Real bacon is high in cholesterol and saturated fats! This Vegan Tempeh Bacon is a much healthier plant-based alternative. It’s quick and easy and you can make it in the pan. The tempeh slices are smoky and crispy – perfect for breakfast with some tofu scramble or in wraps, burgers, etc.!
I’ve never been a big fan of bacon before I went vegan, but I would never say no to these vegan Tempeh Slices. They are the perfect crispy and smoky plant-based alternative!
It took me long enough until I gave tempeh a try and I’m so glad I did because tempeh is amazing! It soaks up the marinade really well (much better than tofu), so it’s perfect for flavorful bacon!
Instead of baking the tempeh slices, we’re using the pan, which is much quicker and you have more control over the browning process. Quick and easy vegan bacon? Yes, please!
What is Tempeh?
Tempeh is like tofu a soy product. Through culturing and fermentation, whole soybeans are molded into a block. Tempeh is even higher in protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins than tofu thanks to the fermentation and use of whole soybeans.
Pro-Tip: Buy tempeh in Asian stores (look in the refrigerated or freezer section) instead of health food stores. It’s much cheaper and the blocks of tempeh are bigger!
If you love tempeh as much as I do, then hop on over to this amazing collection of 25+ Vegan Tempeh Recipes!
The Ingredients for the Tempeh Bacon Marinade
The marinade is super easy to make! You only have to whisk together:
- Soy Sauce
- Sesame Oil
- Liquid Smoke
- Maple Syrup
- and Salt
The marinade is enough for 10 slices of tempeh. You can use it also to make Tofu Bacon or Coconut Bacon! It’s a great smoky marinade. You won’t need additional oil for the pan (it’s best to use a non-stick pan) because of the sesame oil in the marinade.
You can let the tempeh slices soak in the marinade directly in the pan (no need for another dish!). Once most of the marinade is soaked up, cook them in the pan until brown and crispy.
Serve the Vegan Tempeh Bacon …
- with tofu scramble for breakfast
- in thick & fluffy tortillas filled with salad and veggies or tomatoes, cucumbers, and Mediterranean tofu scramble
- in a burger
- on a salad
More Vegan Bacon Recipes for you to try!
Love it? Rate it!
I hope you will enjoy this ‘bacon’ as much as I did! Let me know if you give it a try!
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Cheers, Bianca
Vegan Tempeh Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon salt + more to taste
- 10 thin slices of tempeh
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, liquid smoke, maple syrup, and salt. Then pour it in a large enough pan that can hold all the tempeh slices.
- Add in the tempeh slices in a single layer. Let the tempeh soak in the marinade for 2-3 minutes, then flip the tempeh slices. Let them soak for another 2 minutes. Then bring the pan to medium to high heat.
- Cook the marinated tempeh slices for about 3-4 minutes (until lightly browned and crispy), then flip and let them cook on the other side for 2-3 minutes as well. Done! Check out the ideas on how to use them in the post!
shell shockers
Sunday 12th of January 2020
Wow thanks for this recipe now with the help of this recipe it will lot more easy to feed my vegan friends. Thanks
happy wheels game
Tuesday 26th of March 2019
Thanks for this recipe. Its healthy to cook at home. Gonna try to make this at home for my kids.
happy wheels
Tuesday 28th of August 2018
Wow really interesting article, may later be able to share other helpful information are more interesting. Thank you!