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Smoked salmon quiche is creamy, savory, and just a little bit fancy, perfect for brunch or a special breakfast. A silky custard flavored with cream cheese, dill, and capers surrounds tender bites of smoky salmon, while a garlic- and dill-scented crust bakes up flaky and crisp. Every slice layers briny, herby flavor with rich custard and crisp crust for a quiche that feels both elegant and satisfying.
Here’s Why This Smoked Salmon Quiche Recipe Works
Seasoned crust: Garlic and dill flavor the dough, while blind baking keeps it flaky, not soggy.
Cream cheese for structure: It blends into the custard for a filling that bakes creamy and rich without turning runny.
Even salmon distribution: Layering the smoked salmon ensures every slice has plenty in each bite.
Balanced flavor: Capers and lemon zest cut through the richness with briny, citrusy brightness.
For a classic take on quiche, our quiche Florentine layers tender spinach and silky custard in a flaky crust.
Recipe Tips
Start cold: Use chilled butter and ice water for the crust to keep it tender and flaky.
Freeze before blind baking: This helps the shell hold its shape and prevents shrinkage.
Tuck in the salmon: Press pieces just under the custard so they stay moist and don’t curl or dry out.
Cool before slicing: Rest 10–15 minutes after baking so the custard sets for clean slices.
Make ahead or freeze: This quiche reheats well and slices neatly after thawing, making it great for prep in advance.
Check doneness at the center: The quiche should jiggle slightly but not ripple. Overbaking leads to cracks.
Choose your salmon: Store-bought smoked salmon works beautifully, but you can also use homemade smoked salmon.
If you love savory bakes, our mushroom goat cheese quiche is another earthy, flavor-packed option with a silky custard and crisp crust.
Smoked Salmon and Herb Quiche
This smoked salmon quiche doesn’t just join the brunch table, it steals the spotlight, one creamy slice at a time.
For a twist on the classic, our salmon quiche with potato crust skips pastry for tender, golden layers of potato.
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Smoked Salmon Quiche
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Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons butter, 1½ sticks cold, cut into cubes
- 5 to 7 tablespoons cold water
For the Filling:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 shallot,
- 3 cloves garlic , grated or minced
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 large large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- ⅓ cup capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 8 ounces smoked salmon , cut into 1-inch pieces
For Garnishing:
- smoked salmon
- capers, for garnish
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Lightly grease an 11-inch tart pan (1 inch deep, with a removable bottom) with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, dried dill, garlic powder, and salt until evenly combined.
- Add the cold, cubed butter to the bowl. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it looks crumbly with some pea-sized bits of butter still visible.
- Drizzle in 5 tablespoons of cold water, mixing gently with a fork or your hands. Add additional water, a tablespoon at a time, just until the dough holds together when pressed. It should be soft and pliable, not sticky.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gather it into a ball. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a 14-inch circle, about ¼-inch thick. Lift and turn the dough occasionally, adding a light dusting of flour underneath if needed to prevent sticking.
- Gently roll the dough over your rolling pin, then transfer it into the tart pan. Ease it into the edges without stretching. Trim the excess dough around the rim.Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. Place the pan in the freezer for 15–20 minutes before filling or blind baking.
Bake the Crust:
Preheat the oven to 400°F:
- Remove the frozen pastry tart from the freezer. Spray one side of a large piece of foil with non-stick oil and place it, oil side down, over the pastry. Press the foil tightly against the frozen pastry molding it to the crust and over the edge. Fill with pie weights.
- Set the tart pan on a baking sheet, transfer to the oven and bake for 20-minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the foil with the pie weights. Let the pastry cool completely before filling.
For the Filling:
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Melt the butter in a skillet set over medium heat and add the chopped shallot and cook for 1 minute to soften, then add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Scrape the mixture into the bottom of the pastry shell and distribute evenly over the bottom. Add 1/2 of the smoked salmon pieces over the shallot/garlic.
- In a small bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, blending until well incorporated with the cream cheese before adding the the next egg. Beat in the egg yolks. Stir in the cream, dill, chopped capers and lemon zest.
Bake the Quiche:
- Pour ½ of the egg mixture into the tart pan to cover the salmon. Add the remaining salmon and cover with the remaining egg mixture. Keep the salmon submerged in the cream mixture so it does not dry our during baking. If necessary, push the salmon under the egg mixture with the back of a teaspoon.
- Return the quiche to the baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until it is golden on the top and the center is set but still jiggles when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.
To serve:
- Remove the rim of the tart pan and insert a thin-bladed knife between the tin bottom and the pastry crust to loosen. Slide the quiche onto a serving plate.
- Garnish with slices of smoked salmon, capers and dill sprigs. Serve hot, room temperature or cold.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I love a good savoury pie! This must have tasted amazingly delicious with the combo of flavours.
Thanks for your comments, Angie….it was delicious! We had enough for dinner and leftovers for breakfast!