• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Damn Tasty Vegan
  • Vegan Spring Recipes
  • Recipe index
  • Lifestyle
  • About
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Vegan Spring Recipes
  • Recipe index
  • Lifestyle
  • About
  • Contact
  • Follow Me

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Vegan Spring Recipes
    • Recipe index
    • Lifestyle
    • About
    • Contact
  • Follow Me

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Tofu, Tempeh and Seitan Recipes

    Easy Smoky Tempeh Bacon

    Published: Nov 2, 2020 · Modified: Dec 6, 2023 by Maria · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Smoky tempeh bacon is easy to make and goes great on a vegan BLT sandwich. Salty with a hint of sweetness, this tempeh bacon hits all of the same flavor notes as bacon and is cholesterol free! Learn how to make tempeh bacon.

    Smoky tempeh strips on a piece of bread
    Jump to:
    • What is tempeh?
    • How to eat tempeh bacon
    • How long will this last in the fridge
    • Tips for making tempeh bacon
    • How to make a vegan BLT sandwich
    • Delicious recipes to try next
    • 📖 Recipe

    Tempeh is an easy to make and versatile food. If you'd like more easy tempeh recipes, make sure to check out this Marinated Air Fryer Tempeh, Tempeh Reuben Sandwich or these Tempeh Tacos next.

    What is tempeh?

    Tempeh originated in Indonesia. It’s a fermented soy bean cake that is less processed than tofu because it’s made by fermenting the whole soybean instead of just the soymilk.

    Tempeh is used as a healthy, high protein meat alternative and is often called “poor man’s meat” in Indonesia.

    Tempeh is high in protein, vitamins and minerals.

    How to eat tempeh bacon

    I love eating tempeh bacon just like you would bacon made from pigs or turkeys. You can put it in a vegan breakfast casserole, breakfast burrito, pizza or a vegan BLT sandwich as shown above.

    Smoky tempeh bacon sandwich cut in half

    How long will this last in the fridge

    Tempeh bacon lasts for about a week in the fridge in an air tight container.

    I like to keep it uncooked in the marinade until I’m ready to fry it up and eat it. This infuses the tempeh with even more flavor.

    If you’d like to fry up the tempeh, I’ve read that you can freeze this and it will keep for a while, but I haven’t tried it myself.

    Smoky tempeh on a piece of bread

    Tips for making tempeh bacon

    • Whenever you cook tempeh, you always either want to steam it or simmer it in some veggie broth. Doing this gets rid of the bitterness of the tempeh and I believe is non-negotiable if you want delicious tempeh.
    • After simmering, cut the tempeh into strips and put into a storage bowl with a lid. Cover the tempeh with the marinade and put the lid on the bowl. Gently tip the bowl upside down and let the marinade cover every part of the tempeh. Marinate for at least 15 minutes.
    • To make the tempeh more savory and bacon-like, you definitely want to pan fry it in a little oil. Make sure to heat up the pan and oil on medium heat for about a minute before adding the tempeh. Start with 1 TBL of oil and add more if needed.
    • To infuse the veggie bacon even more, drizzle on a spoonful or two of the tempeh marinade while it’s cooking in the pan.
    • To make the marinade, I use a simple mixture of soy sauce, maple syrup, tahini and liquid smoke. You can also add garlic powder if you’d like.
    • I chose to use tahini instead of oil in the marinade because I love the savory flavor it adds.

    How to make a vegan BLT sandwich

    • Follow the recipe below on how to make veggie bacon
    • Toast up some bread. Make your own with this easy vegan bread recipe!
    • Spread vegan mayonnaise on the toast (my favorites are Veganaise or JUST mayo)
    • Add on some lettuce, tomato and tempeh bacon and enjoy!

    Delicious recipes to try next

    • Close up of tempeh nashville hot sandwich on a burger bun with pickles
      Nashville hot tempeh sandwich
    • Tempeh taco on a plate topped with lettuce, salsa and dairy free sour cream.
      Easy Tempeh Tacos
    • Air fryer tempeh cubes on top of a salad with a tahini dressing.
      Crispy Marinated Air Fryer Tempeh
    • Vegan tempeh reuben on a plate with vegan russian dressing and sauerkraut.
      Easy Vegan Reuben (Tempeh Reuben)

    If you loved this recipe, leave a 5 ⭐️ rating on the recipe card and comment below!

    📖 Recipe

    Smoky tempeh on a piece of bread

    Smoky tempeh bacon

    Smokey, salty and a little sweet tempeh bacon. While it doesn't taste exactly like bacon, this tasty treat will hit all the same flavor notes and leave you feeling happy and energized with all of the protein.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 6 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 36 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 170kcal
    Author: Maria
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    US Customary or Metric
    • 1 package tempeh
    • 1 veggie bouillon cube (or 2 TBL of soy sauce)
    • ¼ cup soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon tahini
    • 2 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 2 teaspoon liquid smoke

    Instructions

    Simmer the tempeh

    • Pour water into a sauce pan about halfway full.  Add the veggie bouillon cube and turn the heat on high to get the water to boil. Once the water starts to boil, turn heat down to medium and bring the water to a simmer.
      1 veggie bouillon cube
    • Cut the tempeh in half and add to the simmering broth on the stove. Simmer for 15-30 minutes. This will get rid of the bitter taste of the tempeh and infuse it with some more flavor.
      1 package tempeh
    • Once the tempeh has simmered, take it out of a sauce pan and put it on a cutting board.  Cut the tempeh into bacon sized strips.

    Marinate

    • Place the cut tempeh into a tupperware dish with a lid and add the soy sauce, tahini, maple syrup and liquid smoke.
      1 package tempeh, ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon tahini, 2 tablespoon maple syrup, 2 teaspoon liquid smoke
    • Place cover on the tempeh and gently tip the tempeh upside down so that the marinade covers each tempeh strip. Let this marinate for at least 30 minutes, overnight is best.

    Pan fry

    • Add 1 TBL of oil to a skillet and heat up the pan on medium heat for 1 minute.
    • Add a few tempeh strips.  Drizzle on a little of the marinade.  Cook on each side for about 3 minutes or until tempeh becomes a little caramelized and golden brown.

    To serve

    • You can eat this with some tofu scramble in the morning, or throw it in a vegan breakfast burrito, sandwich or casserole.
    • Or layer this on some bread with some vegan mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato to make a vegan BLT sandwich.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 993mg | Potassium: 303mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @DamnTastyVegan or tag #DamnTastyVegan!

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    More Tofu, Tempeh and Seitan Recipes

    • Tofu bolognese sauce with pasta on a white plate.
      Easy Vegan Tofu Bolognese Pasta Sauce
    • Baked Tofu ground beef crumbles in a white ceramic dish.
      Easy Tofu Ground Beef Crumbles
    • BBQ vegan ribs on a wooden cutting board.
      Meaty Vegan Ribs
    • Close up of a vegan egg salad sandwich made with tofu on a plate with lettuce.
      Easy Vegan Tofu Egg Salad Sandwich

    About Maria

    Maria is the creator of the blog and YouTube channel Damn Tasty Vegan. She has been a vegetarian since 2005 and vegan since 2015. She loves showing new vegans how easy and delicious living a vegan lifestyle can be. She is passionate about animal welfare and strives to help change the way animals are viewed and treated, by helping people transition to a vegan lifestyle.

    Reader Interactions

    5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Woman with sunglasses sipping a green juice with a straw.

    Hi, I'm Maria Rose! I'm a professional singer by night, and recipe developer by day. I run this blog and am also the creator of the One Month (30 minute) Meal Plan. I love helping people learn how to cook easy and delicious plant based meals.

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Fresh Spring Recipes

    • Israeli couscous salad in a serving dish.
      Israeli couscous salad (pearl couscous)

    • Overhead view of large mixing bowl filled with rainbow salad.
      Crunchy rainbow salad

    • Roasted asparagus on a plate
      Easy air fryer asparagus

    • Orzo with cashew cream and roasted vegetables in a bowl.
      Creamy vegan orzo with chickpeas and roasted vegetables

    • Couscous stuffed peppers topped with melted vegan cheese in a casserole dish.
      Vegan Chickpea and Couscous Stuffed Peppers

    • Instant pot sweet potato curry in a bowl over quinoa.
      Easy Instant Pot Sweet Potato Curry with Chickpeas and Kale

    Popular Posts

    • Sticky glazed maple miso tofu in a pink bowl on top of rice.
      Sticky Glazed Maple Miso Tofu

    • Vegan Jackfruit Nachos
      Easy jackfruit nachos

    • Piece of bread dipped in vegan fondue
      Easiest vegan fondue (dairy free cheese fondue)

    • Crispy tofu cubes in a glass bowl.
      How To Make Crispy Tofu (Baked & Pan Fried)

    • Baked potato without foil on a plate topped with butter.
      Perfect baked potato (without foil)

    • Close up of banana protein pancakes with bananas and strawberries on top.
      Banana Protein Pancakes without Eggs

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Information

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Get your free Vegan High Protein Grocery List Download!

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2025 Damn Tasty Vegan on the Foodie Pro Theme

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    tempeh bacon
    easy tempeh bacon

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.