Smoky Tempeh Bacon

This fuss-free tempeh bacon recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and great for batch-cooking.

Over last month’s holiday break, I accompanied Rene to California where he was working on a project for several weeks. I’d go to this cafe to work and I just loved its vibe. They had lots of tables, strong wifi, and it was quiet enough to work, but not boring.

This small sliver of California – famous for Joshua Tree Park – draws in tourists from all over the world and I loved people-watching between emails.

Another perk of this place was that they had vegan options. My first time there, I ordered the vegan BLT, and it was so good, I literally had it every day after that. It had these juicy heirloom tomatoes, plenty of vegan mayo, and was served on chewy whole wheat sourdough. It was the perfect vegan sandwich.

The vegan bacon component was made out of tempeh, which completely blew my mind. I make shiitake bacon regularly and have heard of the coconut variety, but don’t know why I never considered tempeh, which happens to be my favorite sub-in for meaty textures in vegan recipes. I couldn’t wait to try it at home.

This baked tempeh bacon recipe is more like the thick-cut country-style bacon than the thin crumbly type. It’s smoky, savory, a little sweet thanks to maple syrup, and has a satisfying toothsome texture. If you want your tempeh bacon on the crispier side, make sure you slice the tempeh really thin.

What I love most about this tempeh bacon recipe is how unfussy it is and that you only need five ingredients. The bacon cooks in the oven, which is awesome because you don’t need to babysit it on the stove. It keeps well in the fridge, so you can make a big batch and use it throughout the week.

Serving Suggestions

This vegan bacon goes great with scrambled tofu for breakfast, in salads and grain bowls, tossed into pasta, or in a vegan BLT, of course.

Print