The base ingredients of the quiche are eggs and milk, to which you can add whatever ingredients you have on hand, even leftover meats. And it can be quite upsetting if your quiche turns out watery, but not to worry, there are a few things that you can do to fix or prevent that from happening.
A watery quiche can be caused by several different things including: (1) Starting with a raw crust, (2) Overbaking, (3) Underbaking, (4) Baking on the top rack of the oven, (5) Using the wrong egg to dairy ratio, (6) Adding wet ingredients, and (7) Making quiche with cold ingredients.
Whatever the cause, fixing a quiche that has turned out watery can be as simple as baking for a short time longer.
In the following paragraphs, we will explore those situations that can cause a watery quiche and discuss what you can do to prevent them from happening again.
How To Fix A Watery Quiche
The best way to fix runny quiche is by simply putting it back into the oven for a short time. If the crust is soggy, cover with foil and bake it on the bottom rack of the oven for a few minutes. If the filling has not set right, move the quiche to the top rack of the oven and bake for just a few minutes more.
I recommend monitoring it closely as you cook it to make sure it isn’t overbaking by checking it every 3 or 4 minutes.
Once you identify the exact cause, you can take more precise steps to fix the issue. Let’s go through each potential cause of watery quiche one by one.
Cause #1: Starting With A Raw Crust
Making your quiche with a raw pie or tart crust can result in a quiche with a soggy crust. But, you can prevent this from happening by partially baking the crust before adding the filling and baking. Now, if you simply put the pie crust into the oven and try to partially pre-bake it, as the fat melts in the crust, it causes the pie crust to shrink and move down the sides of the pan. You can prevent this from happening by using a technique called blind baking.
To blind-bake a pie crust, simply line the crust with parchment or waxed paper and fill it with pie weights, which can be purchased. But you can make your own pie weights by using any type of dry beans that you have on hand to fill the inside of the pie crust, which will prevent the crust from shrinking as it bakes.
In fact, these beans can be reused many times. They can’t be cooked and eaten, but just label the container they are in and store them with your baking supplies to reuse as you need them.
After the pie crust has been partially baked for 10 to 15 minutes, remove the beans or pie weights, pour in the filling, and bake the quiche for the length of time designated by the recipe.
Cause #2: Overbaking
You are probably wondering at this point how overbaking could cause a quiche to be watery. But things can be a little different when what you are baking is primarily made from eggs. When eggs are overcooked, they begin to curdle and separate, leaving clumps of solid custard surrounded by runny and watery eggs.
This, of course, can be prevented by making sure you are baking a quiche for the length of time prescribed by your recipe. At the end of that length of time, check it to be sure it has set, and remove it from the oven.
Pro Tip: I usually make it a habit to set a timer when baking anything so that if I become engrossed in another project, the timer will remind me that it is time to check on my baking.
Cause #3: Underbaking
We have already established that overbaking a quiche can be problematic and can cause the eggs in the quiche to curdle and separate. But underbaking can be just as big an issue. Underbaking a quiche can prevent the eggs from cooking completely and setting so that the consistency of the quiche, instead of being custard-like, will be runny and just not done.
This situation can also be a health hazard because you would basically be serving raw eggs. Not only will an underbaked quiche look unappetizing, but it can make everyone who eats it sick.
Most quiche recipes call for a baking time of 40-45 minutes at 375℉. However, all oven thermostats are not set precisely, so be sure to check your quiche to make sure it has set completely before taking it out of the oven.
Pro Tip: If you are not quite sure whether the quiche is done by a visual inspection or by touching it in the center, you can use a toothpick to test the center of the quiche. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the quiche is done.
Cause #4: Baking On The Top Oven Rack
A quiche, as with most of your baking, should be baked in the center of the oven. That is the area in the oven with the best air circulation and the most evenly distributed temperature from the heat sources.
By baking on the top oven rack, the filling will cook well, while the crust will be undercooked and soggy. If you bake on the bottom rack, the crust will cook perfectly, while the filling will not set properly.
If, however, you are baking more than one thing at a time and there just isn’t enough room to bake it in the center, it would be better to start it on the bottom and let the crust cook, then move it to the top to allow the filling to set.
Cause #5: Using The Wrong Egg/Milk Ratio
If you will recall, when we were in school, it was difficult for us to imagine how all that math and science we were required to take would ever benefit us in any way. But, those of us who are into cooking and canning and almost anything food related realize that a lot of the recipes that we use cannot be adjusted simply to suit us, but instead must be used either exactly as they are or else adjusted in a particular way because many cooking and other food-related processes are based on math and science principles. If you mess up those ratios, then something will be ruined.
Well, making a quiche is one of those instances where we must stick to a 4-to-1 ratio as far as the eggs and dairy go. There must be 4 eggs used for every cup of milk or cream added to the quiche. If you want more, then you can double the recipe; if you want less, then you can halve the recipe.
Important: If you try to mess with that 4:1 ratio, then the quiche will not cook right. If you use too much dairy, then the quiche will not set; if you use too many eggs, then the quiche will be dry. The 4:1 ratio must be maintained.
Cause #6: Adding Wet Ingredients
Adding too much moisture to the quiche can also cause the quiche to be watery. This can be easy to do, especially when adding vegetables. For example, when you wash the vegetables before adding them to your recipe, if you don’t drain or dry them completely, the extra water that they add to your quiche filling can result in a watery quiche.
Fresh spinach is a vegetable that is often used in quiche. When the spinach is washed and merely drained, it can still hold a lot of water. Spinach must be squeezed to get a sufficient amount of water out so that it will not make the quiche watery. Mushrooms are another example of a vegetable that can hold a lot of moisture.
Also, many vegetables, like tomatoes, release moisture when cooking.
Whatever kinds of vegetables you add to your quiche, be sure they are not vegetables that release a lot of juice when cooking and that they are dried and/or squeezed dry to make sure they aren’t adding so much liquid to your quiche filling that it will become watery.
Cause #7: Using Cold Ingredients
When preparing quiche, it is important that the eggs and milk or cream that is used be brought to room temperature before making the quiche filling. Making the filling out of ingredients that are straight from the refrigerator can result in a watery quiche.
Can Quiche Be Made Without A Crust?
Quiche can be made without a crust. This can be beneficial if you are on a weight-loss program and would prefer to avoid the fat and calories in pie crust. It is also beneficial for those on a gluten-free diet and absolutely must avoid consuming anything containing gluten.
By making a quiche without a crust, you will be able to eat quiche and benefit from this otherwise healthy dish and avoid the fat, calories, and gluten found in a pie crust. All you have to do is spray the quiche or tart pan with a cooking spray before adding the filling.
Can Quiche Be Frozen?
Quiche can be frozen. In fact, quiche freezes quite well. Simply wrap the quiche in a double layer of plastic wrap or foil and freeze it for up to 3 months.
To thaw a frozen quiche, move it from the freezer directly into the refrigerator and allow it to thaw overnight.
Best Way To Reheat Quiche
The best way to reheat quiche is to preheat the oven to 350℉, cover the quiche with foil, and bake it for 15 to 20 minutes. If reheating previously frozen quiche, make sure the quiche has thawed completely before trying to reheat so that it doesn’t become overcooked when heating.
Final Thoughts
A quiche is basically a savory egg custard pie in a crust that is made from eggs and milk that is mixed with many different ingredients, primarily meat, cheese, and vegetables. If you think it sounds like a complete meal, then you would be right. A quiche can be your main course, your vegetable, and a couple of side dishes all rolled into one and can be served for any meal of the day, including brunch or bedtime snack.
Thanks for stoppin’ by!
Jelly Grandma
For more, don’t miss How Long Does Quiche Last? | With Proper Storage Guidelines.
Anne James has a wealth of experience in a wide array of interests and is an expert in quilting, cooking, gardening, camping, mixing drinks (worked as a professional bartender), and making jelly.
Anne has a professional canning business, has been featured in the local newspaper as well as on the Hershey website, and has been her family canner for decades. Anyone growing up in the South knows that there is always a person in the family who has knowledge of the “old ways,” and this is exactly what Anne is.
With over 55 years of experience in these endeavors, she brings a level of hands-on knowledge that is hard to surpass. Amazingly, she doesn’t need to reference many resources due to her vast wealth of experience. She IS the source.
Anne wants nothing more than to pass on her extensive knowledge to the next generations, whether that be family or anyone visiting her website, her YouTube channel, or preservingsweetness.com.