Smoky marinated tempeh strips are pan-fried to delicious perfection to make this scrumptious tempeh bacon! Stuff it in a sandwich, sprinkle it on a salad, or snack on it by itself.
I never liked bacon when I ate meat, but I've never met a vegan bacon I didn't like! At least not a homemade one. Coconut bacon and tofu bacon are both awesome. But vegan tempeh bacon is my absolute favorite (and this is the best tempeh bacon you'll find!).
Vegan bacon in just about any form is super easy to make. Mix up a smoky, salty, and slightly sweet marinade (I use liquid smoke, soy sauce, and maple syrup to get these flavors). Soak some vegan food in the marinade, and cook it. That's it!
Tempeh in particular is a great ingredient to make vegan bacon out of. It's packed with protein, soaks up marinade well, and thinly sliced tempeh strips fry up really nicely.
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What You'll Need
- Soy sauce. Gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted if needed.
- Maple syrup. Agave can be substituted, although I think maple gives the marinade a great flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar. White vinegar and red wine vinegar will both work as substitutes.
- Liquid smoke. This is the key ingredient for adding smoky flavor to our meatless bacon. You can experiment with substitutes like smoked paprika or smoked sea salt, but liquid smoke is ideal.
- Tempeh. If you buy tempeh at the store you'll find it's available in different varieties, plain, multigrain, flax, and probably a few others. Any of them will work with this recipe!
- Canola oil. Feel free to substitute another high-heat oil, such as peanut or avocado oil.
Tip: Feel free to adjust the seasonings as you get a feel for how to make bacon flavored tempeh. Add more maple for sweeter bacon, or more liquid smoke for smokier bacon. You can even add spices like garlic powder, cayenne pepper, or smoked paprika to enhance the flavor.
How to Make Tempeh Bacon
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
- Grab yourself a block of tempeh. I'm using store-bought tempeh here, but you can also make your own. Tip: Tempeh has a slightly bitter flavor, and not everyone is a fan. To minimize this flavor, try steaming your tempeh for a few minutes before incorporating it into a recipe. For details, check out this guide on how to steam tempeh.
- Slice your tempeh super thin. If you can get your slices just ¼-inch thick, that's perfect!
- Make your marinade by mixing up soy sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, and apple cider vinegar.
- Pour your marinade over the tempeh strips. Ideally you'll want to let them soak for 30 minutes, but a couple of minutes is fine if you don't have that much time.
- Heat up some oil in a skillet. Make sure you're using a good nonstick surface. I'm a big fan of well-seasoned cast iron.
- When the oil is hot, add your tempeh slices. Place them in the pan in an even layer. You might need to cook the slices in batches in order to avoid crowding the pan.
- Let the tempeh cook for a few minutes on each side, until the slices are browned and crispy. Be gentle when handling and flipping your tempeh slices, as they can be delicate. Tip: rotate or shift the pan around a bit while the tempeh cooks, to ensure that the cooking surface is evenly heated and the tempeh bacon cooks evenly.
- When the tempeh is almost finished cooking I like to spoon some of the extra marinade over it. Let it cook for a minute or two more, until the liquid cooks off.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftovers can be stored in a sealed bag or container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Just substitute gluten-free tamari for the soy sauce.
Try using a low sodium soy sauce.
Pretty much the same way regular bacon is served! Try stuffing it in your favorite vegan sandwich, use it to top a soup or salad, or serve it alongside a tofu scrambl.
Variations
- For baked tempeh bacon, bake the strips on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet at 400°F for 10 minutes on each side.
- For tempeh bacon bits, simply crumble your tempeh by hand instead of slicing it.
- For bacon cubes, dice your tempeh instead of slicing it.
More Tempeh Recipes
- Cashew Tempeh Stir-Fry
- Barbecue Tempeh Ribs
- Blackened Tempeh Sandwiches
- Chipotle Tempeh Tacos
- Teriyaki Tempeh Burgers
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📖 Recipe
Smoky Tempeh Bacon
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 (8 ounce or 227 gram) package tempeh
- 2 tablespoons canola oil (or high heat oil of choice)
Instructions
- Stir the soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar, and liquid smoke together in a small bowl.
- Slice the tempeh, width-wise, into thin (approximately ¼-inch) strips.
- Place the tempeh strips into a shallow dish and pour the soy sauce mixture over them.
- Let the tempeh marinate for about 30 minutes. Gently turn the strips or use a spoon to drizzle some of the marinade over them once or twice while they soak.
- Coat the bottom of a medium nonstick skillet with the oil and place it over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the tempeh strips in an even layer. Only add as many strips as you can fit without crowding. Cook the rest in a second batch.
- Cook the tempeh strips for about 5 minutes, gently flip them with a spatula, and cook them for about 5 minutes more, until browned and crispy on both sides. Turn or shift the pan a couple of times while the tempeh cooks to ensure even heating.
- Transfer the cooked tempeh strips to a plate. Cook the rest (if there are any) in a second batch, adding a bit more oil to the pan if needed.
- Serve the tempeh bacon immediately.
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This sounds good. I keep a jar of coconut bacon in the freezer for an occasional BLT craving. But a local cafe serves a veggie burger with tempeh bacon and it's so good. Now I'll try this at home. Big thanks!
Any thoughts on how this would work in the air fryer without any oil? It sounds so good.
I don't think it will get very crispy without any oil, but it should still taste good. If you're up for using a little bit of oil I think spritzing or brushing the strips would help. Either way, I'd love to hear how it turns out it you try!
Well written and plain and simple. Enjoyed the article.
I dont normally like Tempeh but this recipe makes it work. Cant get enough! Thx
Delicious and easy. Thank you, Alissa!
Yum!!!!!!! So easy I cant even mess it up!
can this be frozen and used a few slices at a time?
I don't see why not!
WOW hopefully im not the only one who tried this recipe.
Hi, would marinating over night destroy the texture and flavour ?
Nope! It should be just fine. I'd just keep it in the fridge while it marinates.
Love the taste but cannot get crispy when pan frying in cast iron skillet.
Any tips?
Make sure you're using enough oil, enough heat, and try slicing it extra thin. If that doesn't do it for you I'd try another type of vegan bacon. Coconut bacon gets super crispy! https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/coconut-bacon/