Quiche is one of those versatile dishes that can turn a few simple ingredients into a satisfying meal, and this easy Broccoli Chicken Quiche delivers. Tender chicken, broccoli, and sweet sautéed onions bake into a creamy egg custard with smoky chile seasoning and salty cotija cheese. Baked in a flaky crust, this savory quiche is perfect for brunch, lunch, or dinner!
Jump to:
- Quick Recipe Summary ✨
- Why this recipe works
- Recipe Ingredients
- Quiche flavor variations
- How to Make Broccoli Chicken Quiche
- Bake as long as needed
- Storage and make-ahead instructions
- How to blind bake your shortcrust pastry without pie weights
- Troubleshooting a watery quiche
- Questions asked and answered
- More dinner recipes to try
- Recipe
- Comments
Quick Recipe Summary ✨
Broccoli Chicken Quiche: A savory quiche with tender chicken, sautéed broccoli and onions, and a creamy egg custard baked in a flaky crust. Mexican street corn spices and a cheddar-cotija cheese blend add a flavorful twist.
Bold, savory flavor: Chile, cumin, and cotija cheese bring a hint of smoky heat that pairs beautifully with the creamy custard and flaky pastry.
Foolproof custard: A reliable 2 : 1 liquid-to-egg ratio helps the quiche bake up silky and perfectly set - no soggy crust or rubbery texture.
Flexible recipe: A great way to use leftover chicken and vegetables. Swap proteins, cheeses, or seasonings to suit what you have on hand.
Active Time: About 30 minutes • Bake Time: 28 to 30 minutes • Total Time: About 1 hour ⏱️
Difficulty Level: ⭐⭐ Easy to Medium. Simple sauté, quick custard, and a blind-baked crust.
Yield: One 10-inch quiche ( 6 to 8 servings) • Make-ahead: Up to 2 days • Freezer-friendly: Up to 1 month
👉 Follow the step-by-step instructions and tips below to bake a creamy, flavorful broccoli chicken quiche with a crisp crust every time.
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Why this recipe works
- Quiche is naturally versatile: Start with eggs and dairy, then add whatever proteins, vegetables, and cheeses you have on hand
- The custard ratio is reliable: A 2 : 1 liquid-to-egg ratio bakes up creamy and tender, not rubbery.
- Great for any meal: This broccoli chicken quiche is hearty enough for brunch, lunch, or a light dinner
When is it ok to have pie for brunch or dinner?
Ok, that's a trick question...it's always the right time for pie. But it's more acceptable if that pie is savory, like a meat pie or quiche, if you want it for a main course.
Quiche is one of my favorite clean-out-the-refrigerator meals. Using leftover chicken, a handful of vegetables, a little cheese, and suddenly dinner is solved!
Quiche is simply a savory baked custard made with eggs, dairy, cheese, and flavorful fillings. It's actually a baked custard (like egg custard), just savory rather than sweet.
Savory, creamy, and just a little smoky, this easy Broccoli Chicken Quiche is packed with flavor. Tender chicken, sweet sautéed onions, and broccoli bake into a silky custard with salty cotija and warm chile spices.
It's just the thing for brunch or lunch, and paired with a crisp salad (like a Caesar salad with homemade Caesar salad dressing, of course!), it makes an easy, satisfying dinner.
Have a hankering for pie as a main course? You can turn eggs, your dairy of choice, and some leftovers into a meal. Make yourself a quiche using whatever fillings and seasonings you'd like.
Of course, remember to save room for pie for dessert!
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this easy broccoli chicken quiche recipe:
Ingredient Notes
There is so much flexibility when it comes to quiche recipes. The essential custard ingredients you need are eggs and a liquid - it's the combination of liquid and eggs in the proper ratio that makes it a custard.
Heavy cream and milk: You can use a combination of milk and heavy cream to suit your taste. The more heavy cream you use, the richer the custard will be.
For a lighter custard option, use you can replace some or all the heavy cream and/or milk with half and half or your favorite milk substitute. Or use a savory broth to make a dairy-free custard.
Filling: Quiche is a great clean-out-the-refrigerator type of dish. Use up any leftover meats, vegetables, and cheeses you have around. Just make sure the meat (if you choose to use any) and vegetables are cooked through before pouring the custard on them.
This chicken and vegetable quiche uses leftover chicken, red onion, and broccoli, but turkey or ham could work also. For a vegetarian quiche, skip the meat or use your favorite meat alternative. I have some suggestions for different types of quiche below.
Seasonings: Use your favorite seasoning blends - here we're using Trader Joes' Everything but the Elote seasoning blend. It's made up of chile pepper, Parmesan cheese, chipotle powder, cumin, dried cilantro, sea salt, plus some cane sugar and corn flour. It brings smoky chile heat, a hint of cumin warmth, and a little tangy sweetness, echoing the flavors of Mexican street corn.
You can also substitute a good chili powder or taco seasonings if you prefer. The chile, cumin, and cotija flavors give this quiche a subtle Southwestern twist.
Cheese: Since street corn is usually served with cotija cheese, a crumbly Mexican cheese with a pleasant salty bite, similar to feta. It melts just enough to add richness while still giving little bursts of savory flavor throughout the quiche.
Add a Mexican cheese blend (a pre-made blend of shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Queso Blanco) to round out the quiche. You can use your own preferred combinations.
Pastry crust: Unless you're making a crustless quiche, you'll want a sturdy crust. Pie crust for quiche works when it's served in a pie pan - use a basic pie crust (either homemade or store-bought). Shortcrust pastry works great for quiches that will be served free-standing, like a tart. Since this chicken quiche recipe will be savory, a sourdough shortcrust pastry fits the bill nicely.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Quiche flavor variations
At its heart, quiche is simply a savory baked custard - eggs and dairy holding together whatever delicious fillings you tuck inside.
This leftover chicken quiche recipe, turns cooked chicken and vegetables (in this case, sautéed red onions and broccoli) into an easy meal.
You can use any combination of proteins, vegetables, and cheeses you'd like, then choose seasonings and cheeses that complement said fillings.
If you like experimenting with flavors, here are some easy quiche filling combinations to try. These variations work with the same custard base, making it easy to create your own homemade chicken quiche recipe:
- chicken + broccoli + cheddar
- chicken + spinach + feta
- chicken + corn + cotija
Some specific suggestions:
- Bacon and Swiss Cheese (aka Quiche Lorraine) - a classic combination
- Chicken, Cheddar, Bacon, and Ranch Seasoning
- Sausage, Spinach, Mushrooms, and Feta (or leave out the sausage for a vegetarian quiche)
How to Make Broccoli Chicken Quiche
Step 1: Make a shortcrust pastry
Prepare a blind baked shortcrust pastry using a 10-inch tart pan (photo 1). Blind baking the pastry shell helps to ensure it doesn't get soggy while the custard bakes later. Below I have instructions on how to blind bake a shortcrust without pie weights.
Step 2: Cook the filling ingredients
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the red onions and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Cook the onions until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broccoli and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until heated, another 2 to 3 minutes (photo 2). Remove from heat.
Step 3: Make the custard
Whisk the eggs, heavy cream, and milk custard ingredients together until frothy, either by hand or using a hand mixer. Stir in the seasoning and salt (photo 3).
How to evenly distribute the filling ingredients
Making sure the custard has some bubbles helps to hold the mix-ins in suspension. Plus, adding the filling components in layers helps to keep everything from settling to the bottom, especially for taller quiches or quiche made in a pie pan.
This quiche tart isn't that tall so the suspension aspect isn't as crucial.
Step 4: Assemble the quiche
Fill the par-baked shortcrust pastry shell with the cooked chicken filling. Sprinkle the cheeses on top (photo 4).
Pour the custard over the filling, as much as possible without overflowing.
Step 5: Bake the quiche
Place the pan on a half sheet baking pan lined with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper to catch drips.
Bake the quiche at 375˚F for 28 to 30 minutes or until the filling is mostly set (photo 5). It will be slightly jiggly in the middle, like a pumpkin or pecan pie.
Allow the quiche to cool slightly, then remove from the pan and serve warm.
Bake as long as needed
When baking quiche, trust your eyes, not the timer. If you see that it seems to jiggle too much when jostled, bake longer (about 5 minute increments). You'll know it's done when:
- The center jiggles like gelatin
- The edges are set
- The surface remain smooth
- A digital thermometer reads between 170 - 175°F (77 to 80˚C)
Storage and make-ahead instructions
Storage instructions: Leftover quiche will keep for about a week in the refrigerator and up to a month in the freezer. You can reheat slices in the microwave on high in 1-minutes intervals, or at 325 °F (162˚C) for about 5 to 7 minutes.
Make-ahead instructions: This broccoli chicken quiche is also a great make-ahead quiche recipe, since it reheats beautifully for brunch or dinner later in the week. You can store a pre-baked and cooled quiche in the refrigerator, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to a week before serving. You can also freeze it for up to a month (allow to defrost overnight in the refrigerator).
When you're ready to serve, it's best to reheat it in the oven at 325 °F (162˚C) for about 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Remove from the pan (if it hasn't been already) and serve warm.
How to blind bake your shortcrust pastry without pie weights
You can successfully blind bake pie dough and shortcrust pastry without needing to use pie weights or dried beans using this frozen-foil method:
- Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork.
- Tear off a piece of foil that fits over the entire pan with overhang (or add extra foil as needed).
- Spray the foil with baking spray to keep it from sticking to the dough.
- Press the foil into the pan and tightly up against the sides. Bring the foil up over the rim and mold it to the sides of the pan.
- Freeze the crust for 15 minutes.
- Bake the crust with the foil on for 20 minutes. At this point the crust is par-baked.
- Carefully remove the foil from the crust. If the crust has puffed up, gently press it back down. Any tears or cracks in the crust can be repaired with dough scraps. Return the crust to the oven and bake the crust until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes more.
There you have it. No more slumping sides or messing around with dried beans. Oh, and the leftover egg white can be whisked with a teaspoon of water and a pinch of salt for use as an egg wash before par-baking. It won't result in quite as golden a crust as a whole-egg wash, but it's a great way to avoid waste.
Troubleshooting a watery quiche
You might find yourself asking, "Why is my quiche runny?" If there's too much liquid in the custard, it won't set well, and you'll end up with a very soft or even runny quiche. Here are some possible reasons why:
Using raw or undercooked vegetables
Vegetables can contain a lot of water naturally, so cooking them beforehand helps to eliminate any water leaking out as the quiche bakes.
The custard contains too much milk
A free-standing egg custard has a recipe ratio of 2 :1 liquid to egg, by weight (a kitchen scale comes in handy here). So a quiche containing 2 cups (or 16 ounces) of liquid would contain 4 eggs (or 8 ounces, an egg weighing about 2 ounces each). Measure the ingredients carefully so that you don't throw off the custard ratio.
The quiche is underbaked
When baking a quiche, trust your eyes, not the timer. You'll know it's done when the center jiggles slightly when jostled, and a digital thermometer reads between 170 - 175°F (77 to 80˚C).
Questions asked and answered
Here are some questions you might have...
A quiche is a savory baked custard made with eggs and dairy, usually baked in a pastry crust with vegetables, cheese, or meat. At its core, quiche is just a free-standing custard, the crust is merely a holding vessel.
Most people might think of custard as a dessert (like egg custard or Crème Brûlée), but really the only difference is how the custard is flavored. Is it sweetened or filled with savory ingredients? If it's the latter, it's quiche, simple as that.
A free-standing custard is a custard that can hold its shape, like flan. It's a cousin to pastry cream, which contains the same base of eggs and cream but has a 4 : 1 liquid to egg recipe ratio, so it can't stand up on its own. Also, a free-standing custard is baked to set rather than thickened on the stove with cornstarch, like pudding. I always love discovering how recipes are connected like that.
Most likely there is too much egg in the custard, resulting in a quiche that's too firm and possibly rubbery. That 2 : 1 liquid to egg recipe ratio is important!
Nobody wants the dreaded soggy bottom in a pie. The best way to prevent this is to blind-bake the pie crust or shortcrust pastry you're using. That allows the moisture in the dough to evaporate and the crust solidifies before you introduce more liquid from the egg custard.
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I hope you like this recipe! Let me know if you have any questions, and don't forget to leave a comment and rating. Thanks!
Slainté! L'chaim! Cheers!
- Tammy
More dinner recipes to try
Recipe
Broccoli Chicken Quiche
Equipment
- hand mixer
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 1 recipe shortcrust pastry, or sourdough shortcrust pastry, homemade or store-bought
For the filling
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup red onion, diced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup chicken, cooked and cubed
- 1 cup cotija cheese, crumbled, see Recipe Notes
- 1 cup Mexican cheese blend, shredded, see Recipe Notes
For the custard
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream, see Recipe Notes
- 1 cup milk, see Recipe Notes
- 2 teaspoons Everything but the Elote seasoning blend, or your seasonings of choice, see Recipe Notes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 °F.
- Blind bake the shortcrust: Prepare a sourdough or basic shortcrust pastry using a 10-inch tart pan. Freeze the unbaked, docked crust and wrap tightly with greased aluminum foil. Par-bake the crust for 20 minutes.
- Make the filling: Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add ½ cup red onion and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook the onions until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 cup broccoli florets and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup chicken (cooked and cubed) and cook until heated, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Fill the par-baked shortcrust pastry shell with the cooked chicken filling. Sprinkle 1 cup cotija cheese and 1 cup Mexican cheese blend on top.
- Make the custard: Whisk together 4 large eggs, 1 cup heavy cream, and 1 cup milk until frothy, either by hand or using a hand mixer. Stir in 2 teaspoons Everything but the Elote seasoning blend and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.Pour the custard over the filling, as much as possible without overflowing.
- Place the pan on a half sheet baking pan lined with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper to catch drips. Bake the quiche for 28 to 30 minutes or until the filling is mostly set. It will be slightly jiggly in the middle, and a digital thermometer will reads about 170 °F.
- Allow the quiche to cool slightly, then remove from the pan and serve warm.
- Storage instructions: Leftover quiche will keep for about a week in the refrigerator and up to a month in the freezer. You can reheat slices in the microwave on high in 1-minutes intervals, or at 325 °F for about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Make-ahead instructions: You can store a pre-baked and cooled quiche in the refrigerator, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to a week before serving. You can also freeze it for up to a month (allow to defrost overnight in the refrigerator).When you're ready to serve, it's best to reheat it in a 325 °F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Remove from the pan (if it hasn't been already) and serve warm.
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