The Best Vegan Bacon | High Protein & Made from Tofu

Intro

Our absolute favorite plant-based bacon is MyBacon, made from mycelium, and it tastes absolutely delicious. The problem is it's expensive — about $10.49 for a package of just 8 slices, and 2 slices only give you 3g of protein with very little extra nutrition. Lightlife Smart Bacon is a cheaper alternative, but it's filled with so many processed ingredients that we don't feel great feeding it to our family regularly. We wanted to replicate that delicious, salty, fatty, smokey bacon flavor using an ingredient that actually provides real nutrition on its own and that most plant-based households already have stocked up — tofu.

For those familiar with our recipes, soy is one of our absolute favorite ingredients. It contains all nine essential amino acids and is rich in fiber, iron, phosphorus, folate, and more — it really is the best plant-based protein you can consume, in our opinion.

This recipe is made with just half a block of extra-firm tofu, sliced thin, marinated with liquid smoke, maple syrup, and a few pantry staples, then pan-crisped until it's got that fatty, smokey bite you're craving. It's simple, minimally processed, and a fraction of the cost of the mycelium-based stuff we love so much.

Now, let's talk nutrition — because that's something that's really important to us as plant-based parents.

Nutrition: How This Compares

This recipe provides about 88 calories, 7.5g of protein, 2.2g of carbs, and 5.1g of fat per serving. Compared to MyBacon, we're at more than double the protein content — 3.9g more per serving. And while this recipe is higher in fat than MyBacon, when you compare it to real bacon, the difference is staggering: real bacon contains over 12g of fat and 30mg of cholesterol per serving, more than double the fat and 100% more cholesterol than ours.

Since we use tofu as the protein source, you also get the added benefits that come with it — 1.3mg of iron, plus tons of B vitamins, folate, fiber and calcium. This recipe is minimally processed too, since it's really mostly just tofu, versus actual bacon (incredibly processed) or leading plant-based alternatives loaded with carrageenan and isolate proteins. We just ultimately feel better feeding this to our family.

Let's break down what you'll need:

What You'll Need

• Extra-firm tofu — half a block (8oz), sliced thin, ideally with a mandoline. This is the base of the recipe and there's no real substitute — some veggie bacon recipes use rice paper or mushrooms, but they lack the protein and nutrition tofu provides.
• Refined coconut oil — tofu doesn't have much fat on its own, so this replicates that fatty bacon feel. Most of it cooks out, leaving behind a super fatty-tasting tofu.
• Liquid smoke — the real star of the recipe. It's what gives this tofu bacon its deep smokey flavor, and there really is no substitute for the depth it provides.
• Salt, black pepper, soy sauce, maple syrup, nutritional yeast — round out the flavor to taste like real bacon.
• Sunflower or soy lecithin (optional) — helps the oil and water in the marinade stay combined for a smoother, silkier bacon. Bonus: it adds choline, which supports cell regrowth and, if you're breastfeeding, can help boost your supply. Mamma bear never had any supply issues taking choline daily!

Tips for Success

For the best flavor and texture, freeze your tofu in advance, then thaw it in the fridge before using — this changes the texture in a way that helps it soak up the marinade better. Forgot to freeze it? Boil it for about 5 minutes instead. Don't want to boil it? Press it for at least 30 minutes to get most of the water out. Either way, always press with a paper towel before marinating to remove excess moisture.

• The thinner you slice the tofu, the crispier it gets — cut thicker if you prefer a chewier bacon.
• If pieces break off while slicing on a mandoline, don't toss them — soak them in the leftover marinade and turn them into bacon bits.
• This recipe is best made the day of, since it's so simple to make fresh.

How to Store

If you want to prep ahead, slice the tofu and store it in the marinade for up to 3 days before cooking. We don't recommend cooking it ahead of time and storing it, since it won't crisp back up the same way — if you're not going to eat it all right away, store it pre-cooked in the marinade instead and cook it fresh when you're ready.

Frequently Asked Questions