Tempeh Bacon
Crispy with maple and smokey goodness, this tempeh bacon recipe is perfect for breakfast, sandwiches, and crumbled-on salads rolled up in a wrap with veggies. Use an air fryer, a skillet, or the oven to make perfect vegan bacon every time.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Breakfast, Sandwiches, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 129kcal
Tempeh Bacon
- 16 ounces tempeh I use organic light life brand
- ¼ cup soy sauce or Tamari
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke I used hickory flavor
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
Remove tempeh for the packages and cut each piece in half.
Place in a large saucepan and cover in water.
Boil for 20 minutes.
Drain water and set it aside to cool.
Set cooled tempeh on a cutting board and cut into identical thin strips like bacon.
In a refrigerator-safe container, whisk together the tempeh bacon marinade, and pour a small amount into the container's base.
Then, add the sliced tempeh pieces, pour more marinade over the top, and repeat until all the tempeh and marinade are in the container.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
I always flip it over in the refrigerator every time I go in the refrigerator for anything.
Air Fryer Cooking
Spray water in the base of the air fryer.
Add the marinated strips of tempeh and reserve extra marinade
Cook in batches in a single layer at 370 degrees for 7 minutes; flipping each strip after 3 minutes.
Return cooked pieces into the container with the extra marinade.
Repeat until all the pieces are cooked.
Baking
Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Place the tempeh bacon strips in a single layer, leaving a little space between each strip.
Cook at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until tempeh is browned.
Now, return the cooked tempeh to the container with the extra marinade.
Skillet
In a large skillet, heat the pan to medium-low.
Place the tempeh strips in the pan, not overlapping each other.
As the bacon is cooked, flip the pieces over every 5-7 minutes, adding small amounts of the marinade into the pan as the bacon cooks and browns, until all the marinade is absorbed.
- Boiling the tempeh pieces before cutting and marinating them ensures the marinade flavors will absorb into the tempeh.
- Marinate overnight for the best results; the longer, the deeper the flavors.
- Turn the covered container over throughout the marinating process to soak up most of the marinade.
- The more marinade the tempeh absorbs, the deeper the flavors.
Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 327mg | Potassium: 268mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 2mg