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Slices of crispy tempeh bacon fill a plate. The tempeh is dark brown with charred edges.

Crispy Tempeh “Bacon” Recipe


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5 from 1 review

  • Author: Kathryn Alexandre
  • Total Time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: 225 g 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Easy to make crispy tempeh bacon! Get a tiny bit of char on it if you’re a really crispy bacon fan and give your breakfast a boost of protein!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 225g tempeh*
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
  • 1 tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce (or more tamari)
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke
  • 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • Pinch of black pepper

*Ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.


Instructions

  1. Steam your block of tempeh for 15 minutes to remove its naturally bitter flavour. This isn’t entirely necessary but I really do find the flavour much improved after steaming.
  2. Meanwhile, mix the marinade ingredients in a shallow dish.
  3. Slice your steamed tempeh as thinly as you can (I get roughly 24 pieces). Lay the slices in the marinade and turn them to coat each side. Marinate for 15 minutes (up to overnight).
  4. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
  5. Remove the tempeh from the marinade, place on the lined baking sheet and baste with any leftover marinade. Bake for 20 minutes turning halfway through (and basting again if you happen to have more marinade leftover). Depending on the thickness of your slices you may need to keep them in for closer to 30 minutes to get as crispy as you’d like.
  6. Remove from the oven and enjoy on the side of a 10 Minute Tofu Breakfast Scramble, on Vegan Eggs Benedict, or in a Vegan “BLT”! Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Notes

Approximate Cost: $5.98 Canadian vs about $3 for 225 grams of traditional bacon slices. A more processed store-bought vegan bacon product would cost me $8.99 for 200g.

  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Various
  • Cuisine: American, Canadian