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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Recipes

    Jan 10, 2016 · Modified: Feb 27, 2019 by Becca Heyes · This post may contain affiliate links · 58 Comments

    Tofu bacon BLTs

    106.2K shares
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    Total time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2
    4.80 from 5 votes
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    Tofu bacon BLTs - this tofu bacon is SO good! Smoky, spicy, sticky, sweet... and it's easy to make too! Perfect served in a classic BLT sandwich :) Tofu bacon is vegan and gluten-free.

    When I tell people I'm vegetarian, their response is often 'but... how do you live without bacon?'

    When I was a kid, I would have agreed that it's hard to live without the stuff (I guess I didn't have much else to worry about at that age!) - in fact, bacon was the cause of the mini meat relapse that occurred when I was about 9 or 10. Sausages may also have been involved... it was a moment of weakness.

    These days however, having been veggie for about 17 years (am I really that old?), I don't find myself craving meat. Not even slightly - I can't even remember what it tastes like, if I'm honest. I see someone eating a steak, and it does absolutely nothing for me - I never judge other people for eating meat, but I definitely don't envy them either.

    All that said... if 'real' bacon tastes as good as this tofu bacon tastes, I can kind of see where people are coming from.

    This tofu bacon is smoky, sticky, a little bit spicy, a little bit sweet... Even if you don't approve of the term 'tofu bacon', please just try this anyway. Just think of it as crispy marinated tofu, and you'll be fine. It's crazy good.

    And it's also really, really easy to make.

    How to make tofu bacon - this stuff is SO good! Smoky, spicy, sticky, sweet... and it's easy to make too! Perfect served in a classic BLT sandwich :) PLUS it's vegan and gluten-free!

    The marinade is nice and simple, but has so, so, so much flavour. It was genuinely hard to resist slurping it all straight out of the dish. Soy sauce gives a salty savouriness, maple syrup gives a bit of sweetness, chipotle sauce and smoked paprika make it spicy and smoky. It's great.

    In fact, it's even better after it's spent a while in a frying pan with the tofu - the sugars caramelise and get lovely and sticky, and the tofu crisps up nicely. Don't rush it - leave it in the pan for a good while until it's crisped up. Nobody likes undercooked bacon (apparently).

    Tofu bacon BLTs - this tofu bacon is SO good! Smoky, spicy, sticky, sweet... and it's easy to make too! Perfect served in a classic BLT sandwich :) Tofu bacon is vegan and gluten-free.

    Of course, you can serve your tofu bacon however you fancy - pop it on a plate alongside a vegetarian full English breakfast, with eggs and toast, in a simple bacon butty... or, my favourite, a classic BLT.

    I'm sure I don't need to tell you how to make a BLT (it's kind of in the name), but just in case you've forgotten, it's very simple: (tofu) Bacon. Lettuce. Tomato.

    (and maybe a little smear of mustard or mayo if you're so inclined)

    Tofu bacon BLTs - this tofu bacon is SO good! Smoky, spicy, sticky, sweet... and it's easy to make too! Perfect served in a classic BLT sandwich :) Tofu bacon is vegan and gluten-free.

    📖 Printable Recipe

    Tofu bacon BLTs

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

    4.80 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Comment
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2
    Calories:
    Author: Becca Heyes
    (prevents your screen from going dark)

    Ingredients

    For the tofu bacon:

    • 200 g firm tofu (enough for 4 thin slices)
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon chipotle sauce (or similar smoky hot sauce)
    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • Black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon oil

    To assemble the tofu bacon BLTs:

    • 4 slices bread
    • 1 teaspoon mustard (optional)
    • leaves A few lettuce
    • 1 large tomato, sliced

    Instructions

    • Cut the tofu into 4 thin slices. Press the tofu - if you don't have a tofu press, just lay out the slices inside a clean tea towel, and top with something heavy (I usually use a few large saucepans or cookbooks). Leave for at least a few minutes - a bit longer if you have time.
    • In a suitably sized baking dish, combine the maple syrup, soy sauce, chipotle sauce, smoked paprika, and plenty of black pepper. Mix well. When the tofu has been pressed, transfer it to the baking dish, and make sure it's well coated in the marinade. Leave to marinate for a few minutes (again, longer is better if you have more time).
    • Heat the oil in a frying pan, and add the marinated tofu. Pour over any leftover marinade. Cook over a medium heat for around 5 minutes each side, or until the tofu is firm and crispy.
    • If desired, serve in a tofu bacon BLT sandwich, with mustard, lettuce and tomato.

    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!
    Tofu bacon NI

    Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for one tofu bacon BLT.

    If you have any tofu left over, you should definitely try my red Thai satay tofu:

    Red Thai satay tofu

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    Comments

    1. Afra says

      August 24, 2020 at 4:01 pm

      I had some leftover smoked tofu and was looking for a no fuss way of using it. WHAT A DISCOVERY! I loved this tofu bacon (and i'm not even vegetarian). Unfortunately I had no chipotle sauce but I think the fact that the tofu was smoked made up for it.4 stars

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        September 02, 2020 at 10:41 am

        Thanks Afra! Glad you enjoyed it - sounds like it would be amazing with smoked tofu!

        Reply
    2. DeAnna says

      June 18, 2018 at 12:31 am

      What is chipotle sauce?

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        June 19, 2018 at 3:13 pm

        It's a smoky hot sauce made with chipotle peppers. You can use any other kind of hot sauce you like, or even something similar like BBQ sauce :)

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for over 25 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.

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