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    Home » Recipes » Miscellaneous Recipes

    May 7, 2018 · Modified: Feb 27, 2019 by Becca Heyes · This post may contain affiliate links · 17 Comments

    Tofu bacon bits

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    Total time: 30 minutes
    5 from 5 votes
    Jump to Recipe Rate this Recipe
    Homemade tofu bacon bits in a glass jar with salad and tomatoes

    My tofu bacon BLTs are one of my most popular recipes ever - they've been shared on social media nearly 100,000 times!! If you haven't tried my easy tofu bacon yet, you must give it a try - it's sweet and salty and spicy, and goes brilliantly in a sandwich. A good sandwich is such an underrated lunch. And since I'm always looking to find new ways to enjoy old favourites, this time I thought I'd adapt the recipe to make these crumbly little tofu bacon bits!

    Homemade tofu bacon bits in a glass jar with lettuce and tomatoes

    You'll need to use firm or extra-firm tofu to make these tofu bacon bits - you need to be able to crumble the tofu to get the right texture. Silken tofu won't work, for example, as it's too smooth and creamy to crumble. Then just add your marinade, and fry it all up! I used my favourite tofu bacon marinade (if it ain't broke, don't fix it...) - the main ingredients are maple syrup, soy sauce, hot sauce, and smoked paprika, so you get the perfect sweet-salty-spicy-smoky balance. You can use any kind of marinade you like though, if you don't fancy mixing up your own - in the past I've just used a shop-bought BBQ sauce on my tofu bacon, and that works well too!

    A collage showing marinated crumbled tofu in a dish, and crispy tofu bacon bits in a frying pan

    You can fry your tofu bacon bits for as long as you like to get your desired consistency. If everything's crumbled perfectly evenly, it will all cook to the same texture, or you can leave some pieces a little larger so you get some crispy bits and some chewier bits, like I did. It's hard to go wrong with such a tasty marinade.

    Homemade tofu bacon bits in a glass jar shot from above, with lettuce and tomatoes

    Tofu bacon bits are useful wherever you might use the normal kind - tossed through a salad (we all know lettuce needs a bit of livening up sometimes!), sprinkled over a bowl of soup as a crouton alternative, stirred through pasta (I'm imagining a luxurious carbonara), or just eaten by the handful. They're best eaten fresh - unfortunately they're not long-life, like normal bacon bits are - so it's best to just make a small batch at a time.

    If you've got any more ideas for these tofu bacon bits, let me know!

    Homemade tofu bacon bits on a wooden spoon, with lettuce and tomatoes

    Tofu bacon bits

    These tofu bacon bits are so easy to make, and the marinade has the perfect balance of sweet-salty-smoky-spicy! Great to use in salads, soup, pasta, and whatever else you like.

    If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!

    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Comment
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Calories:
    Author: Becca Heyes

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • ½ tablespoon maple syrup
    • ½ tablespoon hot sauce (or to taste)
    • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • Black pepper
    • 200 g extra firm tofu, crumbled (~ 1 cup when crumbled)
    • ½ tablespoon oil

    Instructions

    • Add the soy sauce, maple syrup, hot sauce, smoked paprika, and a good pinch of black pepper to a small dish, and mix to combine. Crumble the extra firm tofu, and add to the marinade. Mix well, and leave for a few minutes (or longer).
    • Heat a dash of oil in a frying pan, and add the marinated tofu. Cook over a medium heat, stirring regularly, until cooked to your liking - depending on how finely your tofu is crumbled, it might take around 20 minutes.
    • Use immediately, or leave to cool first. They're best eaten the same day.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0 g - Carbohydrates: 0 g - Protein: 0 g - Fat: 0 g - Saturated Fat: 0 g - Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g - Monounsaturated Fat: 0 g - Trans Fat: 0 g - Cholesterol: 0 mg - Sodium: 0 mg - Potassium: 0 mg - Fiber: 0 g - Sugar: 0 g - Vitamin A: 0 IU - Vitamin C: 0 mg - Calcium: 0 mg - Iron: 0 mg

    Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @EasyCheesyVeg or tag #EasyCheesyVegetarian!

    Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for ⅓ of the batch.

    Don't forget to make my original tofu bacon BLTs:

    Tofu bacon BLTs

    And my BBQ tofu bacon BLT wraps:

    BBQ tofu bacon BLT wraps

    More Miscellaneous Recipes

    • How to Roast Black Beans
    • Festive Snowball Cocktail (just 3 ingredients!)
    • How to Make Traditional British Pimm's
    • How to Make Roasted Garlic
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    Comments

    1. Barb says

      July 21, 2020 at 3:13 pm

      Can you crumble and marinate then freeze to fry up as needed??!

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        July 21, 2020 at 9:15 pm

        I've not tried that, but it definitely sounds worth a try! Let me know how you get on :)

        Reply
    2. Vanessa says

      October 31, 2019 at 9:28 pm

      This is genius! As a vegan, one of the top questions I get when people know that I am a vegan is "But what about bacon" lol, its crazy but true. Not a huge bacon lover myself but I know a lot of people are. This looks like an awesome way to satisfy that craving in a healthy and delicious way. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        November 05, 2019 at 4:25 pm

        Thanks Vanessa! I don't know why everyone's so obsessed with bacon haha

        Reply
    3. Tofu says

      September 26, 2019 at 7:39 pm

      This Looks so yummy! Awesome recipe5 stars

      Reply
    4. Jenna says

      August 20, 2019 at 12:36 am

      So tasty! After burning my saucepan I ended up finishing these off under the broiler on a silicone mat to get them extra crispy. Perfect on a spinach salad!

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        September 30, 2019 at 2:55 pm

        Glad you enjoyed them :)

        Reply
    5. Robert says

      January 29, 2019 at 9:05 pm

      Will be trying your recipe soon. Will it be good refrigerated after making it and how long do you think it will keep in the fridge?

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        January 30, 2019 at 10:31 am

        They're best eaten fresh to be honest. I'd say you could safely store them in the fridge for up to 3 days, but they won't be as crispy!

        Reply
    6. Kiwi says

      July 27, 2018 at 2:29 am

      Just made this for my family (who hate tofu) and everyone loved it! Tip: use a splash of liquid smoke!5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        July 29, 2018 at 2:07 pm

        Yay thanks! Glad you all enjoyed it :) Need to get my hands on some liquid smoke!

        Reply
    7. Sheila says

      May 14, 2018 at 4:57 am

      This is a perfect combination of great food texture. A brilliant idea to enjoy tofu. Recommending everyone to try this.

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        May 16, 2018 at 8:42 am

        Thanks Sheila! :)

        Reply
    8. Lauren @ Inspire Create Educate says

      May 08, 2018 at 9:58 am

      I love this! <3 <3

      I have dried soya pieces and I think they'd be perfect for this.5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        May 08, 2018 at 3:24 pm

        That would work well too!

        Reply
    9. Margot says

      May 07, 2018 at 7:21 pm

      Love the idea... I really need to try this out. I like tofu in all forms so I'm sure it will be delicious as bacon! :)5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        May 08, 2018 at 3:24 pm

        Thanks Margot! It was yummy :)

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years, and unlike most of my other childhood pursuits, I actually stuck with it! I love cooking vegetarian food that's full of flavour, but doesn't take a lot of effort to make.

    More about me →

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