Vegan Bacon for Your BBQ

Are you worried that you’re going to have to give up on bacon? Whether you are a BBQ addict who has recently gone vegan, or you are trying to accommodate your vegan friends at your BBQ – I’ve got your back! 

People love bacon because of its crisp yet stretchy texture, and its smokey, sweet flavor. 

And I want to assure you that these recipes do justice to this well-loved flavor.

Bacon is a staple not just in BBQs, but also our meals. It is a versatile food that you can eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can have long bacon strips with eggs, or chop it into bits and add to soups, salads, pasta, pizza, and stews. You can wrap vegetables and meats with it, or just serve it with steaks, burgers, sandwiches. 

Any way you have it, bacon is an absolute delight. And the good news is that Vegans don’t have to miss out on this tasty treat. 

In this article, we’ll see 5 completely vegan alternatives and recipes for bacon! 

This is the most loved and popular bacon alternative in the vegan community. Here’s why:

• It comes the closest to the real deal.
• It is very easy to make at home. You can make this baby in about 15 minutes.
• It doesn’t need a lot of ingredients, and they’re easily available at any grocery store.

Let’s dive into the recipe!

Yield: About 16 strips

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Olive oil or any cooking oil of your choice
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
• 1/2 to 1 Tbsp of maple syrup, depending on how sweet you want it
• 2 tbsps lower-sodium soy sauce (use tamari for a gluten-free option)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Pinch of ground black pepper
• Pinch of paprika (Smoked paprika would be ideal)
• 3 tbsps nutritional yeast
• 8-9 (8-in.) round rice paper sheets
• 1 Tbsp of MSG powder for meaty flavor (OPTIONAL)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C)
2. For the marinade, whisk together all of the ingredients in a wide bowl until the nutritional yeast is well combined.
3. Fill a wide bowl halfway with water (cold water works best).
4. Stack 2 rice paper sheets together and dip them in the water, and then once the whole sheet has been submerged, quickly pull them out and drain off the excess water. This is done to increase the thickness of our strips.
5. Cut each of the rice paper sheets into strips – preferably an inch wide.
6. Dip these strips into the marinade, and set them on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. 
7. Put these strips into the oven for 8-9 minutes. 

8. When done, pull out and allow them to cool off for a minute.

ENJOY!

You can add these to your burgers or sandwiches, eat them as is, or break them into little pieces to add a bacony crunch to your dishes.

These crispy, smokey strips can last up to 2 days in airtight storage, but they’ll probably be in your bellies right after they’re ready.

Making Vegan Bacon From Tempeh

Tempeh bacon is a hearty, chunky, and meaty vegan alternative compared to the rice paper bacon. 

Tempeh is a fermented soybean product that has its origins in Indonesia. 

People often confuse it with Tofu, which is also a soybean product. 

However, Tofu is made from unfermented, condensed soy milk. 

Whereas Tempeh is made from cooked and fermented soybeans. 

The fermentation gives it an earthy and distinct flavor that makes it an excellent substitute for meat, and a better choice than Tofu. Tempeh is very healthy and is packed with protein and prebiotics.

Here’s the recipe:

Yield: About 16 strips

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (use tamari for a gluten-free option)
• 1 (8 oz.) package tempeh, cut into long strips 
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil or any cooking oil

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Skip this step if you’re using a skillet.
2. For the marinade, whisk together all of the ingredients in a wide bowl.
3. Dip the strips into the marinade, and set them on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. 
4. Brush with more marinade on both sides
5. Bake the strips in the oven for about 20 minutes, until crispy OR heat olive oil in a skillet, and shallow fry the strips on each side for 2-3 minutes. Do not let it char or burn. 
6. When done, pull out and allow them to cool off for a minute.
7. ENJOY!

Again, this can be added to everything that you’d add bacon to. 

You can store leftovers (if any) in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Making Vegan Bacon From Eggplants

A lot of eggplant bacon recipes receive mixed reviews. Some people love it, while others really didn’t. 

This recipe is for people who already like or consume eggplant. 

Otherwise, I wouldn’t recommend this recipe for you.

Also, I have added a game-changing pro-tip of my own.

Here’s the recipe:

Yield: About 14 strips

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium eggplant
• 1/2 tsp black pepper 
• 1 Tbsp tamari or low sodium soy sauce. We are deliberately using less. Read the pro tip. 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil or any cooking oil
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 pinch garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 Tbsp vegan Worcestershire (Optional)
• 2 tsp liquid smoke

Preparation:

• Cut eggplant in half, vertically. Then thinly slice, lengthwise.

• Preheat the oven to 225°F (107°C) if you’re baking it.
• For the marinade, whisk together all of the ingredients in a wide bowl.
• Dip the strips into the marinade, and set them on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. 
• Brush with more marinade on both sides
• Bake the strips in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, until crispy OR heat olive oil in a skillet, and shallow fry the strips on each side for 4-5 minutes. Do not let it char or burn. 
• When done, pull out and allow them to cool off for a few minutes.
• ENJOY!

These vegan eggplant bacon strips are ideal for salads, sandwiches, or a quick healthy snack. 

They can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

You can reheat them on an oiled, heated skillet for about 2 minutes.

Making Vegan Bacon From Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a well-known substitute for all types of meat. 

Their earthy and nutty flavor, with their chewy, meaty texture makes them a perfect choice for many vegan meat dishes. 

For this recipe, you can use any one of the below: 

• King Oyster
• Shiitake
• Portobello Mushrooms

I used king oyster mushrooms, and I love it. 

They taste EXACTLY LIKE traditional bacon. You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference!

Here’s the recipe:

Yield: About 14 strips

Total Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces King Oyster mushrooms, cut lengthwise into thin slices 
• 1 piece of applewood, hickory, or mesquite
• 3 tbsps vegetable oil
• Kosher salt 
• Black pepper
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176 °C).
2. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
3. Lay sliced mushrooms on the sheet in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
4. Bake the strips in the oven for about 20 minutes.
5. Flip the mushrooms over and bake again for 20 minutes. Do not overcook.
6. Put mushrooms in a bowl and stir with maple syrup, garlic powder, paprika, and remaining oil. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. 
7. Put the mushrooms in a steamer basket, and space evenly over the bottom.
8. Ignite a wood chunk over a burner or with a torch. Transfer to a large pot. Put the steamer basket into the pot and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. 
9. Smoke mushrooms for ten minutes. 
10. For more crispiness, return to the lined baking sheet and continue baking, about 5 minutes.
11. When done, pull out and allow them to cool off for a few minutes.
12. ENJOY!

This recipe is hands down the best vegan bacon recipe in my book. 

You can test its identicalness to bacon by offering this vegan bacon to your unsuspecting friends who eat meat. See if they can tell the difference!

This can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Making Vegan Bacon From Coconut

You can use readymade coconut flakes, OR you can use the meat of fresh, Thai coconuts. 

Coconut flakes will be quite easy and quick, but they’ll be suitable for bacon bits, not strips.

If you want the same shape and texture as real bacon, try out the following recipe:

Yield: About 14-16 strips

Total Time: 12.5-13 hours

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (use tamari for a gluten-free option)
• 3 small Thai coconuts
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil or any cooking oil

Preparation:

1. First, carve away the coconut skin until you reach the inner shell that holds the coconut water and meat.
2. Slice off the head of the inner shell, pour out the coconut water into a glass or bowl, and set it aside.
3. Now scrape out the meat with a spoon, vertically, so you can get strips of coconut meat.
4. Remove strips of any coconut skin that may fall in.
5. For the marinade, whisk together the rest of the ingredients in a wide bowl.
6. Dip the strips into the marinade and pop them into a dehydrator for about 12 hours at 125°F (52°C). 
7. Pull out, and shallow fry in a pan with ghee for a fatty, bacon-like taste. Alternatively, you can use any cooking oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
8. When done, pull out and allow them to cool off for a few minutes.
9. ENJOY!

The taste, texture, look, and smell are very identical to bacon. The slight chewiness with the crunch is simply delightful.

Although this recipe takes a lot more time than the other methods, I can assure you it is WORTH IT.

And there you have it- 5 amazing vegan bacon recipes!

Related Questions

How is vegan bacon better than traditional bacon?

Vegan bacon is better because of the following reasons:

1. It is much healthier.
2. It is Halal and Kosher friendly, so everyone can enjoy bacon.
3. It is easy to make at home.
4. It is cruelty-free and environmentally friendly – as all vegan dishes are.
5. It is easily available at grocery stores due to the growing trend of veganism.

What is Vegan food?

Vegan food is any plant-based food that doesn’t contain animal products. While all vegans abstain from direct products, such as dairy, meat, and eggs, some vegans even abstain from animal by-products, such as honey, or food that is processed using animal-derived components, such as certain wines and sugars.

Do you have other ideas/recipes for vegan bacon? Leave it in the comments! I’d love to read them!

For more vegan recipes for your BBQ and everything else BBQ, stay tuned to BBQanswers.com!