An amazing treat, this Vegan Bacon is made with tofu and is perfectly chewy and savory. A delicious plant-based protein, perfect for breakfast, BLTs, wraps, snacking, sandwiches, pasta, and healthy bowls. Video!
I have found that if you love life, life will love you back. ~Arthur Rubinstein
This vegan Tofu Bacon adds so much beautiful texture and zesty flavor to just about any sandwich, salad, pasta dish, or wrap. It is so good! Complimenting so many dishes, you can slice the Tofu Bacon into thinner strips, chop it, crumble it or use it whole. Feel free to get creative!
No need to spend time pressing out the moisture in the tofu or taking time to marinate. We do it all in one go in the oven. As the tofu bakes, it soaks up the flavor of the marinade and the excess moisture evaporates.
Frying the tofu just before serving brings out the spices and creates a succulent texture, crisp on the outside and tender in the center.
Vegan Bacon Recipe | 45-sec video
What you’ll need for Vegan Bacon
- firm or extra firm tofu
- soy sauce (low sodium preferred)
- smoked shoyu (or regular soy sauce + liquid smoke)
- maple syrup
- smoked paprika
- coriander
- black pepper
- chipotle powder (or canned)
How to make Tofu Bacon
Step one
Preheat oven to 350F. Drain and slice tofu 1/8″ thick. Leave in slabs or cut into strips. Lay out on an oiled sheet pan.
Step two
Mix the soy, smoked Shoyu, maple syrup, smoked paprika, coriander, black pepper and chipotle powder. Spoon half of the mixture over tofu, spreading out to the edges with the back of the spoon. Bake 15 minutes.
Step three
Flip tofu over carefully with a metal spatula and baste with the remaining marinade. Bake 15 minutes more.
Step four
Let cool for 15 minutes (or refrigerate until ready to use). Heat a skillet and fry the tofu in oil over medium heat until crisp 1-2 minutes per side.
What to Serve with Vegan Bacon Recipe
- Spring Green Vegan Frittata
- Creamy Pea Pasta (Vegan)
- Lemony Potato Salad with Peas
- Herby Chickpea Salad Sandwich
- Smashed Chickpea Avocado Sandwich
- Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad
- Charred Asparagus Kale Pasta with Lemony Cannellini Beans
- Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli Sauce
More tofu recipes you may enjoy
Enjoy it over Avocado Toast with or without an egg, and top it with microgreens, for a delicious healthy breakfast!
Hope you enjoy!
Vegan Bacon
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: vegan, breakfast
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: american
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This smoky, crispy Vegan Bacon is made with tofu and is perfectly chewy and savory. A delicious plant-based protein, perfect for breakfast, BLTs, wraps, sandwiches, pasta, and buddha bowls.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces firm or extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari (I prefer low sodium)
- 2 tablespoons smoked shoyu (or regular soy +2 drops liquid smoke)
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder (or canned in adobo sauce)
- 1–2 tablespoons coconut oil (or other oil suitable for medium-high heat)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Drain and slice tofu 1/8″ thick. Leave in slabs or cut into 1-inch strips. Lay out on an oiled sheet pan.
- Mix the soy, smoked Shoyu, maple syrup, smoked paprika, coriander, black pepper and chipotle powder. Spoon half of the mixture over tofu, spreading out to the edges with the back of the spoon. Bake 15 minutes.
- Remove tofu from oven and carefully with a metal spatula, flip tofu over and baste with the remaining marinade. Bake 15 minutes more.
- Let cool for 15 minutes (or refrigerate until ready to use).
- Heat a skillet and fry tofu over medium heat until crisp 1-2 minutes per side.
Notes
The vegan bacon can be baked ahead and refrigerated for up to 5 days, reheated in the skillet as needed throughout the week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 slices
- Calories: 93
- Sugar: 5.2 g
- Sodium: 114.1 mg
- Fat: 4.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.2 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 5.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I made this and put it in my banh mi sandwiches last week, using your sourdough baguette recipe. So good!! Thanks so much!!! ❤️
Perfect Angeli!
Wow! I made this today to make vegan ‘eggs’ Benedict tomorrow and it may not last until tomorrow! EVERYTHING I have made from your blog has been my new favorite, thank you so much for sharing your magic touch!
So glad to hear Brenda!
Hi, this looks great….could you confrim if the oil is used when baking or when frying please. Thanks for another lovely recipe.
The oil is for frying.
The Serving size is left blank. It would be essential to know this.
Thanks Leonard, recipe is updated!
Thank you for the delicious recipe! I didn’t have the shoyu or the liquid smoke and it was just lovely and super flavorful with extra soy and an extra pinch of smoked paprika.
Perfect Amy, glad it worked out for you!
Delicious! I followed the recipe ingredients except substituted a bit less avo oil for the coconut oil and mixed it in with the marinade so I could air fry, instead of oven bake, the tofu. Wow! Crispy, chewy and smoky goodness. Thanks for this recipe!
Awesome Melody! Appreciate the air fry version!
Hi Melody,
Great idea! How long and what temp for air frying?
Hi Carole,
Sorry for the delayed reply – I didn’t see your question until now. I set my air fryer at 400 and bake for 12 – 15 minutes depending on how crispy I want the pieces to be. Results from different fryers may vary. I’ve made this recipe a few times now and the results are so, so good! Enjoy! 😀
Just an idea, since so many people have issues with soy based products I wonder if looking into chickpea flour tofu (referred to as “Burmese Tofu”) would be a good sub in your tofu recipes…
Great idea! I have been wanting to experiment with this 🙂