Published: · Modified: by Shane Martin · This post may contain affiliate links.
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I love Tempeh Bacon! It’s sweet, savory, full of flavor and protein, and super easy to make. This vegan bacon is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or making a delicious vegan BLT.
Table of Contents
What Is Tempeh
Tempeh is fermented whole soybeans, packed with protein and it’s been around a long time. I know it doesn’t sound so exciting right now, but just wait until you try this tempeh bacon recipe.
Think of tempeh as the awkward second cousin of tofu. Tempeh is not very exciting or tasty on its own, but marinate it and there’s no stopping it. It’s a great and hearty meat substitute for vegetarians and vegans.
What Is Tempeh Bacon
It’s exactly how it sounds.
We take the tempeh, slice it, marinate, and cook it. Will it taste exactly like real bacon? No. How about the same texture as bacon? No. And, why? Because it’s not real bacon.
But, it will satisfy the senses and the urges you might have in a much healthier way. And, without the pork.
And, as an added bonus, this vegan bacon won’t clog your arteries and eventually kill you. #winning (I realize hashtags don’t work on websites)
How To Make Tempeh Bacon
Add all marinade ingredients into a small bowl and mix well to combine. Then, pour into a container large enough that the marinade and tempeh will just fit. Not too large, not too small.
Carefully slice the tempeh into thin strips and place in the marinade, and make sure each piece is coated. Marinate for at least 20 minutes. If you can wait, let the tempeh marinate in the fridge overnight.
Now, preheat oven to 350 degrees, line abaking sheetwithparchment paper, and layout tempeh ona baking sheet.
Place the tempeh in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the tempeh bacon from the oven, flip over, evenly pour the remaining marinade on the tempeh. Place it back in the oven and cook for another 15 minutes or until most of the marinade has evaporated. The cooking time will depend on the oven.
Remove the tempeh bacon from the oven and serve immediately.
How To Cook Tempeh Bacon
You can bake or pan fry. But, obviously, I prefer baking it.
Baking it is less messy and requires no oil. Which is what I’m about here at Shane & Simple.
What To Serve With Vegan Bacon
- Vegan Blueberry Pancakes
- More vegan pancakes
- Tofu Breakfast Scramble
- Overnight Vegan French Toast Casserole
Also, try my Oil Free Oven Roasted Potatoes and Vegan Sausage recipe if you’d more vegan breakfast dishes.
I hope you enjoy this tempeh bacon recipe. It’s…
- Sweet
- Savory
- Smoky
- Easy to make
- Loaded with protein
- Full of flavor
- & Delicious
Tempeh TIPS: The longer the bacon marinates the more flavor it will absorb from the marinade. Also, tempeh tends to be a little bitter right out of the package. You and soften that by steaming or boiling it for 10-15 minutes.
Be sure and let me know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment, take a picture, post it onInstagramand tag the photo#shaneandsimpleso I can see your dish. If you want to be kept up to speed on all that’s going down with Shane & Simple and my latest recipesSUBSCRIBE HERE!
Smoky Maple Tempeh Bacon
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star
4.9 from 9 reviews
This Tempeh Bacon is absolutely delicious and super easy to prepare. It’s sweet, savory, smoky, and delicious! Pile it high in sandwiches, on top of salads, or anywhere you’d normally put bacon.
- Author: Shane Martin
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Scale
Tempeh
- 1 8-ounce package of tempeh
For The Marinade
- ¼ cup Tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (make sure it’s vegetarian)
- 2 tsp. smoked paprika or paprika
- 1 tsp. liquid smoke (or preference)
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne
Instructions
- Add all marinade ingredients into a small bowl and mix well to combine. Then, pour into a container large enough that marinade and tempeh will just fit. Not too large, not too small.
- Carefully slice the tempeh into thin strips and place in the marinade, and make sure each piece is coated. Marinate for at least 20 minutes. If you can wait, let marinate in the fridge overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick aluminum foil.
- Layout tempeh on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, flip over, evenly pour the remaining marinade on the tempeh. Place tempeh back in oven and cook for another 15 minutes or until most of the marinade has evaporated. Cooking time will depend on oven.
- Serve.
Notes
Tempeh can have a somewhat “bitter” flavor to it, which I like. But, if you want a milder tempeh you can simply boil or steam it for about 10-15 minutes. Mellows it out.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 strips
- Calories: 93
- Sugar: 4.8 g
- Sodium: 294.7 mg
- Fat: 2.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.3 g
- Fiber: 3.5 g
- Protein: 8.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
