I prefer to make my own food, it’s cheaper, healthier and tastes better because I can use my favorite ingredients. I don’t eat vegan substitutes very often because they’re not healthy and they’re also really expensive in my country. Searching for the perfect vegan bacon recipe I found many amazing recipes, some people use coconut or even eggplant to make facon (or fake bacon), but I thought the tempeh bacon probably taste better and it’s really delicious.
Although this is not the healthiest food in the world, at least, is much healthier than regular bacon and also has less fat and is cholesterol-free.
I used store bought tempeh, but if you make your own tempeh, good for you! I rarely buy tempeh, actually this was the second time I used it. The first time I made these awesome vegan tempeh meatballs. If you have a good homemade tempeh recipe, please share it in the comments!
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This vegan tempeh is really easy to make, you just have to slice the tempeh, mix the marinade ingredients, soak the tempeh slices in the marinade for 1 or 2 minutes and fry them, that’s all! You can also bake it if you want.
The best oils for frying are those that can be heated to high temperatures before burning. I usually use extra virgin olive oil, but coconut oil is also great. Please avoid refined oils, they’re bad for your health.
To make the marinade you need: soy sauce or tamari, extra virgin olive oil (or other non refined oil), agave syrup (or any other liquid sweetener), red hot sauce, liquid smoke or smoke powder, ground cumin and black pepper.
You can use any hot sauce you like (Tabasco is great) or even you can add cayenne powder. I know the liquid smoke or smoke powder is not a healthy ingredient, but it’s necessary to get the real bacon taste. If you can’t find it, use barbecue sauce instead (you’ll probably need to add more).
There are so many recipes you can make with the tempeh bacon, but I used it to make the beautiful vegan Cobb salad you can see in the picture below, I’ll share the recipe soon!
Don’t forget to leave a comment or tag a picture #simpleveganblog on Instagram or Twitter if you make this tempeh bacon, we love your pictures and comments!
Tempeh Bacon
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Entrées, Sides & Main Dishes, Gluten Free, How-Tos
- Cuisine: Vegan, American-Inspired
This tempeh bacon is not the healthiest food in the world, but is much healthier than regular bacon and also has less fat and is cholesterol-free.
Ingredients
- 8 oz tempeh (250 g)
- 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for the marinade + extra virgin olive oil to taste for frying the bacon
- 1 tbsp maple or agave syrup
- 1/2 tsp red hot sauce or 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp liquid smoke or smoke powder (optional)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Pinch of salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- Slice the tempeh as thin as you can without it falling apart.
- Mix the rest of the ingredients (except the salt) in a bowl. Soak the tempeh slices in the marinade for 1 or 2 minutes.
- Heat extra virgin olive oil in a saute pan and when it’s hot, add the tempeh and cook for 1 or 2 minutes each side over high heat until both sides are browned and crisp.
- Lay cooked tempeh on paper towel to cool. Add salt to taste.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Healthy Happy Life
If you were to bake these, what temp and for how long? Thanks so much.
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Hi Joleyh! I’d bake them at 200ºC or 390ºF until they golden brown 🙂
I marinate tempeh for 20 inues in Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, sesame oil, rice vinegar and a little smoked paprika then bake at 350* for 0 minutes, flipping half way through. Tastes Great! no liquid smoke needed 🙂
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marinate 20 minutes; bake 30 minutes
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Hi Emilia! Thanks a lot for the ideas 🙂 Have a nice day!
what are your measurements for the ingredients and what temperature to you bake the tempeh at.
Linda
Hi Linda! You can find the measurements in the recipe box 🙂 I’d bake the tempeh bacon at 200ºC or 390ºF until they golden brown.
I did the same and it was great. I prefer the braggs liquid amino and smoked paprika.
Hi Nan! Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂 Have a nice day!
Carrot bacon is great too- has the sweetness of good maple smoked bacon
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Hi Ralph! Thanks a lot for your comment 😉 I need to try it!
Hi Emilia,
What are your measurements for your bacon.
Linda
I stumbled on your blog trying to find a way to use some tempeh I purchased. It turned out great. If you ever get your hands on pure maple syrup maybe try replacing the agave with that. Bacon and maple syrup are a classic flavor combination here in The States. I used the agave, but think I may try that sometime.
Your blog is lovely and just what I needed to inspire me to continue my healthy journey!
I traveled to Spain many years ago and now I long to go back! My niece is studying there, I might have to visit!
Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
Hi Alexandra! Thanks a lot for your kind words 🙂 I’ll try it because I LOVE maple syrup, it’s one of my favorite sweeteners. Hope you enjoy your travel 😉 Have a nice day!
I also think coconut aminos are a great substitute for the soy sauce. You can cut back a bit on the sugar since the aminos are sweeter.
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Hi Ben! I’ve never tried it because it’s impossible to find it here in Spain, but sounds great 🙂
This recipe was amazing!! I baked mine at 200 C for 15 minutes and just made the most amazing vegan BLT. Thankyou! ❤️
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Hi Tilda! Thanks a lot 😀 So glad you liked it!
great recipe but plz stop heating olive oil its meant for salads and sipping heating it causes oxidation
Thanks a lot for your comment!
Hi there.
What kind of oil do you recommend instead?
Hi Charlotte! I’ve only made this recipe using extra virgin olive oil, so I can’t recommend you other kind of oil. Feel free to use what your have on hand.
Coconut oil does’nt oxidize when heated like olive oil, and it is good for you. Most of the other oils are processed or made with GMO corn or soy, so you need to stay away from them. Unrefined Coconut oil is best.
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Hi Penny! Thank you so much for your comment 🙂
avocado oil, sesame oil and grapeseed oil are good too.
Hi Dan! Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂
Jrff: This is Iosune’s recipe, which does include the oil. It is up to you/us to make your/our own choices, not have her change her recipe for us.
Hi Donna! Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂 Have a nice day!
This is so great! I was looking for a replacement that could quench my need for bacon in my diet and this might just be the one! How long does tempeh last in the fridge when you cook it like this? Thanks for your recipe!
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Hi Billy! It lasts for up to 5 days 🙂 Have a nice day!
This looks like our tempe bacem.. the ingredients are similar too.. soy sauce, palm sugar vs agave.. we don’t use smoke liquid & we add more spices. Well I will make tempe bacon with some modification to my taste and I will let you know.. I have lots of smoke liquid but only use it for my vegan bbq sauce. Let’s try this then. Thanks
Hi Hulupi! Hopes you like it!
You keep mentioning “healthy” with the ingredients but one of your ingredients is agave syrup. Agave syrup is so bad for you and children it is amazing! It is more highly refine with chemicals than table sugar, which would be a far healthier choice than Agave syrup! Refined from the starch of the agave root with multiple chemicals it ends up being 99% fructose, high fructose corn sugar is 55% fructose. Please do your readers a favor and educate yourself to the facts. All you have to do is Google the stuff.
Hi Brad! I use non-refined agave syryp, but feel free to use any other sweetener you want instead.
Well, I can’t have sugar because most of it is filtered through animal char (crushed burnt bones) and it also gives me terrible gas. Agave is vegan friendly and no colon problems! It also doesn’t make me dizzy the way sugar does….
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Hi Ant! Most sugar is vegan now, so don’t worry about it. We love cane or coconut sugar, but agave is a great choice 🙂
Brad Cutter: Please don’t insult the author of this recipe with your diatribe. If you don’t like an ingredient, feel free to substitute with something else. Your comment was not appreciated.
Just one note about oil–extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil are both refined oils and are not considered healthy in the whole food plant based diet environment. Both of these add a lot of calories to a recipe while adding no nutrients whatsoever. Coconut oil is also very high in saturated fat and increases cholesterol (you can check this out on nutritionfacts.org). If a recipe seems to need some kind of fat I look to nut butters and nut creams that are homemade. With regard to agave (or maple syrup), a healthy sub is date syrup.
Hi Rebecca! Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂 We’re following a low-fat, high-carb, vegan diet at the moment, so we avoid oil most of the time. Have a nice day!
Props to you for taking all of the criticism so constructively. I thought the recipe was delicious. I just made it for myself and for my two year old, but sautéed it in some Kerry gold butter. Personally, I feel that in this day and age, we can pick apart every ingredient until we are blue in the face. I think recipe modification tips are fine…but I wish people were a little less judgmental about it when suggesting them. Anywho, it was delicious. Thanks again!
Hi Lauren! Thanks a lot for your kind words 🙂 So glad you liked the bacon!
No kidding! I hate when haters troll recipes they have no intention of making. GO AWAY! 🙂
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Hi Sarah! Hahaha me too 😛 Thanks for your comment and have a beautiful day!
I thought this was very tasty! I doubled the sauce recipe and spooned it over the tempeh as it cooked. Yum! Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Sarah! Thanks a lot for your kind words 🙂 Have a nice day!
Tried it with the substitute of smoked paprika for the liquid smoke, as that is what I had. It was great. First time I had Tempe too!
Hi Kay! So glad you liked it 🙂
This was super yummy! I used it with thinly sliced tofu instead of tempeh. Delicious 🙂
Hi Molly! So glad you liked it 😀 I need to try this recipe with tofu!
I know I’m a little late to the game here, but thanks for sharing this recipe! It was just what I was looking for. And for all the haters who just want to complain about the ingredients in another person’s recipe: Go figure out how to make it yourself then! I can’t believe all the negative criticism in these comments. Thanks, Iosune, for being generous enough with your time and knowledge to it share with us <3
Hi Lindsey! You’re so welcome and thanks a lot for your kind words 🙂 Have a nice day!
Hi I found your recipe on Pinterest because I was looking for ideas for tempeh that I bought. Can I use raw honey as a sweetener instead of agave or maple syrup THANK YOU
Hi Dezzi! You can use any liquid sweetener you want 🙂
I went with the paprika, maple syrup, and half the liquid smoke and olive oil. It’s awesome! Thanks! Finishing my last few bites with it wrapped in a tortilla with baby spinach.
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Hi Rasa! You’re so welcome 🙂 Sounds great!
This is BULLSHIT GOOD and so quick to make! I am obsessed, I’ve been treating myself to this every Sunday for the last month. Thank you for a great recipe, even my omni family loves it. I added some bbq to the marinade because I love it but the recipe is perfect as it is.
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Hi Mel! So glad you liked it 😀 Have a nice day!
C’mon guys, lets have a little more positivity here! Any recipe is given as a guide, and most cooks will adjust amounts/ingredients to suit their own taste. It is down to personal choice. When someone is kind enough to share a brilliant idea, have the common decency to treat them with respect. If you have nothing nice to say, keep quiet!! Tempeh is difficult to get in my area of the UK so I have made the recipe with tofu and loved it. I am in the process of making my own tempeh and looking forward to trying out the recipe as it is written. At that point I will modify it to my own taste WITHOUT posting criticism or negativity. Thank you Iosune and please keep your recipes coming.
Hi Anthea! You’re so welcome and thank you SO much for your nice words 🙂
Awesome!
Thanks a lot Diana 😀
Delicious. Simple and to the point. I am definitely making again
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Hi Elena! So glad you liked it 😀
I made this exactly as instructed except I baked instead and it wasn’t soooo good! I used maple syrup and smoked hot paprika but kept all the measurements the same. I put it on a vegan BLT sandwich! I will definitely make this again! Thanks for sharing!
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Hi Chelsea! So glad you liked it 🙂
HI Iosune!
Thank you so much for posting this!! The bacon turned out great! I used Avocado oil since I am Keto Vegan and maple syrup. THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!!!!
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Hi Nicole! You’re so welcome 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Even tho this didn’t taste like bacon, it was really good and have made it several times for a BLT sandwich. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Karlyn! You’re so welcome 🙂
Extra Virgin Olive oil has a low smoking point which means it will burn. Use regular olive oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil etc. Extra virgin olive oil is for salads and noncooked foods. Please look this up; I did and learned a lot. It makes me question your recipe when you don’t know this.
Hi Carolyn! That’s not true, you can use extra virgin olive oil for cooking if you don’t heat it at a really high temperature. We use it in Mediterrean countries and we’re so healthy 🙂
I use rice bran oil, as it has a very high smoking point, Canola is an oil that should never be used do some research on it and you will see how unhealthy it is
Hi Will! Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂
Great recipe. The only change I made was instead of liquid smoke, I used a teaspoon of smoked paprika. Great flavor!
Hi Sheila! I prefer to use paprika on a daily basis 🙂 So glad you liked it!
I was sceptical, but this was delicious! I’m able to buy pre-sliced tempeh at my local grocery store and I followed the recipe exactly. Filled a craving! I’m the sole vegetarian in my house and sometimes the smell of bacon has me drooling. This might be even better! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Julie! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you liked it so much!
Nailed the flavors, ya’ll!!! I fried it a tad of coconut oil, which enhanced the sweetness. Thanks so much for your secret! I have some extra from our ‘blt’s’ tonight and will take a fancy picture tomorrow on my foodie IG @alkalinewellness. Cheers 🙂
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Hi Kristin! I’m so happy to hear that and so glad you liked it 🙂
made it ..its fab thanks
Hi Erinna! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Thanks for the recipe. As I began my vegetarian lifestyle journey this assisted my bacon craving. I made some fried potatoes with yellow peppers, variety of spices and drizzled this marinate. Deliciousness to the max.
Hi Ramona! You’re so welcome 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
If I make this the night before, what’s the best way to keep it crisp for the next morning?
Hi Kathy! It’s best when fresh, but I keep it in a sealed container in the fridge and then reheat it in a pan with a little bit of oil. Hope it helps!
This tasted so good and was very easy to make.
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Hi Lorianne! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂 Have a nice day!
Thanks so much for this easy bacon sub recipe!
I have yet to make it, but when I do I will replace the hot sauce and smoke products with organic smoked paprika. I just have to pick up some organic tempeh.
Hi Janet! You’re so welcome 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!