Frittata vs Quiche: What Is the Difference?

The Frittata and quiche… At first glance, these two foods look pretty much the same. After all, both are egg-based dishes, often eaten for breakfast or brunch, that you can flavor with different types of cheeses, meats, and vegetables. Beyond that, people often serve and eat both dishes at room temperature or hot. So, frittata vs quiche, what exactly is the difference between the two? 

First, before listing the differences, let’s learn about each of these two dishes!

Frittata:

The frittata is an egg-based dish, similar to an unfolded omelet, originally from Italy. The word ‘frittata’ derives from the word ‘friggere’ and roughly translates from Italian to English as ‘fried.’ 

To make a frittata, you start by whisking together the eggs and dairy such as milk or cream. Next, you add optional ingredients (such as cheese, meat, and veggies) before pouring the mixture into a hot cast-iron skillet, frying pan, or sauté pan. Then, simply let the eggs cook on low heat until the bottom and edges turn brown and harden. Finally, finish the dish by transferring the pan to the oven so that the eggs completely cook through. 

Cooking With Cast-Iron Tip: As a southerner, I prefer cooking frittatas in a cast-iron skillet. If you need help with your cast-iron, check out our instructions for caring for your cast-iron!

For a delicious frittata recipe, we recommend checking out Jeanine and Jack’s blog Love & Lemons.

Now, let’s move onto learn about quiches!

Quiche:

A quiche is an egg-based savory tart of French origin. The quiche originated in Lorraine, France with the original recipe of ‘Quiche Lorraine.’ Funnily enough, the word ‘quiche’ comes from the German word ‘kuchen,’ meaning cake. The French region of Lorraine sits right on the edge of the German and French border. Thus, the area has many influences from both cultures! 

To make a quiche, you start by filling a blind baked pastry crust with a savory mixture made from eggs, milk, and/or cream. Often, you also includes pieces of cheese, meat, and/or vegetables as well. Then, you bake the quiche until the filling mixture cooks all the way through and the crust has browned. The ending filling texture is reminiscent of a custard.

For a delicious Quiche Lorraine recipe, we recommend using the version from New York Times Cooking.

So, then frittata vs quiche: what is the difference?

Frittata vs Quiche  

Below, we listed the differences between frittatas and quiches.

Crust:

When it comes to crust, quiches have it and frittatas do not. Because of the lack of crust in one dish and crust in the other dish, you cook the two differently– the quiche goes straight into the oven while the frittata cooks on the stovetop before being finished in the oven. 

Crust Tip: When making quiche, if the crust starts to brown before the filling sets, cover the top with tinfoil. This way, the crust is protected while the heat continues to cook the custard filling! 

The Filling:

While both the quiche and frittata use eggs, dairy, and the optional meat, cheese, and vegetables, the ratios are a bit different. 

Typically, quiches contain more dairy making the interior more creamy and custard-like. On the other hand, the frittata contains more eggs with much less dairy. This ratio allows the frittata to have a firmer texture with more structure. 

Cooking Time:

Because of the difference in cooking method and ingredients, the frittata takes much less time to cook than the quiche. 

A quiche can take an extremely long time to make if you start from scratch. To start, you need to prepare the pastry dough for the crust. Then, once you blind bake the crust, you can finally add the ingredients. The filling ingredients are then cooked slowly in the oven. This can take 1-3 hours depending on if you use a homemade or store-bought crust. 

On the other hand, the raw frittata ingredients are poured into an already heated pan to slowly cook. Without the crust and with the higher egg count, the frittata starts to cook immediately. Then, finish the dish in the oven. Typically, you can finish cooking a frittata in approximately 30 minutes. 

Frittata vs Quiche: Which Do You Prefer?

In the end, now that you know the difference between the two, which do you prefer? Do you have a favorite? If so, we would love to hear about it in the comment section! 

If you would like to read further articles such as these, we listed some informative blog posts below! 

Food and Drink Comparison Articles:

• Moon Pie vs Choco Pie: What Is the Difference? 
• Kimbap vs Sushi: What Is the Difference?
• Tamari vs Soy Sauce: What Is the Difference?
• Soju vs Sake: What Is the Difference?

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