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This crustless salmon quiche is exactly what it sounds like—no fuss, no pastry, just a silky, custardy center and edges that go golden and crisp in the pan. Honestly, you won’t miss the crust.
This no-crust salmon quiche is all of the best parts of a lox bagel, minus the bagel, of course. You get smoked salmon, dill, capers, red onion, tomatoes—it’s all here, suspended in a creamy, just-set custard that’s perfect for brunch or, honestly, any meal! And the lack of crust is by design. The eggs form their own crispy, golden edges in the oven. That means less work for you, with an equally satisfying result.
If you’re into getting your omega-3s at the breakfast table, try my egg white smoked salmon wrap, this brunch bagel with sardines, or my popular smoked salmon avocado toast.
Why You’ll Love This Crustless Quiche
- Much less work since you don’t have to make a crust
- Good amount of protein
- Great for entertaining
- Super flavorful
Ingredient Overview
A quick look at the essentials before we dive into the recipe card:
- Smoked salmon: I use cold-smoked salmon, which is what you typically see on a lox bagel, but you can use hot-smoked salmon if that’s what you’ve got. Just flake it into chunks.
- Cheese: Gruyère is the move here. It’s rich, nutty, and deeply French in a way that just makes sense in a quiche. That said, sharp cheddar, Swiss, Fontina, or Gouda will all do the job beautifully. A little Parmesan thrown in never hurts. Whatever you use, grate it yourself. The pre-shredded stuff doesn’t melt the same way, and you’ll notice.
- Heavy cream: This is where you get that custardy richness you want. Though you can lighten things up by using 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1/2 cup of whole milk without compromising texture.
- Dill: I use fresh dillweed if it’s available, but dried will work.
Step-by-Step: How to Make No-Crust Salmon Quiche
Step 1: General Prep
Preheat the oven to 400ºF with the rack positioned in the middle, then prep all of your ingredients (chop the dill, veggies, etc.)
Step 2: Create the Egg Mixture
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, cream (and milk if using half milk), dill, salt, and pepper. Make sure the mixture is smooth and cohesive.
Tip: For a super fluffy, airy, and uniform custard, mix these ingredients in a blender.
Step 3: Sauté the Veggies
Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet. Add the tomatoes, onions, and capers, and sauté just until they’ve softened. Remove the skillet from the heat. Using a spatula, spread the veggies over the bottom of the skillet in an even layer.
Step 4: Add the Cheese and Eggs
Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the veggies, then slowly pour the egg mixture over the cheese and veggies. Tilt the pan and whirl it around a bit to ensure it settles evenly across the pan, covering all the veggies.
Step 5: Add the Salmon
One by one, place the smoked salmon pieces into the egg mixture.
Step 6: Pop It In the Oven to Bake
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the quiche for 13-15 minutes, or until the eggs are fully cooked.
Step 7: Let It Set
Remove the quiche from the oven. Garnish with freshly chopped dill, and let it set for about 5 minutes before cutting into it.
Substitutions & Variations
- For No Smoky Flavor: Use drained canned salmon or flake a cooked salmon fillet.
- Leftover Salmon: A great way to repurpose leftovers.
- More Vegetables: Other veggies you could throw in include thinly sliced mushrooms or zucchini, chopped asparagus or broccoli, and baby spinach.
- Dairy-Free Option: Use full-fat cashew milk or oat milk.
Storage, Freezing, & Reheating
- Fridge: Let the quiche cool, then transfer pieces to an airtight container for 3-4 days. You could also transfer the quiche to a plate and tightly cover it with aluminum foil.
- Freezer: Once cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then a layer of foil, and it’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Reheat slices in the microwave in 25-second increments until warmed through. To reheat from frozen, place slices on a baking sheet and warm in a 350°F oven for 20–30 minutes, until heated through. Cover loosely with foil if they’re browning faster than you’d like.
What to Serve With It
Frequently Asked Questions
Whole milk works fine here. The custard will be lighter than with heavy cream, but honestly, that’s not always a bad thing. If you want to inch closer to cream territory, mix ¾ cup whole milk with ¼ cup melted butter. It’s a reasonable workaround.
Yes. Smoked salmon and canned salmon are good to go straight out of the package, but if you’re using a fresh salmon fillet, cook it first, then flake the cooked salmon and add it to the quiche.
A frittata and a crustless quiche are cousins, not twins. The frittata starts on the stove with the eggs and finishes in the oven, and it’s firmer and faster. The crustless quiche is made up of an egg custard (eggs with cream or milk) and is fully baked in the oven.
No-Crust Salmon Quiche
Ingredients
- 8 eggs
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 TBSP chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- A few cranks of cracked black pepper
- 1 TBSP avocado or olive oil
- 1/2 cup sliced grape tomatoes
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, Preferably sliced with a mandolin
- 2 TBSP drained capers
- 1 cup shredded cheese of your choice, I like to use a blend of cheddar and mozzarella
- 4 oz smoked salmon, torn into bite-sized pieces, Preferably cold smoked salmon
- Extra chopped fresh dill, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF with the rack positioned in the middle.
- Prep all your ingredients (chop the dill, cut the veggies, etc.) and set them aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, milk (if using it), dill, salt, and pepper. Make sure the mixture is smooth and cohesive. Tip: You can blend the above ingredients in a blender for a super fluffy, airy, and uniform custard.
- Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet. Add the tomatoes, onions, and capers, and sauté them until they’ve softened. Remove the skillet from the heat and, using a spatula, spread the veggies over the bottom in an even layer.
- Evenly scatter the shredded cheese over the veggies. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the cheese and veggies, tilting the pan and swirling it around a bit to make sure it settles evenly across the pan and into the veggies.
- Place the smoked salmon pieces throughout the egg mixture.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the quiche for 13-15 minutes, or until the eggs are fully cooked.
- Remove the quiche from the oven and let it set for about 5 minutes before cutting into it.
- Garnish with freshly chopped dill and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
More Breakfasts Rich In Omega-3s
Fish and Seafood
Sardines & Eggs (Fisherman’s Eggs)
Sandwiches and Wraps
Egg White Smoked Salmon Wrap with Goat Cheese and Spinach
Breakfast
I had far too much liquid in this despite 40 minutes of baking and followed the recipe to the letter. It did taste great. Next time I will cut milk/cream to perhaps 3/4 cup total, perhaps half cup. Oh, I did add some lemon zest.
Hi Kim! Glad it tastes great, but so sorry to hear about the runny quiche. That should not happen and I hate that you ended up with that kind of result.
The milk/cream amount here is pretty standard for quiche if you look at other recipes. Actually, most of them use less eggs. I used a few extra eggs for a bit of a firmer, high-protein result. The only other thing I can think of is if you didn’t sauté the veggies before adding them to the quiche, because they’d release moisture (especially tomatoes). But you did say you followed the recipe carefully. Another thought—the size of your baking dish. If smaller, it could take longer for the quiche to cook through. I’m thinking out loud here, as I haven’t encountered this issue yet. Happy to help in any way I can, though!
Hi,, I used a 10 inch dia round Pyrex pan about 3 inches high. It was roughly half full.I did have more salmon but it was pretty dry.
Salmon does emit moisture when cooked, so that could have played a role. There’s also the whole pain in the butt that every oven cooks differently. Mine is a standard convection oven. But to go 40 minutes and it still be a bit wet doesn’t seem right. I wish I could help more. This one has me scratching my head.
Fabulous pie that used up Xmas leftover baked salmon, cherry tomatoes and asparagus. Swapped out dill for leftover fresh chives as well. Saved for future use.
Leica, I’m so glad this was a hit. Great way to use up leftovers! I hate food waste, so I’m happy this recipe could help you recycle some food :)
DELICIOUS !! I added chopped asparagus and torn spinach and left out capers because I didn’t have any. But otherwise I followed the recipe to a T and my husband and I loved it. Thank you!
don’t have a cast iron skillet can I bake in a pie plate?
Absolutely!
Flavors are delicious. Recipe is going into the rotation for quick weekday dinners.
Happy to hear it, Laura!