Yes, you read that right, this is banana peel bacon. A vegan bacon recipe made from the banana peels that you would otherwise toss away. Am I crazy? Maybe a little. Does it taste good? Yes, it does. It really, really does!
There has been a recent trend of making a vegan pulled pork type sandwich using banana peels, but for the most part, people have had bad experiences with it, saying that it actually tasted awful. But I didn't let that get me down. I was more intrigued by the idea of making banana peel bacon than the pulled pork (but let me know if you want me to give the pulled pork a try too). It took several experiments, but then the magic happened. Let me tell you, the results are good. Like actually really good. Like addictively yummy good.
The banana peel bacon is crispy, chewy, and a bit greasy just like traditional bacon. A bit thinner than traditional bacon, the flavour is smoky, salty, slightly sweet, and has a subtle hint of banana taste which is actually quite delicious. I'm not the only crazy one who liked it, my partner Adam and my dog Chickpea were both crazy about it too!
Banana peel bacon would be delicious alongside a vegan fried egg, tofu scramble, on a sandwich, chopped and served on a salad, or to top a pasta dish!
To make banana peel bacon:
The number one most important step is to use bananas that are very ripe. Stay far away from green bananas, the bacon will taste terrible. The riper the banana the better the flavour so pick bananas that are yellow with lots of brown spots.
To prepare the banana peels, remove the peels from the bananas and tear into about 4 strips per banana. Use a spoon to lightly scrape off the white inside part of the banana peel leaving just the peel.
Make the marinade by mixing the soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, and garlic powder together in a dish that will fit your banana peels.
Add the banana peels and toss to coat. Let marinade for a minimum of 10 minutes, but as long as a few hours.
You will likely have leftover marinade. Feel free to make more banana peel bacon or to save the marinade for a few days in a container in the fridge to use again later.
When ready to cook the bacon, heat the oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat. When hot add the peels and fry a couple of minutes per side until they are golden and bubble up a little. It may get a little smoky as the sugars will burn so make sure to turn on your hood fan. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. They should get crispier as they cool.
Now if you want to use up those bananas you just peeled, try more of my vegan recipes such as my banana milk, banana nut muffins, banana bread oatmeal, healthy breakfast cookies, banana coconut French toast, or any of my dessert flavoured smoothies.
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Banana Peel Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 very ripe banana peels,, (from 2 bananas, see instructions)*
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon light oil, (or more if needed)
Instructions
- The number one most important step is to use bananas that are very ripe. Stay far away from green bananas, the bacon will taste terrible. The riper the banana the better the flavour so pick bananas that are yellow with lots of brown spots. To prepare the banana peels: remove the peels from the bananas and tear into about 4 strips per banana. Use a spoon to lightly scrape off the white inside part of the banana peel leaving just the peel.
- Make the marinade by mixing the soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, and garlic powder together in a dish that will fit your banana peels. Add the banana peels and toss to coat. Let marinade for a minimum of 10 minutes, but as long as a few hours.
- When ready to cook the bacon, heat the oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat. When hot add the peels and fry a couple of minutes per side, until they are golden and bubble up a little. It may get a little smoky as the sugars will burn so make sure to turn on your hood fan. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. They should get crispier as they cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Renee says
It's almost good. It tastes better than you expect it to, but it is too salty as written (and I have orthostatic hypotension and need/love salty things). However, I feel like if you decrease the salt the flavor of the peel would come through too much (it still comes through in this but just barely as an aftertaste, and I did use very ripe banana peels). I think I'll stick with my tempeh bacon and leave the peels for my compost.
I'd still suggest giving this a try as it is an interesting experience and maybe you'll love it even though I didn't. It would definitely take some effort to make a banana peel taste edible, so I applaud the recipe creator.
Bruh says
Nice and crispy. Shoud have fried a lil longer though.
David says
So I have to confess I was like “oh no way this going to work!” It does!! I concur with comments that the cooked banana peel bacon tastes salty, but I also concur with the response that I like it
Cant wait to pair this with a vegan fried egg.
Denice Wilkins says
We are trying to be oil free. Will these work cooked in a non-stick skillet without oil?
Thanks so much for all your yummy recipes!!
Karen says
Thank you so much sharing your tips for making these! Looking forward to trying them soon.
Just wanted to make sure everyone is aware that we should not give banana peels to our dogs. Although they're not toxic, they're very difficult for dogs to digest, and they can cause an intestinal blockage that could be painful and potentially deadly. They can also cause dogs an upset stomach, constipation, diarrhea, and other stomach issues. Dogs can definitely eat the soft, easily-digestible fruit, but better to save the harder-to-digest peels for the hoomans.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Thanks for sharing, Karen.
Jess says
Has anyone tried these in an air fryer?
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
They do need to be watched carefully to avoid burning, so the air fryer might not be the best option.
Jess says
thanks!
Ze'ev says
I LOVE this recipe. I've tried other versions, but all were more complicated and no better. I'm a kosher-vegetarian.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
We love that you love it!
Rob says
I love real bacon, but today I made some banana bacon and this is just WOW.
I need to experiment with the soy sause / maple syrup ratio because the taste of the soy sause was a bit too much for my taste and some more maple syrup will also aid in a nicer crust. But all in all, this is at least as good as real bacon.
Heck, I would even state that this is better than the real stuff 🙂
Because I wanted to share this with some friends, I needed more peels than I eat bananas so I tries saving the peels. This seems to work well; I just stored them in a plastic box in a cool place (not in the fridge) and made sure there is no condensation. Banana peels from 2 days ago look, feel and taste as good as the ones from today
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
We're so glad to hear you enjoyed the banana peel bacon recipe and they stored well for you!
Gail says
I ate these in a vegan restaurant in Costa Rica many years ago, but have never made them myself. They were yummy! Definitely will have to try them.
Deb says
Would it be possible to do these in a dehydrator instead of frying? I make a vegan bacon from eggplant that way so I was wondering.
Jonathan says
I enjoyed making this. since then I have found you get an even better result leaving the white pith on the skins. I would welcome thoughts.
Sam Turnbull says
I will have to try it!
Jodi says
Good to know it's okay to leave pith on them - I'm going to be trying this weekend, as bananas get more ripe. Very excited for the recipe!
Sarah says
I haven’t tried the recipe yet but look forward to it. I am wondering if anyone knows if you can ripen the peels independent of the banana, and if so, the best way to do that. Thanks!!
Christine says
Yes! Shove the lightly spotted peels without scraping them into a ziplock bag and put them in the fridge overnight or a bit longer.
Birdy says
You can darken the peels by refrigeration, but it won't actually ripen them. Just make them a darker color.
Shari says
I own a Bed & Breakfast and I’m always looking for different things I can make for my guests. We just had vegetarians stay with us , I made this recipe and they loved it . I added a 1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke , and I washed my banana first : )
Thank you , Shari