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.
Paula Sorensen says
I read the whole thing, looking for a dairy free option, I know the cream makes it fluffy, but my lactose intolerant gut would protest loudly. So do I have a dairy free option? or must I forgo the deliciousness?
Jenny Howard says
I’m so excited! I haven’t made fritata in years, and I don’t know why. I have a set of 6″ mini cast irons, and this will be so fun to make individual ones. Thanks for the great instructions and tips.
Kay Ashe says
hi I don’t have any Brie. I do have mozzarella, cheddar and a Mexican blend
I’m not a huge fan of cheddar but it’s okay. when any of these I have the okay to substitute for Brie? TIA
Carolyn says
Please read the blog post! 🙂
Tiffany P says
So so good. My teenage son helped me make it and he wants us to make it again soon. Easy to make and so yummy
Kathleen says
Could this be baked if I don’t have a broiler? Sounds delicious.
Carolyn says
Yes, baking should be fine. Keep your eye on it.
Andy H says
Delicious. Tried using camembert instead of brie and added a courgette, loved it and so did my wife.🙂
Carolyn says
Yum!
Karen says
I want to increase this to 9 servings, and will it work with a 12 inch cast iron skillet? Also, what type of garnish would you suggest? I thought perhaps some sundried tomato added near the end of broiling, or some dried cranberries once it’s out if the oven. Thoughts? And thank you.
Esther Richards says
This looks and sounds really good. I don’t know what Brie is but I will check it out. Thank you for all of the great recipes that you share.
Teri Lammers says
You are the best!! I love everything you share, I have several of your cookbooks and will eventually have ALL of them.
Thank you so much for making KETO DELICIOUS!
Tere says
Just made this yesterday… so yummy and filling! I took a photo (after I removed a slice b/c my brain wasn’t working until after I’d eaten a piece). Would love to post photo, but I don’t see a place to upload it.
Thank you for all your hard work perfecting these recipes for us!
Kathy says
Wonderful, versatile dish. Easy to make and perfect for adding ingredients to change it up. I’m always amazed at the many different ways to make eggs and how they take on tastes of other foods. Yummy. Thanks for another winner!
Rose O. says
This was absolutely delicious and beautiful!!
Thank you for all the recipes and all your hard work.
Dana Grilikhes says
Delicious and so easy!!! Thank you for your recipes!
Carol Boden says
Made ours today with items that needed to be eaten up: red, green peppers and onions, dried curly kale, a couple of slices of Black Forest ham chopped and an 8 oz bag of uncured bacon bits all sautéed in hickory bacon fat, plus a rather hard 1/2 wheel of Brie. In my cast iron pan. Oh my was this tasty! Perfect instructions! Will definitely make again…
Julia Nelson says
This is a Winner!!! I made it as a quiche in my deep dish pyrex pie plate and it was perfect for the amount of filling. I added caramelized onions and roasted red pepper strips from a jar. It will be on repeat at our house!
Carolyn says
Excellent!
Mishelle says
I love both bacon and brie so I couldn’t wait to whip this up for a quick dinner! I’m a big can of Carolyn’s recipes and this one didn’t disappoint! Easy directions to follow and a perfect end result! Thanks for all of your hard work! Another winning recipe!
Carolyn says
Glad to hear it!
Pam says
I made this last week so delicious. Carolyn, I wanted to share Maria & Craig’s response to the sweetener “study”. It made me feel better!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTUWGr9RZ5o
Kristi Lee says
It was meant to be!!! I was trying to decide what to make for breakfast this morning and suddenly this recipe popped up on the top of my phone screen. I cooked it following your amazing recipe and also added some mushrooms and bell pepper. Excellent. Planned to have leftovers tomorrow but my husband ate 3 servings! Thanks so much for the new idea. It will definitely go into my rotation.
Carolyn says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Mare says
I have always made just spinach and bacon frittatas with optional additions. However, you can bet I will be making this very soon. I do not have a cast iron skillet as they are too heavy for me. My other half and I mix it up and put it in an oven glass dish. I’m pretty much a pig eating the majority of it, but I don’t care…. hahahahaha
Nancy Wilkinson says
Made this delightful dish for breakfast this morning! Wonderful! Everyone loved it.