Easy Tempeh Bacon

This Tempeh bacon is a delicious alternative to regular bacon with the classic flavors you’d expect. High in protein and super flavorful, this vegan bacon recipe is so easy to make and a MUST for your breakfast and brunch menus!

Want to try more tempeh recipes? We’re huge fans of this Tempeh Stir Fry as well as well as this Easy Baked Tempeh and my Tempeh Marinade (with 6 different flavors)!

I’m just going to start this post out by bringing up the elephant in the room… meatless bacon. I KNOW. I’m not trying to tell you that this tempeh bacon is the perfect swap for real bacon, but I am promising you that it’s ridiculously tasty! Just stick with me for a minute on this one…

I happen to LOVE tempeh in any form. This sesame ginger tempeh stir fry is one of my favorite recipes on the blog and this tempeh chili is on repeat all winter long. We also love using this bacon to make a Vegan BLT sandwich! So, I might be a little biased on this vegan bacon, I’ll admit.

What is Tempeh?

Tempeh is a plant-based protein source that is made from fermented soybeans. It kind of looks like someone smashed together a bunch of beans and then baked it into a cake. It has a firm texture that can easily be sliced or even crumbled. Tempeh is high in both fiber and protein making it a great plant-based meat alternative.

On it’s own and uncooked, tempeh has a very mild taste and is almost flavorless. However, it does a great job soaking up marinades and flavors, and if cooked well, tastes AMAZING!

You can check out all of my tempeh recipes here!

Ingredients needed

To make tempeh bacon, you’ll just need some very basic ingredients you may already have in your kitchen. Here’s the lineup:

• Tempeh. You can find tempeh in most grocery stores. It’s usually in the health food or produce section and comes refrigerated.
• Soy sauce. The base of our marinade, soy sauce combines with the other marinade ingredients to create a traditional bacon flavor. Tamari or coconut aminos also work well fir a gluten-free option.
• Apple cider vinegar.
• Garlic. I used fresh garlic but you can also use 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
• Liquid smoke. This will give our vegan bacon that classic smoky flavor that we love in real bacon. You can find this near spices and seasonings at the grocery store.
• Olive oil.
• Maple syrup. For a touch of sweetness!

Can you air fry tempeh bacon?

YES! I tried this recently and it was delicious! Follow the recipe as written but place it in the air fryer. Air Fry at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. If you want it a little crispier, air fry it a few minutes more until it reaches your desired crispiness!

See the video

5 from 2 votes

Easy Tempeh Bacon

By Brita Britnell

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

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Easy & delicious vegan bacon made from tempeh! It comes together in just 20 minutes and is such a great meat-free bacon substitute.

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 package of tempeh, roughly 8 oz
• ▢ 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• ▢ ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic crushed or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions 

• Prep the tempeh by cutting it into very thin slices about 1/8- 1/4 of an inch thick. I got about 35 slices out of my tempeh block. The thickness doesn’t matter too much but you do want it to be on the thinner side.
• Make the marinade by whisking together the soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, liquid smoke, olive oil, and maple syrup in a shallow bowl. Toss in the tempeh strips and let marinate for 30 minutes or even a few hours.
  
• When ready to cook, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
• Line the tempeh strips up on the baking sheet and pour about 1/2- 1 teaspoon of the marinade on each strip of the bacon. Bake for 10 minutes, flip and then bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Watch it the last 5 minutes to make sure that it is not getting too dark.
• Let cool slightly and ENJOY!

Notes

Storing leftovers: Tempeh bacon will last for about one week in the fridge. Place leftovers in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the refrigerator. You can reheat it in a toaster oven or regular oven for about 5 minutes. You can also microwave it or reheat it in a skillet on the stovetop. Or feel free to eat it cold, straight out of the fridge!

 

Nutrition

Calories: 70kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 0.5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 759mg, Potassium: 63mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 6g, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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