Practically carb-free, you can serve this easy keto frittata for breakfast, brunch, or dinner! Flavorful and hearty, it takes only 25 minutes to make from start to finish.
Have I ever mentioned how much I love keto frittata? It’s honestly something everyone should learn how to make. So if you’ve never made one, I urge you address this oversight immediately.
The first meal I ever made for my husband was a spinach parmesan frittata. This was long before we were married, and I found a book on Italian cooking on his bookshelf.
When I read that recipe, I practically ran to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients. It was so simple and so elegant, and I couldn’t wait to surprise him with a home-cooked meal. I’ve been hooked on this incredibly flavorful dish ever since.
If you love easy egg dishes, be sure to check out Sheet Pan Frittata and Keto Breakfast Casserole too.
What’s so great about keto frittata?
I could wax poetic about this classic Italian egg dish all day long but here’s why I love it and why you need to make it:
It’s extremely low in carbohydrates. A basic egg frittata typically has less than 5g total carbs per serving, depending on what else you put in it. And this keto bacon frittata has less than 2g per serving!
It’s infinitely variable. Think of frittata the way you might think of a pizza crust. There are so many ways to shake it up, so many delicious variations, and the sky’s the limit. You can take any frittata base, which is just eggs, cream, salt, and pepper, and put your own spin on it. This bacon and brie version is my favorite keto frittata recipe.
It’s deceptively simple to make. Once you have your ingredients together and your add-ins prepped, it takes only about 10 minutes. There is no real work involved, no huge fuss and effort.
It’s great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. It’s good hot out of the oven but it’s also good at room temperature, making it extra versatile.
It’s perfect for keto meal prep. Frittata can be easily stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, and is just as good re-warmed in the oven or microwave. So you can make a big one, slice it all up, and have an easy keto meal any time of the week.
Rave Reviews
“This was SOOOOO good and really easy – no fussing with the eggs once they’re in the pan. The flavors are so nice together and I’m looking forward to the leftovers. another hit, Carolyn, thanks!” — Linda
“This was heavenly! I make frittatas a lot, but this was the best one I’ve ever made, hands down. Thank you!” — Nicole
“I love, love, love this recipe. We have it every week 🙂 A favorite in our household, Thanks so much!!! 😀” — Susan
Ingredients you need
- Bacon: You can also try this with prosciutto or pancetta. I like to chop my bacon up before cooking, as it crisps up more evenly.
- Brie: It’s easier to cut the brie into thin slices when it’s cold. You can leave the rind on or remove it. Personally I leave it on as it’s delicious.
- Eggs: Eggs are the main ingredient in any good frittata. Use large eggs unless otherwise specified.
- Heavy whipping cream: Heavy whipping cream makes this frittata extra fluffy.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds much more flavor than garlic powder.
- Salt and pepper
Step by step directions
1. Cook the bacon: Cook the chopped bacon in a 10-inch oven-proof skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel lined plate. Leave at least 2 tablespoon of bacon grease in the skillet (if you are using cast iron, you may want to leave more) and remove from heat. Let the skillet cool before proceeding.
2. Whisk the eggs: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream, garlic, salt and pepper and about two thirds of the cooked bacon. Set the skillet over medium low heat and swirl remaining bacon grease to coat bottom and sides.
3. Add eggs to the pan: Pour the egg mixture into skillet and cook undisturbed until edges are set up center is still somewhat loose, 7 to 10. Layer the sliced brie evenly over the top. Don’t pile it all in the center. Sprinkle with the remaining bacon.
4. Broil: Preheat the broiler to high and set an oven rack on the second highest setting in the oven. Broil until puffed and golden brown, 2 to 5 minutes, watching carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. Remove and let cool a few minutes before serving.
Expert tips
There are many ways to make frittata, but the classic Italian method is to first cook it over low heat in a skillet, and then transfer the skillet to the oven and place it under the broiler. It gets puffed and browned with this method and it’s become my favorite way to make it. It’s very easy but there are a few tricks for getting it right.
Use an oven-proof skillet: It doesn’t need to be cast iron, but you want a good sturdy skillet that can go from stovetop to oven. It also should be able to withstand the heat of the broiler, so make sure your pan can handle heat of up to 500ºF.
Make sure your pan isn’t too hot: You actually want to cook a keto frittata quite slowly so keep the pan on low heat. If your pan is set over medium and you add the egg mixture, it’s going to fry quickly and your frittata will be tough.
Let the sides set undisturbed: Once the egg mixture is in the pan, leave it alone for a few minutes. Wait until you can run a rubber spatula around the edges without liquid eggs spilling under. You want the center to be quite loose when you transfer it to the oven.
Watch it closely under the broiler: Broilers differ in strength so watch your frittata closely. Once your keto frittata is puffed and has a few brown spots, it’s cooked through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Although there are many similarities between frittata and quiche, they are not the same. Quiches typically have crusts, and are cooked more slowly so that they have a custard texture. Frittatas do not have crust and cook faster in the pan. Check out my Keto Quiche recipe and you will see the difference.
This easy keto frittata recipe has 1.8g of carbs per serving.
You can make frittata in advance and reheat it when you are ready to serve. A frittata will keep in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating in the oven or microwave.
Variations
Not a fan of brie or bacon? You can make keto frittata with any delicious add-ins. Try these ideas:
- Broccoli and Cheddar (I recommend steaming the broccoli first, for tenderness).
- Zucchini and Parmesan
- Sausage and Mushroom
- Spinach and Feta
- Ham and Cheese
Keto Frittata with Brie and Bacon
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon chopped
- 8 large eggs
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 ounces brie sliced thin (easiest to do when it’s cold)
Instructions
- Cook the chopped bacon in a 10-inch oven-proof skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel lined plate. Leave at least 2 tablespoon of bacon grease in the skillet (if you are using cast iron, you may want to leave more) and remove from heat. Let the skillet cool before proceeding.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream, garlic, salt and pepper and about two thirds of the cooked bacon. Set the skillet over medium low heat and swirl remaining bacon grease to coat bottom and sides.
- Pour the egg mixture into skillet and cook undisturbed until edges are set up center is still somewhat loose, 7 to 10. Layer the sliced brie overtop. Sprinkle with the remaining bacon.
- Preheat the broiler to high and set an oven rack on the second highest setting in the oven. Broil until puffed and golden brown,2 to 5 minutes, watching carefully to make sure it doesn't burn.
- Remove and let cool a few minutes before serving.
Susan Hawthorne says
I love, love, love this recipe. We have it every week 🙂 A favorite in our household, Thanks so much!!! 😀
Carolyn says
Yay! We love it too.
Margie says
Can this be done in muffin tins?
Carolyn says
Probably, as long as they are VERY well greased.
Nicole says
This was heavenly! I make frittatas a lot, but this was the best one I’ve ever made, hands down. Thank you!
Heather says
Do you perchance have an electric oven? Because your broiling instructions don’t make a lot of sense to to someone with a gas oven, so I thought I’d better check.
For those who’ve only used gas, electric ovens have a heating element at the the top of the oven compartment that’s used for broiling. The instructions are consistent with that kind of set up. Note that if there’s anything resembling a drawer below the main oven compartment, it’s used for storage.
For those who’ve never used gas, a gas oven has one burner at the bottom of the main oven compartment. The “drawer” under the main compartment is, in fact, the broiler so you can put things to be broiled under the burner. I’m going to have to see if I can fit a cast iron skillet under there far enough below the burner to not burn a frittata. I may have to remove the top piece from the broiler pan.
Carolyn says
Actually, while my current oven is electric, I’ve had several gas ovens previous to this (in the last 3 houses I lived in, in Boston) and ALL of them had a broiler element at the top of the oven. I have not seen one of the gas ovens with a broiling drawer in decades. So I am curious either where you live or how old your oven is!
Heather says
I currently live in Philly, and before that I lived in the St. Louis area. I have no idea how old my oven is, but it was here when I moved into the house in 1995, and it wasn’t exactly new then. Every gas oven that I ever remember using had a broiler drawer. The idea that one would have a burner at the top just sounds strange to me.
Heather says
Oops, used a different email address from what I used before, can you change the email address the previous comment is under?
Michael Prewitt says
I havent seen one of those in decades. Most modern gas ovens dont have the lower broiler. Its just a storage drawer.
The bacon and brie frittata is fantastic BTW. The garlic really makes it.
Steve says
Gorgeous, added sautéed mushrooms as well, with a side of asparagus and a small pinot grigio, perfection
Carolyn says
Sound delicious!
Amber says
Not a big fan of Brie cheese! Any other suggestions? And how much to use? This sounds delicious otherwise!
Carolyn says
Any cheese you want will be fine, and use the same amount I used brie.
Patricia says
Thank goodness you were rewarded with a 10 piece set. For all the devoted work you do for us and others, it should have been all of the stainless. You go girl!
Heather says
This is a perfect breakfast for my new Keto lifestyle. I like to prepare dishes Sunday for the week. This is going to be easy to grab and go.
Yum Yum Yum!
cimmaryn says
Made this today and loved it! When I make it again, I think I might add some onion, maybe mushroom, and definitely some tomato slices on top? It is really yummy, as well as on the salty side (to be fair, I think I added too much salt by accident) — I think tomato would really give it a bright flavor that would be awesome.
That said, it is pretty perfect as it is! Good sized portions, too. I’m taking it for breakfast at work for the week. Yay!
Thanks again for all you do — you make low-carbing much more fun!
Greta says
hi! I do not have a cast iron or stainless steel skillet, so I was thinking of baking this in the oven (doubling the recipe for Mother’s Day brunch), I was wondering what you thought the baking temp/time would be for that? I plan to add the Brie about halfway through once the eggs are set around the edges, but still soft in the middle.
Carolyn says
I think you will need a 350F oven for at least 30 minutes.
linda says
Carolyn, Finally getting around to considering this YUMMY recipe. I live alone and would want to be able to keep some of this for separate meals without having to eat it for 6 meals straight! With my quiche recipes, I assemble them and freeze them without baking (6 smaller quiche pans). When I’m ready to eat one, I bake them from frozen at 350F for about 45 – 50 minutes. Do you think this method might work with this recipe?
Thanks!
Carolyn says
I can’t see why not!
linda says
Thanks – I’ll tell you how it works out…
Vicky says
OMG! I just died and went to low carb high fat heaven…………….. this is going to go on rotation. Carolyn, you’re a genius!
Nutmeg Nanny says
I love KA products. I have been using them for years and keep adding to my collection. This frittata looks pretty tasty too. Love the addition of brie.
Pam says
With stainless steel, even if the pan does get some burned on grease, you can soak it and scour it clean — if that happens with non-stick finishes, it’s ruined. I’m somewhat abusive of my cookware and I love my stainless steel!
Carolyn says
I know, I love it! 🙂
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
This frittata looks fantastic! I love bacon and brie together! The pans are gorgeous!
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
This looks like my kind of breakfast! I would love to give this KitchenAid cookware a try, it sounds amazing!
Amanda says
Delicious breakfast idea!!!
naomi says
Yep, I love my stainless steel pan. Its dishwasher safe and I love the way it performs. I have tried KitchenAid’s pieces yet, so this review is perfect!
Aimee says
The first thing I thought while reading your stainless cookware review was “Thank goodness it’s not just me!” as I too have had difficulty adjusting to stainless cookware after practically a lifetime of using non-stick! Perhaps I’m still not using enough butter/oil, but I do feel its getting better overall; I can’t wait to try this recipe out for the holidays!!
Carolyn says
Plenty of butter/oil and a lower heat setting definitely helps! We just got too used to the non-stick stuff, I think.
L. Wall says
Heat pan before adding oil or cooking spray then add food.
Recipe looks delicious. Thank you Carolyn for a steady stream of wonderful recipes.
Just treated myself to two of your new cookbooks!
Carolyn says
Thanks so much!
Mary Anna says
Yum! Love bacon. Love brie. Must try!
Carolyn says
It’s so good! Hope you do try it.