An easy recipe for spicy gochujang tofu bacon that can be cooked in an oven or air fryer. Serve it for breakfast, brunch, or on a sandwich.
Oh, this tofu ‘bacon’ is gorgeous stuff.
It’s chewy with crispy edges and has heat from the gochujang-based marinade (which is a rather spicy sauce).
Serve it for breakfast with scrambled tofu, fried tomatoes, and spinach, for brunch on toast with vegan egg mayo, or on a sandwich or wrap for lunch with salad.
Just try not to nibble it all before it gets near a meal.
Believe me, it’s easy to keep going back for another piece.
It’s a wee bit addictive!
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At a glance – vegan gochujang tofu bacon
⏲️ Ready in: 35 minutes
👪 Serves: 4
🍽 Calories: 134
🧾 Main ingredients: extra firm tofu (or pressed firm tofu), gochujang paste, soy sauce & maple syrup
👩🏻🍳 Suitable for: vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, egg-free, vegetarian
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🥓 Which type of tofu do you need to make vegan ‘bacon’?
To make this spiced chewy tofu with crispy edges, you need firm tofu.
You can either buy firm tofu and press it or buy extra-firm tofu, which doesn’t need to be pressed.
Press firm tofu in a tofu press or wrap it in kitchen paper (paper towels), then wrap it in a clean teatowel, then top it with heavy cookbooks or a book topped with cans of food for weight for half an hour or so.
Of course, extra firm tofu is pre-pressed, so you just need to pat it dry to remove any excess water, before using it.
DO NOT, whatever you do, buy silken tofu, as it’s soft and creamy and more suitable for desserts and sauces.
👩🏻🍳 Peel that tofu!
To get the right texture and long strips of tofu, you need to use a potato peeler or cheese peeler, which could also be called a cheese shaver or cheese plane.
I cut the block in half, as it’s easier to peel narrower sections, you could even cut it into three long pieces.
Now I’m not saying your peeled tofu will be perfect, you will get long bits and short bits, but it will do the job fine.
The leftover pieces can be crumbled.
🍲 Marinade the tofu
Tofu always needs lots of flavour, and tofu ‘bacon’ is no different.
Make up your marinade in a tub, then add the slices of tofu, add the lid on tight and give it a good shake to coat it then set it aside for a few minutes.
It will soak up all the flavours and get a wonderful colour too.
To make the marinade less spicy, add only one tablespoon of gochujang and add one tablespoon of tomato puree.
You could also try this quick hot harissa sauce.
🥘 Nubbly bits!
You will have leftover pieces of tofu and some nubbly bits that have fallen off your block of tofu.
Use your strips, but don’t discard the nubbly bits. Set them aside, and when your ‘bacon’ slices are marinating, you can crumble these leftover bits, then they can be tossed in the leftover marinade.
Roast the crumbled, marinated tofu, leave it to cool, then pop it in the fridge to add to wraps with salad or tacos during the week.
🥓 What you need to make crispy tofu ‘bacon’
Here are the simple ingredients you need to make this moreish tofu bacon recipe.
- Firm tofu – or extra firm tofu (just remember firm tofu will need to be pressed first, before you peel it into strips)
- Gochujang paste – a popular Korean sweet and spicy fermented chilli paste (available in grocery stores, supermarkets, Asian supermarkets and online)
- Olive oil – or another mild oil to help with the crisp finish
- Soy sauce – to add a umami flavour to the marinade
- Maple syrup – for a bit of sweetness, but brown sugar would be good too
- Water – to thin the marinade a little
- Salt & black pepper – to season
This recipe is dairy-free, plant-based, vegan and suitable for gluten-free diets, if you use gluten-free soy sauce.
The full printable recipe with ingredients, method, notes and nutritional information is at the bottom of this page under the step-by-step photos, or you could read on, scroll down or use the jump-to-recipe button above.
💭 Top tip – line that baking sheet
I recommend lining your baking sheet or sheet pan with non-stick baking paper or parchment paper.
The tofu will come off a lot easier, without breaking, and it will save on a lot of scrubbing of that pan later, to clean it.
💭 Cook it in a single layer
Lay the vegan ‘bacon’ slices in a single layer, so it gets a change to crisp up.
You might need two sheet pans or baking trays, as I did, even if you use large trays.
If you are cooking your meat-free bacon in an air fryer, you will have to cook it in batches and remember it will cook quicker.
🥓 How to serve homemade vegan bacon
Here are a few ideas for serving this spicily delicious meatless bacon made from tofu.
- Cooked breakfast – as part of a cooked breakfast with grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, tattie scones or hash browns & baked beans
- Simple breakfast – scrambled tofu on toast topped with vegan bacon
- Brunch – a toasted sesame bagel topped with vegan egg mayo and vegan bacon
- Sandwich – on a sandwich with cheese and salad
- Butty – on a white bread sandwich spread with vegan butter and topped with tomato ketchup (try this homemade chipotle ketchup)
- Vietnamese banh mi – in a vegan style banh mi with lots of salad and fresh coriander (cilantro)
- Mushroom carbonara – crumbled into a vegan mushroom carbonara
There are so many ways to serve it.
It’s lovely stuff!
And if you love this, you will go mad for my vegan tofu pastrami deli slices.
🥓 Storing tofu bacon
Store any leftover tofu bacon or nubbly bites of tofu in an airtight container with a layer of kitchen roll (paper towel) to absorb any moisture (although there shouldn’t be much moisture).
Keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezing it?
I’m afraid I haven’t tried that, so I’m not sure how it would hold up, so let’s skip that and just keep it in the fridge.
Looking for more savoury tofu recipes? Try these:
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👩🏻🍳 How to make vegan gochujang tofu bacon.
These step-by-step photos will show you how to make this delicious crispy, spiced plant-based bacon.
Step 1
- Make your marinade.
- In a tub, add the gochujang, soy sauce, sweetener, oil and seasoning and thin with water.
- Whisk well to combine.
Step 2
- Peel your pressed tofu into strips with a potato peeler or cheese slicer (cheese planer).
- Add them to the tub with the marinade, add the lid securely and shake to coat all the tofu strips. Set aside for a few minutes.
- Now pre-heat your oven and line two large baking sheets or sheet pans with non-stick baking paper or parchment paper (if you are using an air fryer, you will have to cook in batches).
- Lay the strips in a single layer across both trays (or in two batches).
- Cook until golden brown and crispy at the edges.
- Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Easy Vegan Gochujang Tofu Bacon – oven or air fryer
An easy recipe for spicy gochujang tofu bacon that can be cooked in an oven or air fryer. Serve it for breakfast, brunch, or on a sandwich.
Ingredients
Instructions
Keep screen on
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Make your marinade. In a tub, add the gochujang sauce, soy sauce, maple syrup, water, olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Whisk well to combine.
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Peel your pressed tofu into strips with a potato peeler or cheese slicer (cheese planer). Add them to the tub with the marinade, add the lid securely and shake to coat all the tofu strips. Set aside for a few minutes.
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Now pre-heat your oven to 220c / 200c fan/ 425f / gas mark 7 and line two large baking sheets or sheet pans with non-stick baking paper or parchment paper.
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If you are using an air fryer, you will have to cook in batches and it will cook quicker, so keep an eye on it.
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Lay the strips in a single layer across both trays (or in two batches).
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Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and crispy at the edges
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Enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t throw away the little bits of tofu that break off or are left with when you have peeled your tofu, break them into pieces and toss them in the leftover marinade, then bake them in a single layer too. Once cool, store in an airtight container in the fridge and add to wraps or tacos.
- You can store both the cooked vegan bacon and nubbly tofu bits in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 portionCalories: 134kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 9gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 586mgPotassium: 244mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 16IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 2mg
