This is the best vegan bacon ever! It combines the crispiness of rice paper bacon and the meatiness of tofu bacon into perfect salty, smokey strips that will satisfy all of your bacon cravings!
I’ve been making rice paper bacon for years and love the crispy texture that it makes, but I missed the meatiness. I also frequently made tofu bacon and tempeh bacon, which is also delicious and full of protein, but not crispy. So one day I got the idea to combine my two favorite types of vegan bacon into the perfect balance of crispy and meaty and the result was truly amazing!
My son took one bite and said, “Your whole life has led up to the creation of this bacon!”
You’ll love this vegan bacon recipe because it’s…
- crispy, meaty, salty, and smokey.
- gluten-free and easily made soy-free if needed.
- fun to make.
- simply delicious!
What you need to make this veggie bacon and why?
- Rice Paper – for the formation of the bacon strips and to make it super crispy. These are the thin sheets that are used to make summer rolls. You can find them in the Asian section of most large grocery stores. I find that the brands that contain wheat give the crispiest texture.
- Firm Tofu – to crumble inside the layers of rice paper to give your bacon a meaty texture.
- Bragg’s Liquid Aminos – or soy sauce for the saltiness and flavor. You can also use soy sauce or Tamari instead. (I don’t recommend coconut aminos)
- Liquid Smoke – Hickory Flavored – for the smoky bacon flavor. (Hickory has a nicer flavor than mesquite in my opinion.)
- Smoked Paprika – for additional smoky flavor and color. You can use regular paprika if you don’t have smoked.
- Garlic Powder – for flavor. (optional)
- Nutritional Yeast – for a richer flavor. (optional)
- Light Olive Oil or Canola Oil – for the richness of real bacon. (See the note below about oil).
A note about the oil:
When testing the recipe I thought that refined coconut oil would be a great choice to cook the bacon in, but every time I used it, there was a slightly burnt taste even though the bacon wasn’t burnt. I realized that since you cook this bacon at a high temperature, the oil that you use needs to have a high smoke point. Make sure to choose an oil that has a smoke point at 400 degrees or above for the best flavor. Here is a chart that shows smoke points of different oils to help you pick one that’s best for you.
How to make vegan bacon:
Make the bacon-flavored marinade:
- Combine soy sauce, liquid smoke, water, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast in a bowl, then stir with a fork.
Prepare the ingredients:
- Pour 2 tbsp of the marinade into a small bowl (to marinate the tofu) and the rest on to a large plate. (This will be used to dip your strips of rice paper.)
- Drain and press the excess liquid out of a block of firm tofu, then crumble 1/4 of the block of firm tofu into the bowl with 2 tbsp of the marinade and let it soak while you prepare the rice paper.
- Cut the rice paper into long strips about 1 1/2 inch wide with kitchen scissors. (a little wider than you want the final strip of bacon to be since it will shrink a little when it cooks.) You can layer up to 4 sheets on top of each other when you cut them to save time.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (204 C).
Assemble the bacon:
- Spread 2 tbsp of oil on a cookie sheet. (or line it with parchment paper for oil-free)
- Dip a stip of rice paper in the marinade quickly. Don’t let it soak and get soft, just get it coated with the mixture.
- Lay the strip on the oiled cookie sheet and sprinkle with about 1-2 tsp of crumbled marinated tofu.
- Dip another rice paper strip in the marinade and lay it flat on top of the first. (It will not stick to the bottom layer at first. Don’t worry, they will fuse together and seal the tofu inside once it cooks.)
- Repeat this process until your sheet of full of bacon strips, but they are not touching each other.
Cook the bacon:
- Place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake at 400 degrees F for 7 minutes.
- Take out of the oven and flip each piece and then bake again for about 7 more minutes until the edges start to curl up and it gets crispy.
Tips for making perfect rice paper tofu bacon:
- Don’t let the rice paper soak up too much marinade. You just want to get some flavor on it. If it gets too wet, it will take longer to cook and won’t be as crispy.
- Make sure to use an oil with a high smoke point to avoid any burnt flavor in your bacon.
- Flip the bacon carefully, rice paper tends to stick to itself and it will stick to other slices as well.
Can I fry this vegan bacon?
Yes, pan-frying also works great. You can fry your prepared strips of bacon in a little oil over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon for about 2-3 minutes on each side until crispy. I usually bake the bacon since I can assemble it all at the same time and all of the slices are ready at the same time.
Can I make this veggie bacon oil-free?
Yes, if you want to have oil-free bacon, line your cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake your strips on the parchment paper. This will ensure that your bacon doesn’t stick to the cookie sheet.
How can I make this recipe soy-free?
If you don’t want to use tofu, you can use mashed chickpeas instead. Crush 1/3 cup of chickpeas (that have been drained and washed) with the back of a fork until they are crumbly. Soak the mashed chickpeas in the bacon-flavored marinade instead of the tofu.
How can I make gluten-free vegan bacon?
Make sure to use rice paper that is gluten-free, surprisingly some brands have wheat flour. Also, be sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce like Tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos.
How can I store and reheat the cooked rice paper bacon?
You can keep it covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Heat the bacon by quickly pan-frying it or pop it back in the oven. Reheating in the microwave will make it soggy.
How can I use this vegan bacon?
- Serve the bacon on the side of some Vegan Scrambled Eggs, a Vegan Omelet, Vegan French Toast, or Vegan Cinnamon Rolls for a breakfast that will blow your family away!
- Crumble it into a Vegan Quiche!
- Use it on veggie burgers or sandwiches or make a Vegan BLT with it.
- Crumble it over salads for delicious crispy bacon bits or use my Vegan Bacon Bits recipe that uses TVP instead.
Be sure to follow me on Instagram or on Pinterest for daily vegan inspiration and recipe ideas! Tag me at #thehiddenveggies! I love to see what you made too!
Vegan bacon made with rice paper and tofu, and a smokey marinade.
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos or Tamari for GF
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast optional
- 2 tbsp oil (for greasing the baking sheet or frying pan)
- 3.5 oz firm tofu (This is 1/4 of a block of tofu)
- 6 sheets rice paper
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Combine soy sauce, liquid smoke, water, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast in a bowl, then stir with a fork.
-
Pour 2 tbsp of the marinade into a small bowl (to marinate the tofu) and the rest on to a large plate. (This will be used to dip your strips of rice paper.)
-
Drain and press the excess liquid out of a block of firm tofu, then crumble 1/4 of the block of firm tofu into the bowl with 2 tbsp of the marinade and let it soak while you prepare the rice paper.
-
Cut the rice paper into long strips about 1 1/2 inch wide with kitchen scissors. (a little wider than you want the final strip of bacon to be since it will shrink a little when it cooks.) You can layer up to 4 sheets on top of each other when you cut them to save time.
-
Preheat your oven to 400°F(204°C).
-
Spread 2 tbsp of oil on a cookie sheet. (or line it with parchment paper for oil-free)
-
Dip a stip of rice paper in the marinate quickly. Don't let it soak and get soft, just get it coated with the mixture.
-
Lay the strip on the oiled cookie sheet and sprinkle with about 1-2 tsp of crumbled marinated tofu.
-
Dip another rice paper strip in the marinade and lay it flat on top of the first. (It will not stick to the bottom layer at first. Don't worry, they will fuse together and seal the tofu inside once it cooks.)
-
Repeat this process until your sheet of full of bacon strips, but they are not touching each other.
-
Place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake at 400 degrees F for 7 minutes.
-
Take out of the oven and flip each piece and then bake again for about 7 more minutes until the edges start to curl up and it gets crispy.
