This portobello mushroom bacon is an easy, healthy, vegan alternative to bacon that can be made in minutes with just 4 ingredients.  It fries up crispy, meaty, and satisfying plus it’s delicious on sandwiches, breakfast burritos, veggie burgers, or anywhere you would use bacon.

Mushroom bacon cooking in an iron skillet with a red handle.

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Portobello mushroom bacon has a delicious smokey flavor and amazing texture.

My husband and son are not big fans of mushrooms and usually pick them out of most dishes, but they both go crazy over mushroom bacon!  There is something about that smokey flavor and when the mushrooms are cooked until crispy, that makes them taste more like bacon than mushrooms.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • It’s plant-based bacon, not a processed vegan meat product.
  • This is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free.
  • Mushroom bacon is quick and easy to make.
  • Mushrooms have a naturally meaty texture that mimics the texture of bacon when cooked long enough.

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Mushrooms – I prefer portabello mushrooms since they can be sliced into long pieces like bacon strips.  They also have a meaty firm texture and crisp up well.  You can use button or crimini mushrooms too if you would like.
  • Cooking Oil – for marinating and frying.  Any neutral-flavored oil will work well.  Refined coconut oil gives it a great flavor.
  • Liquid Smoke – for the smoky bacon flavor.  You can swap this out for smoked paprika instead of liquid smoke in equal amounts if desired.
  • Salt – for flavor.

How to make mushroom bacon

Step 1 – Wash your mushrooms by rubbing them gently under running water until all the soil is off of them.

Step 2 – Cut off the stems and slice them about 1 cm thick.

Step 3 – Place 2 tbsp of oil, and 1 tsp of liquid smoke in a shallow dish and give it a stir.

Oil and liquid smoke mixed to make a mushroom bacon marinade.
Make the marinade.
Raw mushrooms marinating in oil and liquid smoke.
Soak the mushroom slices in the marinade.

Step 4 – Place the sliced mushrooms in the oil and liquid smoke mixture then flip them so that both sides of the mushrooms are coated.

Step 5 – Coat the bottom of your frying pan with a thin layer of additional oil, turn the heat to medium, then place the mushrooms in the pan, and sprinkle with salt.  (The salt is for flavor and also to help draw the moisture out of the mushrooms and make them crispy.

Step 6 – Flip the mushrooms after about 7-8 minutes, sprinkle with salt again, and cook until they become darkened and crispy.  (They will reduce in size a lot when the moisture cooks out of them and they become crispy.)

Vegan mushroom bacon cooling on a paper towel.

Step 7 – Lay on a paper towel to soak up any excess oil. Serve as you would bacon.

Pro tips

  • The mushrooms will be cooked after a few minutes on each side, however, if you want them to have more of a crispy bacon texture, you need to continue to cook them until they become crispy.
  • For a reddish color, use smoked paprika instead of or along with the liquid smoke.

How to use mushroom bacon

A close up of portabello mushroom bacon cooking in a pan.

Other ways to make vegan bacon

Mushroom bacon recipe

Sliced portabella mushrooms cooking in a skillet.
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5 from 2 rating

Portobello Mushroom Bacon

Yield: 4
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
Turn portobello mushroom into vegan bacon with this quick and easy method.
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups portobello mushrooms, (2 portobellos sliced)
  • 3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon hickory flavored liquid smoke, (or smoked paprika)
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Wash your mushrooms by rubbing them gently under running water until all the soil is off of them.
  • Cut off the stems and slice them about 1 cm thick.
  • Place 2 tbsp of oil, and 1 tsp of liquid smoke in a shallow dish and give it a stir.
  • Place the sliced mushrooms in the oil and liquid smoke mixture then flip them so that both sides of the mushrooms are coated.
  • Coat the bottom of your frying pan with a thin layer of additional oil, turn the heat to medium, then place the mushrooms in the pan, and sprinkle with salt.  (The salt is for flavor and also to help draw the moisture out of the mushrooms and make them crispy.
  • Flip the mushrooms after about 7-8 minutes, sprinkle with salt again, and cook for 5-7 more minutes until they become darkened and crispy.  (They will reduce in size a lot when the moisture cooks out of them and they become crispy.)
  • Lay on a paper towel to soak up any excess oil. Serve as you would bacon.

Notes

  • The mushrooms will be cooked after a few minutes on each side, however, if you want them to have more of a crispy bacon texture, you need to continue to cook them until they become crispy.
Serving: 5slices, Calories: 102kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 149mg, Potassium: 157mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Iron: 1mg
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