Learn how to make easy vegan Tempeh Bacon! Super meaty and with delicious maple-smoked flavors, it’s the best vegan bacon substitute for BLTs, breakfast, and more. Pan-frying, baking, and air fryer instructions included.
For more vegan bacon recipes, check out my Tofu Bacon and Vegan Carrot Bacon. This tempeh bacon is amazing crumbled on top of my popular Vegan Corn Chowder!
If you’re looking for your new favorite vegan meat substitute to stuff in a sandwich or pair with an epic vegan breakfast, then you have to try this Tempeh Bacon recipe. It’s not only easy to make but also packed with smoky-sweet flavors! All you have to do is marinate the tempeh slices, fry or bake them the next day, and enjoy.
What is tempeh?
Tempeh is a vegan meat substitute made from fermented soybeans and sometimes other grains. It has a meaty texture, is high in protein, and can be sliced, crumbled, or chopped.
Personally, I think tempeh is an incredibly underrated source of plant protein! Just like tofu, it’s perfect for marinating or cooking in a flavorful sauce. Some of my favorite ways to use tempeh (aside from this vegan bacon recipe) is to stuff it in this BBQ Tempeh Sandwich and toss it in this Peanut Tempeh Stir Fry.
Why you’ll love this smoky tempeh bacon
- Soaked in a rich and smoky marinade – The secret behind this vegan bacon tempeh recipe is the flavorful marinade. Its balanced maple-smoked flavors help the “bacon” slices taste incredible.
- Crispy fried vegan bacon – I like to fry the tempeh bacon slices for slightly crispy, caramelized edges, but you can also bake them in the oven or cook them in the air fryer (head to the FAQs for the instructions!).
- So many ways to enjoy it – Use the smoked tempeh bacon in vegan BLT sandwiches, crumble it over vegan mac and cheese, layer it on a veggie burger, and more!
How to make tempeh bacon
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Slice the brick of tempeh into thin ¼-inch slices.
Whisk the tempeh marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Arrange the tempeh slices in a shallow dish or ziplock bag, then pour the marinade over top. Place the tempeh in the fridge to marinate.
Warm some oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the marinated tempeh slices to the pan in a single layer and fry until golden brown.
You can boost the flavor by pouring a few tablespoons of the reserved marinade into the pan towards the end.
Serve the tempeh bacon slices in BLT sandwiches, for breakfast, or anywhere else you like. Enjoy!
Serving suggestions
You can have a lot of fun with tempeh bacon. It’s great for sandwiches, salads, and so much more! Here are a few ways to enjoy it:
- Crumble the slices and sprinkle them over vegan mac and cheese, potato soup, kale caesar salad, loaded baked potatoes, broccoli salad, vegan clam chowder, avocado toast, etc.
- Make a vegan tempeh bacon sandwich or layer the slices in a classic vegan BLT.
- Serve the smoky bacon slices with your favorite vegan breakfast recipes, like hashbrowns, French toast, tofu scramble, and more.
Frequently asked questions
I recommend marinating the tempeh for 12 hours or overnight for the very best flavor. Even if you’re in a rush, you should still soak the slices for at least 1 hour. This still adds some flavor but certainly not as much as a longer soak.
Yes, you can bake tempeh bacon instead of pan-frying it. To do so, line the marinated tempeh slices on a lined baking sheet, spray the tops with a little oil, and bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes. Flip the slices and bake for 15 more minutes.
Sure! Air fry the slices in a single layer at 350ºF for 15 to 25 minutes or until they’re crispy.
Not all tempeh is gluten-free. While it is a soy-based product, many brands incorporate wheat products, like barley. If you need this recipe to be gluten-free, use gluten-free tempeh and replace the soy sauce with tamari in the marinade.
Transfer the cooled leftover tempeh bacon slices to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Easy Tempeh Bacon
Ingredients
- (2) 8 ounce packages tempeh
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 3 teaspoons liquid smoke
- optional: 3-4 tablespoons oil, for frying option
Instructions
- Slice the tempeh into 1/4 inch slices.
- To make the marinade, combine the soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, pure maple syrup, cumin and liquid smoke in a medium bowl. Whisk well to combine.
- Place the tempeh strips in a 13 x 9 dish or other large, shallow container, and cover with the marinade. Make sure they are all coated well, and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight.
- To Bake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the marinated tempeh strips onto the baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip and bake for 15 minutes more. Remove and serve.
- To Pan Fry: Warm a few tablespoons of oil (olive, canola or avocado oil) in a large pan over medium heat. Add the tempeh in a single layer to the pan, and fry on each side for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. For even more flavor, add a few tablespoons of the leftover marinade at the end and stir until coated. Remove, and continue frying until all the tempeh is cooked.
- Serve in Vegan BLT sandwiches, as an addition to breakfast or brunch, or even as a snack! Enjoy.
Notes
- Keep leftover tempeh bacon in a glass or plastic container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, either microwave or put in the oven on a pan for 10-15 minutes, until warmed and crispy. Or eat it cold, as I often do.
- Gluten Free: Make sure to use gluten free tempeh, which I believe you can usually find at Whole Foods. Also use tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Bake or fry? This is going to taste better pan fried, but it’s also perfectly delicious baked! I do both regularly.
Nutrition
Really really nice! Game changer!
Served it on a breakfast bun with mashed avo, garlic mayo and tomatoes, highly recommended 🙂
That sounds like an amazing breakfast sandwich! Thank you for sharing your great review!
It is a perfect recipe for a vegan sandwich! Easy to make.
Thank you for sharing!
Just made a half batch using lemon juice in place of vinegar & Bragg’s aminos for the soy sauce. The house smells delicious & the “bacon” cooked up well. Served it on toast with crispy sautéed lima beans & avocado. So good! A little salty, but great flavor from the overnight marinade. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad this turned out delicious for you, Lesley! The crispy sautéed lima beans sound delicious! Thank you for sharing!
hello I haven’t tried this recipe out yet but, I was wondering how long do you think the tempeh would be good in the marinade before it spoils. so say if i made this at the beginning of the week and wanted to make some fresh throughout the week for example or would it be easier to just make them all and reheat as needed.
I’m not 100% sure but I think it would be fine for 3-4 days. I probably wouldn’t leave it for longer than that.
Amazingly delicious!! I only had 1 block so I halved the recipe….tasted just like the store bought lightlife tempeh bacon I used to buy! I pan fried and actually used all the marinade throughout cooking…then threw it in the air fryer at 400 for 3-5 min to crisp it up. Thank you so much for this recipe it’s awesome!
Hi Deanna. I’m glad you love the bacon! Thank you for sharing!
My tempeh is marinating, but I must say that I am very concerned about the amount of vinegar…1/2 cup seems like a massive amount. Does it evaporate during cooking? Thanks!
You won’t be cooking the tempeh in the marinade, the strips simply marinate in it, then you will cook them. I make this all the time and it works perfectly. However, if you very much dislike vinegar, you could use less next time or even omit it.
Really delicious! Haven’t eaten pork in over 10 years and was really craving a BLT but didn’t want to get the morning star bacon and I had a block of tempeh to use up, so I just made this! So filling and satisfying, and I love knowing exactly what is going into my food. I made a half recipe and it still made a lot of ‘bacon’ – so I will be using it a variety of ways including maybe making breakfast burritos! Yum!
Hi Megan. I’m glad you enjoyed the bacon recipe, and the BLT! Thank you for sharing!
I have made this recipe numerous times and it’s ALWAY great. My husband is always begging for it!
Hello, and thank you so much for your comment. I’m glad you and your husband are enjoying the recipe!
Can we use something besides the liquid smoke? Like smoked paprika?
You probably could, I haven’t tried it but I bet it would work pretty well for adding a smoky flavor.
Can’t wait to try this as I always go for the Light Life tempeh bacon at the store but it’s constantly sold out. Question: in the store bought packages they’re just sitting in a sealed bag in some marinade uncooked.. and then you pan fry them. Can I store these like that or should I cook them all and microwave leftovers?
I hope you enjoy them, I think home made tastes a lot better than the light life ones, but they are good, too! You could probably store them in the marinade, and then pull out what you want and pan fry them. You could probably microwave I guess, but they won’t get crispy at all, so I would recommend either a quick pan fry or baking them. Hope that helps!
I love this recipe and I pan fried mine. I made some homemade bread to make TLT’s, Thanks so much for sharing this recipe with us.
You’re welcome!
Made these for the 1st time, pan fried. Taste was great but… a bit chewy, less than crispy.
Will try again and bake them instead.
Will bake half reg. oven, half convection… see which works best for me.
Just curious what 1 serving size for the nutritional value. Is it just 1 piece? Thanks
It depends on how thin you slice the tempeh, but there are 8 servings total.
Great recipe but why direct people to Whole Foods which is owned by Amazon? Can you direct ppl to their local food coops or health food stores or even grocery chains.
What happens if I don’t use liquid smoke?
It just will be missing that smoky flavor, but it works.
I have been wanting to make tempeh bacon for years, but never did for some reason. I love ordering tempeh bacon at some of my favorite vegan breakfast places. I didn’t realize it was so easy, and tastes just as good as at the restaurant! I made these on a whim, marinading while making waffles, and then cooking on the stove when I was almost done with the waffles. They’re perfect! I don’t know exactly how long I marinated, but it was probably at least an hour. Then I poured lots of the marinade over them when they were almost done cooking in the pan to give it that extra flavor burst. Yum!
So glad you tried them out!
Do you have to steam or boil the Tempeh first like you do for other recipes?
No you don’t need to steam or boil it here. It’s one of the only ways I find it truly unnecessary to pre-steam tempeh. Thanks!
The bacon flavor is spot-on! I did the oven method, and I blame my uneven heat oven – some pieces got super crispy that will work best as crumbles for salads while other pieces were soft in the middle and perfectly crisp on the outside. Delicious either way!! Thank you!
So glad the flavor was good!
This is one of my favorite recipes of yours and I make it often. I froze it one time and it did seem to make it a bit on the wet side. Also love the vegan loaf with chickpeas but do plan to make your lentil loaf too ! Thanks!
Thank you so much Susan, I’m glad you are enjoying the recipes!
One of my favorite recipes for tempeh bacon. So good! Great in salads and sandwiches, but so tasty, they’re great cold out of the fridge for a snack. This recipe is a keeper!
Thank you! So glad you love it!
What did I do wrong? I cut nice and thin and followed recipe to a “T.” I had to bake longer, but they still didn’t crisp up and had a sour, tangy taste to them. I tossed them, sorry. I, too, was looking forward to TLT’s now that summer has (sort of) visited Wisconsin! If you have any idea as to where I messed up, please let me know! Thanks!!!
Oh shoot! I’m not sure what went wrong here. Mine always come out super crispy, in fact, crispier than when I fry them since they dry out a lot. I know you said you followed the recipe to a T, but just to check, you didn’t bake them with all of the marinade did you? As in, did you remove them from the marinade, transfer to a baking sheet and bake that way? That’s all I could figure went wrong, since that would make them soggy from too much liquid, and much too sour. You can also fry them in a pan with oil, I do this from time to time as well when I don’t want to turn on the oven. Hope that helps!
Could you use the air fryer?? What temp do you think? Thanks!
Yeah, I think that would work. I would try 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes. Good luck!
Just curious if the air fryer did work or not for Scarlett on this recipe.
I have since tried these in the air fryer. It worked, but it made them extra crispy, almost too crispy in my opinion, but it works!
Our favorite recipe for tempeh! Great smokey flavor!
I’m so happy to hear it Katie! Thank you. 🙂
Can these be frozen? Would they still be good reheated?
Hmmm… I’ve never tried freezing tempeh personally, but a quick google search tells me people have done it successfully. If you are going to freeze it, I would wrap it up and put it in a freezer bag or container. Sorry, I haven’t done it personally though!
SO good! I like these in TLT’s (Tempeh Lettuce Tomato).