This is my favorite recipe for vegan tempeh “bacon,” a smoky, salty staple in my sandwiches, wraps, salads, breakfast plates, and more. Slicing the tempeh very thinly and baking it in the oven ensures a perfectly crispy texture each time.

There’s nothing more useful than having plenty of basic, vegan proteins at home in the fridge. Thinly sliced, crispy slices of homemade tempeh bacon are one of my favorite of these.

Tempeh bacon, for the uninitiated, is sort of what it sounds like. It’s a recipe that starts with tempeh, a firm protein that’s made with fermented whole soy beans.

The tempeh is soaked in a salty, smoky marinade, sliced ultra-thinly, then baked to crispy perfection.

In the end, you’ll have versatile, flavorful strips that you can use in a way that’s similar to how you might use bacon at home: for sandwiches, for crumbling onto soups or salads, and more.

What is tempeh?

Tempeh is a vegan protein that’s made with whole, fermented soybeans. These beans are packed into firm blocks prior to their fermentation process.

Unlike tofu, which is also made from soybeans, tempeh is dense and textured.

Tempeh has an earthy, and sometimes a nutty, flavor. If it isn’t cooked for long enough, it can have a slightly bitter flavor; in some recipes, steaming the tempeh prior to marinating and cooking can offset this.

However, I don’t think that pre-steaming is necessary for making tempeh bacon!

Tempeh health benefits

Tempeh is one of the most nutritionally rich plant-based ingredients to work with. First and foremost, it’s a great source of plant protein.

A 3-oz serving of tempeh has about seventeen grams of protein. As a registered dietitian, I’m a fan of foods that deliver on protein, and I sometimes suggest a loose goal of twenty grams per meal. Tempeh can make a big contribution to the protein content of your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.

Tempeh is also a good source of dietary fiber, which may be beneficial for heart and digestive health. It supplies a small amount of zinc, which is associated with strong immune function.

Tempeh is low in sodium and saturated fat, and it’s free of cholesterol. This makes it a great protein source for those who are managing cardiac concerns or high blood lipids.

How to make baked, crispy tempeh bacon

The process of making tempeh bacon is simple, which means that you can quickly come to rely on it as a “vegan basic.”

Step 1: Prepare the marinade

You’ll begin by mixing a 5-ingredient marinade together. This marinade features smoky, sweet, and salty flavors, which is appropriate for a plant-based expression of bacon.

The marinade ingredients are Bragg Liquid Aminos, apple cider vinegar, avocado oil, maple syrup, and smoked paprika.

Bragg Liquid Aminos is a salty, soybean-based condiment that’s much like soy sauce or tamari. I think that it has a unique savoriness of its own and is worth seeking out, but soy sauce will be a fine substitute.

Smoked paprika, which is also known as pimenton or Spanish smoked paprika, is made with red peppers that have been charred before drying. It’s a wonderful ingredient for adding deep smokiness to dishes.

I use smoked paprika in my baked smoky tofu recipe, in my smoky red pepper pasta, in various soups, and in my favorite Brussels sprout hash.

I don’t recommend omitting the smoked paprika from this tempeh bacon recipe; if you don’t have it, then I’d suggest a substitute. A few drops of liquid smoke will do the trick—but there should be some source of smoky flavor present.

Step 2: Slice and marinate the tempeh

Next, you’ll slice your block of tempeh into strips.

Tempeh can come in different shapes, depending on where you purchase it. In the US, it’s usually sold in 7.5- or 8-oz rectangular blocks.

I like to slice my tempeh width-wise along these blocks, into short strips. If you prefer, you can also slice it lengthwise.

Either way, I recommend strips that are about 1/4-inch thick.

Once your tempeh is sliced, you’ll need to submerge it in the marinade.

I usually marinate my tempeh in a glass storage container with a tight-fitting lid. I end up storing the tempeh in the fridge while it marinates. The tight lid of this container makes it easy for me to shake the tempeh gently to disperse the marinade.

However, it’s also fine to marinate the tempeh in a shallow, rectangular or square baking dish, which you can cover with wrap or a cloth cover.

The covered tempeh can marinate for as little as 2 hours or up to 48 hours in the fridge. I almost always let it marinate overnight, as the tempeh soaks up the most flavor this way.

Step 3: Bake

Next, you’ll bake the tempeh bacon in a 400°F / 200°C oven for about 20-25 minutes, flipping the strips once halfway through the baking time.

When the tempeh bacon emerges from the oven, it ought to be browning, crisp along the edges, and ready for all of your bacon-worthy vegan recipes.

How to store and reheat tempeh bacon

Tempeh bacon can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days, or you can freeze it for up to six weeks. It keeps very well, so it’s a good option for your vegan meal prep.

To reheat, you can warm the tempeh bacon strips up over low heat in a nonstick frying pan. You can also heat them in your air fryer or oven at 350° / 175°C for about 5 minutes.

Serving suggestions

I feel as though I use my tempeh bacon in and on just about everything! Of course, it plays a starring role in my favorite vegan BLT sandwich.

Tempeh bacon is also my favorite accompaniment to a classic tofu scramble or chickpea scramble breakfast, which I love to make on weekends.

It’s fun to crumble tempeh bacon onto vegan macaroni salad, and I always add a few strips to my caramelized cabbage and onion pasta.

If you’ve ever enjoyed bacon bits or crumbles on soup, then this could be a nice topping for split pea soup, creamy vegan potato leek soup, or potato corn chowder. Tempeh bacon is a great addition to a bowl of vegan chili, like my mushroom bulgur bean chili, as well!

The bottom line is that you’ll find plenty of recipes that can utilize this versatile homemade staple.

Yes, it’s possible to find store-bought tempeh strips that are similar to the baked tempeh bacon recipe that I’m sharing here. But it’s so satisfying to make it oneself, and I often find that it’s a more economical option as well.

Here’s the full recipe.

If you’re new to plant-based eating and working to maximize your protein intake, I hope this recipe will help you with that effort.

And if you’re simply hoping to add a pop of flavor to your vegan meals, then I hope that the tempeh bacon will serve you!

xo