There are so many ways to make vegan bacon, and I’ve shared many of them on this site: coconut bacon, tempeh bacon, even rice paper bacon. But believe it or not, I’ve yet to share the meatless bacon that I probably make the most often: tofu bacon! I love all my vegan bacons, but I find tofu bacon is the most versatile, plus, I usually have all the ingredients to make it on hand (whereas I’m not always one for keeping a stock of flaked coconut or rice paper). Let’s talk about how this stuff is made!
What You’ll Need
Soy sauce. Feel free to sub gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos.Maple syrup. You can sub another sweetener, but the maple flavor really does make this stuff taste bacony.Apple cider vinegar.Liquid smoke. This is the key to giving your tofu a bacon flavor.Olive oil. This will help your bacon to crisp up, but you can leave it out if you follow an oil-free diet.Smoked paprika. Garlic powder.Tofu. Use firm or extra-firm.
How to Make Tofu Bacon
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make tofu bacon. Scroll down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Start by pressing your tofu. Use a tofu press, or simply wrap it in a few layers of towels and place something flat and heavy on top to squeeze out the water. Let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes.
Make your marinade by mixing up soy sauce, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, and garlic powder in a bowl.Now cut your block of tofu. For thin strips of tofu bacon you’ll want to slice it thin, so you get about 16 slices out of your tofu block. But feel free to cut your tofu in whatever configuration you like! Dice, or even crumble it — it’ll taste good no matter what!
Place your tofu into a shallow dish and pour the marinade on top. I like to let mine sit for 30 minutes, but just a few minutes will do in a pinch.
Now arrange your tofu strips on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spoon any excess marinade on top. Pop the baking sheet into the oven and bake the tofu until the strips have darkened and shrunken up quite a bit. For extra crispy bacon, brush or spritz the strips with oil during the last few minutes of baking.
Let your tofu bacon strips (or cubes, or whatever) cool a bit before serving.
Can this recipe be made gluten-free? Yup! Just use gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce.Shelf life & storage: Tofu bacon will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 4 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.Serving ideas! Serve your tofu bacon just one might serve regular bacon: as a side dish for breakfast, on a sandwich, over soup like this vegan split pea soup, or on a salad like this vegan Caesar salad.
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