardons → Pancetta, guanciale, or smoked ham, diced into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces. Pancetta brings a cured pork flavor; guanciale is richer. Smoked ham is less rich but still excellent.
- Frozen pie crust (9-inch / 23 cm), thawed 15 minutes → Homemade pie dough or thawed store-bought pie dough. If using homemade dough, blind-bake as directed. All-butter pie doughs yield a flakier, more tender crust.
