Crispy, Smoky Vegan Tofu Bacon That'll Impress Even Meat Lovers

Bacon is one food that some vegetarians and vegans have a hard time letting go of when they change their diets. If you're a bacon fan but are avoiding real pork bacon for any reason, it is possible to replicate the breakfast favorite from plant-based ingredients. Sure, plant-based bacon isn't going to taste exactly like the real thing, but when made right, it hits those crispy, rich, smoky, savory, and umami-packed notes where it counts. 

There's more than one way to make fakin' bacon. Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a vegan bacon recipe using extra-firm tofu that gets coated in a thick sauce — and that's where the magic happens. The coated slices become crispy, browned, and slightly charred, the sauce caramelizes, and the flavor of the sweet, spicy, umami, and smoky ingredients deepens. Try it to believe it!

While you could always buy store-bought fake bacon products, not everybody likes the artificial taste, and many of these products can be very hit or miss. If you're new to bacon alternatives, start with this tofu bacon recipe, and scroll down to see what other ingredients you can make vegan bacon from. Vegetarians and vegans looking for a plant-based alternative will love this recipe, whether they're serving it with eggs or tofu scramble, making a vegan BLT, or just eating it by the strip right out of the oven (it's that good). Even if meat is a part of your diet, you may enjoy this alternative on Meatless Mondays or as a tasty and easy-to-make fiber-filled snack.

For this recipe, you will need a block of extra-firm tofu, and make sure the tofu is drained well before beginning. It's helpful to let it sit in a colander for awhile to let extra liquid from the package slowly drip off. You don't need to press it, though, because extra-firm tofu is already pressed. You'll also need soy sauce, olive oil, tomato paste, maple syrup, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and liquid smoke. If you'd rather not use liquid smoke, add some smoked salt or more smoked paprika.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Slice the tofu crosswise into thin slices, trying to make them all the same width. Then cut the slices in half lengthwise to make them narrower. Pat each slice dry.

To make the sauce, place the soy sauce, olive oil, tomato paste, syrup, paprika, garlic powder, and liquid smoke in a mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.

Place a few tofu slices at a time in the sauce and use a spatula or spoon to coat both sides of the pieces evenly. Work carefully so the slices don't break.

Place the coated tofu slices in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, carefully flipping the slices halfway, until browned and crispy. Depending on how thinly and evenly you sliced them, you may need to remove any thinner pieces earlier so they don't burn or give thicker pieces more time.

Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving. The tofu bacon will get crispier as it cools.

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Tofu isn't the only main ingredient you can use to make vegan bacon. If you like the protein content of tofu but want to switch it up, try using tempeh or soy curls. Thinly slice the tempeh or rehydrate the soy curls and squeeze out the water. Then coat your ingredient in the bacon sauce from this recipe and bake at directed. The soy curls may take 10 minutes longer to crisp up. To make crumbled-style bacon bits, crumble the tofu or tempeh first before coating it in the sauce and baking.

Gordon Ramsay uses rice paper to make vegan bacon; while the marinade adds flavor, rice paper doesn't have the protein or the heartiness of the choices listed above. The selling point is the super-crispy texture, one similar to regular bacon. Wet rice paper sheets in water and coat them in the bacon sauce. Then cut the paper into bacon-sized strips. Use single sheets or stick two or three together first for thicker bacon. Here Ramsay adds another special step –- he crumbles tofu on top and presses it into the bacon strips –- before baking until crispy.

You can also coat other ingredients in the marinade to make vegan bacon. Try large, wide-cut coconut flakes, very thinly sliced carrot, or shiitake mushrooms. Marinating the carrot and mushrooms first for 30 minutes will give them more flavor.

Yes, you can fry vegan bacon instead of baking it if you prefer. Follow the regular recipe steps for slicing the tofu and coating it in the sauce. Instead of preparing a baking pan, heat oil on medium in a skillet, preferably cast iron. Fry the coated slices in the hot oil for 2 to 4 minutes per side, until they're crispy and browned. You can fry tempeh bacon, shiitake bacon, carrot bacon, and rice paper bacon the same way. The rice paper bacon won't take as long, so aim for the lower end of the cooking time, about 2 minutes per side.

You can also make delicious vegan bacon in the air fryer. You don't need as much oil as you do for frying, but you still do need some so they turn out nice and crispy. Lightly brush both sides of sliced tofu, tempeh, rice paper, or carrots with oil, and grease the air fryer basket by rubbing it with a little oil. If your machine requires it, preheat it first, or set the temperature directly to 375 F. Air fry until browned and crispy, flipping halfway. The time will depend on the ingredient and how thinly you slice it. About 2 to 4 minutes per side is a good rule of thumb for thinly sliced ingredients, while medium thick slices of tofu and tempeh can take up to 10 minutes per side.

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