Name: Easy Tofu Bacon
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/2 block extra firm tofu; 2 tbsp soy sauce (tamari for gluten-free); 2 tsp liquid smoke; 1/4 tsp maple syrup; 1/4 tsp dried rosemary (ground); 1 pinch black pepper (ground); 2 tsp vegetable oil (for frying)

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Satisfy your cravings with these mouth-watering slices of vegan tofu bacon. These tofu strips are salty, smoky, chewy and full of yummy umami flavour. This recipe is quick and easy to make!

A juicy pile of fried tofu bacon on a white plate.

Table of Contents

Ingredient tips
Step by step pictures
Tips
Variations and substitutions
Serving
Storage
More tofu recipes
📖 Recipe

This vegan bacon is what everyone who misses the taste of bacon has been waiting for! There’s so many vegan bacon recipes which use rice paper, coconut, carrot, even banana peel....

But for us, the ultimate vegan bacon is made from tofu.

It’s got that chewy, meaty texture. Plus it’s a great source of protein so it makes the ideal swap in many dishes. And when combined with our simple marinade, the smell of it frying is mouthwatering!

The secret to this tofu bacon recipe is using the excess marinade to glaze the tofu at the end of cooking. This simple step adds an incredible amount of flavour that makes this vegan bacon substitute taste irresistible!

A juicy pile of dark brown, fried slices of tofu on a white square plate, decorated with a twig of fresh rosemary.

Why you'll love it:

It’s simple & easy
High in protein
Few ingredients
Fried in the pan - just like real bacon
Tastes absolutely amazing!

Ingredient tips

Here's everything you need for this easy vegan tofu bacon recipe:

Tofu slices on a dark wooden board, ground rosemary, maple syrup and black pepper on small measuring spoons, and soy sauce and liquid smoke in small pots.

Tofu - We prefer to use extra firm tofu. It can be chewy or crisp, depending on how thin you slice it and how hard you fry it. Make sure to use a regular block of tofu, not silken tofu which is too soft and won't work in this recipe.

If using firm tofu, you can press it first to remove excess moisture and improve the texture. A tofu press like this is really handy, but you can also wrap it in a clean tea towel between two chopping boards, and add weights on top.

Soy sauce - The biggest part of the marinade is organic soy sauce, which gives both savoury umami flavour and saltiness to this recipe.

Liquid smoke - Just a little adds a lot of depth and savouriness. We really like Stubb’s Hickory Liquid Smoke or Colgins.

Maple syrup - This adds just a little bit of caramelisation that you normally get when frying up some bacon. It also balances the whole flavour profile of our vegan tofu bacon.

To complete the marinade we add some black pepper and finely ground dried rosemary. The rosemary with its pine aroma elevates the smoky flavour of the tofu bacon to another level, making it even more woody.

Now that you know what you need - let’s make some vegan bacon, shall we?

A top-down close-up of several deep brown fried slices of marinated tofu in a frying pan.

Step by step pictures

Here's a visual overview of how to make the best tofu bacon!

For the full, adjustable and printable recipe, see the recipe card at the end of the post.

Slices of plain tofu fanned out on a dark wodden board.

Step 1 - Cut the tofu into thin slices.

In a shallow glass dish, the tofu slices are marinated in the dark brown marinade.

Step 2 - Combine all the marinade ingredients and soak the tofu in the marinade for at least 15 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.

A close up of some slices of marinated tofu being fried golden brown in a frying pan.

Step 3 - Fry the tofu in some oil until both sides are golden brown.

A dark brown marinade is poured over slices of fried tofu in the frying pan.

Step 4 - Pour on the remaining marinade, coating the fried tofu strips and continue to cook until the marinade is reduced into a glaze.

Tips

Although it’s not a crucial step, marinating the tofu overnight in the fridge will give it plenty of time to really absorb the sauce into its pores. This gives you tofu bacon that’s full of flavour inside and outside.
After pouring the remaining marinade into the frying pan, don’t let it burn! Better to reduce heat and take it off a few seconds earlier.
All the stuff that stays in the pan when you take out the bacon? Don’t waste it! A tiny splash of water turns it into delicious bacon ‘juice’. Just give this gravy a quick taste to make sure the marinade hasn’t burnt and gone bitter.

Slices of brown fried tofu in a large frying pan.

Variations and substitutions

Haven’t got all the ingredients or want to try something a bit different? Here are some ideas:

Liquid smoke: If you can’t get liquid smoke, maybe you are able to get smoked tofu? Use unsalted smoked tofu instead of plain tofu and you can skip the liquid smoke. Smoked paprika can also be used to bring some smokiness, but it will also bring other notes of flavour to the marinade.
Maple syrup: Agave or date syrup are also good and even golden syrup would work too. You can also dissolve ad small amount of brown sugar in the marinade.
Rosemary: Sage or mixed herbs can be used as a substitute. Finely ground herbs are preferred as they completely disappear in the marinade and don’t produce any bits.

To make vegan bacon bits, cut the tofu into small cubes instead of slices. Great to use in other recipes!

For extra flavour, we sometimes like to add ¼ teaspoon garlic powder or onion powder into the marinade.

A slice of fried tofu shows off its texure close-up. It is shiny with oil and juicy with marinade, crisp and dark in some spots and thin and porous in others.

Serving

This smoky tofu bacon is best enjoyed freshly cooked.

Here's some of our favourite ways to eat it:

In a Vegan BLT - the classic Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich
As a filling for savoury Spinach Pancakes
As a topping to soups - we especially love it on our Vegan Potato Soup
As tofu bacon bits to upgrade a Lentil Salad or Breakfast Scramble
Or for breakfast with tofu scramble, mushrooms, avocado, and toast.

A top down view of a bacon tomato and lettuce sandwich next to some slices of the fried tofu that has been prepared to imitate the texture and flavour of bacon.

Storage

We recommend eating your tofu bacon strips when they are fresh for the best texture!

However, you can store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days and enjoy either cold or reheat in a pan with a little more oil.

More tofu recipes

If you love tofu as much as we do, you’ll want to check out our other popular vegan tofu recipes!

Sticky Lemon Tofu - our most popular way to cook tofu
Easy Vegan Carbonara - great for using up the other half block of tofu!
Crispy Baked Tofu - another must-make staple tofu recipe
Easy Tofu Wraps - a really easy recipe for a quick meal

📖 Recipe

Easy Tofu Bacon

by Sophie & Paul

5 from 10 votes

Salty and smoky, fried and chewy. Strips of tofu are soaked in a simple but deeply flavoured marinade, then pan-fried to perfection for this easy vegan tofu bacon.

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Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

marinading time: 15

Total Time: 30

Makes: 12 slices

Course: Breakfast, Ingredient, Side Dish

Cuisine: Vegan

Ingredients

▢ ½ block (140 g or 5 oz) extra firm tofu

Marinade

▢ 2 tbsp soy sauce tamari for gluten-free
▢ 2 tsp liquid smoke
▢ ¼ tsp maple syrup
▢ ¼ tsp dried rosemary ground
▢ 1 pinch black pepper ground

Frying

▢ 2 tsp vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Preparation

Wrap the tofu in a clean cloth or paper towel and gently squeeze it to press out some excess water. This will help the tofu soak up the marinade better. If your tofu isn't very firm, then press with a weight on top until firm.
½ block (140 g or 5 oz) extra firm tofu
Slice the tofu into strips. Thinner slices will give a crisper texture, whereas thicker slices will make more chewy vegan bacon.
Mix all the ingredients for the marinade - soy sauce, liquid smoke, maple syrup, rosemary and black pepper. Dip the tofu slices in the marinade and leave to marinate in a shallow dish or bowl for at least 15 minutes. See notes for tips.
2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp liquid smoke, ¼ tsp maple syrup, ¼ tsp dried rosemary, 1 pinch black pepper

Cooking

In a large frying pan, heat up the oil on medium-high heat.
2 tsp vegetable oil
Add the marinated tofu slices to the pan in a single layer, reserving the marinade. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and slightly crisp.
If your frying pan is not big enough, cook all the tofu in batches, then add it all back into the pan before continuing to the next step.
Turn the heat down to medium and pour on the remaining marinade to evenly cover the tofu.
Continue to gently cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated and the tofu strips have turned dark brown.
Bonus: If you don't want to waste all the flavour left behind in the frying pan, add a tiny splash of water and stir it around to take up all that fried smoky goodness. Use the 'bacon juice' as you please.

Notes

Best eaten when freshly made.

Marinating tips

Make sure all the tofu is well coated with marinade. To do this, we place the marinade in a shallow dish and dip each slice into the liquid on both sides, then sit it down in the dish.

Towards the end of the marinating, we use a teaspoon to pick up marinade from the dish and pour some over each slice.

If you know you want to make tofu bacon in advance, try marinating the tofu for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. The tofu soaks up the marinade and the colour and flavours are evenly spread throughout the whole slices of tofu.

Nutrition

This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.

Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment to let us know! Share a photo and tag @veganonboard - we love to see what you make!

Comments

5 from 10 votes (6 ratings without comment)