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    Home » Tempeh

    Air Fryer Tempeh Bacon

    Published: Feb 1, 2022 · Modified: May 15, 2022 by Vanessa Sturman · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This delicious Air Fryer Tempeh Bacon is meaty, flavourful and made with just five ingredients!! It's vegan and easily made gluten-free. I love this recipe as it's prepared in under ten minutes, and air fried in under ten minutes too! It's a great staple for any salad, pasta dish or as a snack. The best way to eat tempeh bacon is probably in a BLT (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich!) because that's just delicious. I used the air fryer as it's quick, uses minimal (or no) oil, and gives it a delicious, crispy texture!

    air fryer tempeh bacon on a plate. this recipe
    Jump to:
    • 🔪Ingredients
    • 👩🏾‍🍳Equipment
    • 🥓How-To Make
    • ❓FAQ
    • 🥩Other Vegan Meat Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Tempeh is a great, natural vegan meat replacement! It's super healthy and easy to cook with, especially in an air fryer. You can marinate it with all sorts of flavours; this tempeh bacon seasoning is just one of many! You can also buy tempeh already marinated if you're having a lazy evening - like these tempeh BBQ ribs. If you love meaty vegan dishes, check out this round-up of delicious Meat-free Meat Recipes.

    🔪Ingredients

    My tempeh bacon is made with just five ingredients, making it wonderfully simple to put together. The tempeh bacon seasoning is made from ingredients that keep a long time, and are great to have in your store cupboard.

    • Tempeh - this is fermented soy beans. It has a meaty, firm texture, a bit of a sour taste and makes a great vegan meat! You can find plain tempeh in many supermarkets, most healthfood shops or online.
    • Soy Sauce - if you want a gluten-free version, use tamari.
    • Smoked paprika
    • Sugar - I prefer to use coconut palm sugar or maple syrup, as they're slightly healthier sugar types, however, just brown sugar or any other type of sugar is fine.
    • Liquid smoke - the tempeh bacon can be made without liquid smoke.

    You could add optional extras like cayenne pepper or chilli for that little kick! If you're a garlic lover, you might want to add garlic powder or fresh crushed garlic.

    👩🏾‍🍳Equipment

    This air fryer tempeh recipe is very simple when it comes to equipment. You need:

    An air fryer - only if you want or if you have one! I love my Ninja Air Fryer, and think it's a great investment. It cooks food quickly and helps me use minimal or no oil. You don't have to use an air fryer for this tempeh recipe of course. You could bake the tempeh bacon in the oven - if you want to do this oil-free, I suggest using these silicone baking sheets (these are the ones I use all the time!).

    Tupperware - tupperware is a great thing to have for marinating anything! I prefer tupperware with a sealed lid so you can flip it upside down to make sure everything is covered with the tempeh bacon seasoning (or any other marinade). I've switched to glass tupperware, which is best for the environment and for health. Use a mixing bowl if you don't have a container.

    🥓How-To Make

    What I love about making air fryer tempeh is how easy it is. In summary you:

    • prepare the tempeh by slicing it up and making scores in it (to help the marinade flavours go right into the tempeh).
    • mix up the tempeh bacon seasoning ingredients in a tupperware or mixing bowl.
    • let it marinade for a few hours, or even overnight.
    • fry in the air fryer, bake it or fry it! It will come out a golden brown colour and crispy!
    • plain tempeh on a wooden board being scored.
      Slice up and score the plain tempeh.
    • mixing up the tempeh bacon marinade in a tupperware, spooning in smoked paprika.
      Mix up the tempeh bacon seasoning/marinade.
    • tempeh in vegan bacon seasoning in a tupperware.
      Place the tempeh in the marinade and make sure all the tempeh is coated.
    • tempeh bacon in marinade, with tempeh being bent open to show the seasoning in the scores.
      The scores in the tempeh will allow for a great vegan bacon flavour throughout!
    • tempeh bacon in an air fryer pan.
      Place the tempeh bacon in the air fryer basket, and cook at 180°C for 8 minutes or until golden brown.
    • tempeh bacon just out of the air fryer being held in a hand.
      Your tempeh bacon is ready to take out the air fryer!

    ❓FAQ

    These are the questions we are asked most about air fryer tempeh bacon.

    Can I bake the tempeh bacon?

    Yes, you don't have to use the air fryer. When I bake food, I use these silicone baking sheets which allows me to bake oil-free.

    Can this be made without liquid smoke?

    Yes, if you don't want to use liquid smoke, just leave it out. Put in some extra smoked paprika instead. You could also add other flavours like chilli.

    How do I serve tempeh bacon?

    It's a great snack, great in a salad, a sandwich (like a BLT!), or even in a pasta dish. You could replace the vegan chorizo with tempeh bacon in this Vegan Red Pepper and Chorizo Mafalda Pasta. Below is an example of how we served ours in a tempeh bacon sandwich, or BLT!

    Where can I buy tempeh bacon?

    If you don't want to make your own tempeh bacon everytime, some brands will sell it ready-made. This one is lovely. You'll find it ready-marinated online, in some supermarkets and healthfood shops.

    Can this be made gluten-free?

    Yes, tempeh is gluten-free. Soy sauce has gluten in but is easily replaced with tamari, which also tends to be lower sugar.

    How do I store the tempeh bacon?

    Once cooled, store it in the fridge for up to four days. It can also be frozen in an airtight container.

    air fryer tempeh bacon in a BLT sandwich being held by a hand.

    🥩Other Vegan Meat Recipes

    If you love this Air Fryer Tempeh Bacon, I'm sure you'll love our other vegan meat recipes:

    • The Best Teriyaki Tempeh
    • Jamaican Jerk Jackfruit
    • Vegan Mushroom & Smoked Tofu Bourguignon
    • Christmas Tempeh 'Sausage' Stuffing Balls

    If you love this idea, please share this post with your friends and comment below; this helps others find my yummy recipes!

    Love & Vegan Yummies,

    Louise xx

    📖 Recipe

    air fryer tempeh bacon on a plate.

    Air Fryer Tempeh Bacon

    Delicious tempeh bacon made in the air fryer is flavourful, quick and uses just five ingredients! A brilliant snack, great with pasta or in a sandwich.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Afternoon Tea, Dinner, lunch
    Cuisine: American, british
    Keyword: air fryer, tempeh bacon, vegan bacon sandiwch
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 31kcal
    Author: Vanessa Sturman

    Equipment

    • 1 Air fryer can also fry or bake
    • 1 Tupperware or mixing bowl

    Ingredients

    • 1 block tempeh (usually around 250-300g or 1½-2 cups)
    • 3 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari if you want it gluten-free)
    • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
    • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
    • 1½ tablespoon brown sugar (I like using cococnut palm sugar or maple syrup)

    Instructions

    • Cut up the tempeh into slices (around half a cm thick). Tempeh blocks differ in size and shape, so don’t worry if yours isn’t the same shape as mine.
    • Make scores with a knife on one side of the tempeh, being careful not to go all the way to the bottom (you don’t want it to break). This helps it absorb more marinade.
    • Mix up all the other ingredients in a tupperware big enough to hold all the tempeh.
    • Add the tempeh pieces to the marinade, making sure all the tempeh is covered with the marinade.
    • Leave it marinate for a few hours if possible (even better overnight for extra flavour absorption).
    • Air fry the tempeh at 180°C for around 8 minutes or until crispy and browned. You can bake or fry the tempeh bacon if desired - frying on a griddle pan gives those lovely char lines so it looks even more bacon-like.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 31kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 759mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 862IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tavo says

      February 01, 2022 at 6:32 pm

      5 stars
      First time making a tempeh bacon and loved it. A new favorite in the house!

      Reply
    2. Tara says

      February 01, 2022 at 6:45 pm

      5 stars
      This tempeh looks so good! Love that texture from the use of the air fryer and how easily it comes together with only five ingredients!

      Reply
    3. Gina says

      February 01, 2022 at 6:46 pm

      5 stars
      Another win for the air fryer! I have been looking for a vegan substitute of bacon to add to some recipes and this is it! It cooks up perfectly and is delicious!

      Reply
    4. Pam says

      February 01, 2022 at 7:03 pm

      5 stars
      I'm always on the lookout for new ways to use my air fryer, so thanks for this!

      Reply
    5. Lori says

      February 06, 2022 at 9:47 pm

      5 stars
      This is the first time I've cooked with tempeh properly. This recipe is very easy and very tasty! A must try! Will definitely make it again 😋

      Reply
      • Vanessa Sturman says

        February 07, 2022 at 1:29 pm

        Oh great! Thank you so much

        Reply

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    I love to cook and share gorgeous vegan food! I'm also a photographer, recipe developer and gardener. Find out more over on my About Me page.

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