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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Meats

    March 15, 2023 5 Comments

    Best Shiitake Bacon Recipe

    290 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Smoky, salty, chewy, and lightly crisp, you won't believe how delicious this Shiitake Bacon recipe is! It's quick & easy to make requiring only 5 ingredients. Just slice the mushrooms, season, and then bake. Shiitake mushroom bacon is perfect on pasta, salads, sandwiches, pizza, baked potatoes, and anywhere you want a little vegan bacon oomph (which is everywhere)!

    Shiitake Bacon is smoky, salty, chewy, and lightly crisp, and delicious! It's quick & easy to make requiring only 5 ingredients. Just slice the mushrooms, season, and then bake. Shiitake mushroom bacon is perfect on pasta, salads, sandwiches, pizza, baked potatoes, and anywhere you want a little vegan bacon oomph (which is everywhere)! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganbacon

    I actually published this shiitake bacon recipe way back in 2013, but it was buried in an old ebook and not easy to find, so I knew it was time to share this recipe again. Boy do I love a good vegan bacon recipe! The smoky salty taste is the perfect way to add a tasty pop to any dish. I have a ton of vegan bacon recipes already on my blog, but I wanted to reshare this recipe because it truly is so deliciously special.

    Shiitake mushrooms are full of umami flavor (very savory) and have a wonderful meaty texture which is perfect for making vegan bacon. Due to the size of the mushrooms, the bacon pieces will be small, so this isn't the best option to add to your breakfast spread, but it's ideal for garnishing any dish you like. (Or just munching on them straight from the pan as I do).

    Shiitake Bacon is smoky, salty, chewy, and lightly crisp, and delicious! It's quick & easy to make requiring only 5 ingredients. Just slice the mushrooms, season, and then bake. Shiitake mushroom bacon is perfect on pasta, salads, sandwiches, pizza, baked potatoes, and anywhere you want a little vegan bacon oomph (which is everywhere)! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganbacon

    Common Questions:

    Why can you not eat the stem of a shiitake mushroom? shiitake stems are usually too tough and woody to eat. 

    What can you do with shiitake stems? You can either discard them or if you want to save the stems, store them in a freezer bag and then use them to make homemade vegetable broth.

    What is shiitake bacon made of? shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce, olive oil, maple syrup, and liquid smoke. If you are gluten-free you can substitute the soy sauce for tamari.

    Can I use dried shiitake mushrooms? Yes. Just rehydrate the mushrooms in hot water for about 10 minutes. Then squeeze out any excess water before slicing and marinating.

    Slice the shiitake caps and discard the stems.

    How to make the Best Shiitake Bacon recipe:

    Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

    While the oven heats you can slice the mushrooms, discarding the stems.

    Season the mushrooms with soy sauce, olive oil, maple syrup, and liquid smoke.

    Add the soy sauce, olive oil, maple syrup, and liquid smoke to a medium bowl and mix. Add the sliced shiitake caps and gently toss to evenly coat.

    spread on a baking sheet.

    Spread the shiitakes in a single layer evenly over the prepared baking sheet. Bake 25 - 30 minutes, stopping to stir a few times until they have reduced in sized and are a dark golden brown.

    bake until dark brown and crispy.

    Remove from the oven. They will get slightly crispy as they cool. Enjoy right away or store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

    Shiitake Bacon is smoky, salty, chewy, and lightly crisp, and delicious! It's quick & easy to make requiring only 5 ingredients. Just slice the mushrooms, season, and then bake. Shiitake mushroom bacon is perfect on pasta, salads, sandwiches, pizza, baked potatoes, and anywhere you want a little vegan bacon oomph (which is everywhere)! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganbacon

    Shiitake bacon is...

    • smoky, salty, chewy, and slightly crisp
    • quick and easy to make- just 5 ingredients
    • the perfect topping for salads, pasta, pizza, baked potatoes, and more.

    What to serve shiitake bacon on:

    Creamy Vegan Potato Soup
    Vegan Truffle Mac & Cheese
    Fast & Easy Vegan Carbonara (instead of the sundried tomato bacon)
    Vegan Alfredo Pasta Bake
    Vegan Loaded Baked Potato

    If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.

    Bon appetegan!
    Sam Turnbull.

    Print Recipe
    5 from 4 votes

    The Best Shiitake Bacon

    Smoky, salty, chewy, and lightly crisp, you won't believe how delicious this Shiitake Bacon recipe is! It's quick & easy to make requiring only 5 ingredients. Just slice the mushrooms, season, and then bake. Shiitake mushroom bacon is perfect on pasta, salads, sandwiches, pizza, baked potatoes, and anywhere you want a little vegan bacon oomph (which is everywhere)!
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Course : Side Dish
    Cuisine : American
    Servings: 4
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    • 7oz/ 200g shiitake mushrooms stems discarded and caps sliced (2 ½ cups sliced)
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free if preferred)
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon maple syrup or agave
    • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. While the oven heats you can slice the mushrooms, discarding the stems (see notes).
    • Add the soy sauce, olive oil, maple syrup, and liquid smoke to a medium bowl and mix. Add the sliced shiitake caps and gently toss to evenly coat.
    • Spread the shiitakes in a single layer evenly over the prepared baking sheet. Bake 25 - 30 minutes, stopping to stir a few times until they have reduced in sized and are a dark golden brown. Remove from the oven. They will get slightly crispy as they cool. Enjoy right away or store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

    Notes

    Shiitake stems: shiitake stems are too tough and woody to eat so you can either discard them or if you want to save them, store them in a freezer bag and then use them to make homemade vegetable broth.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 serving (recipe makes 4 servings) | Calories: 89kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 510mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.5mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    More vegan bacon recipes to try:

    « Best Homemade Vegan Gnocchi
    Vegan Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. chris says

      March 21, 2023 at 8:12 pm

      Could you please give us air fryer directions for this please?
      Thx!

      Reply
    2. Mel says

      March 15, 2023 at 9:42 pm

      5 stars
      Looks fantastic. Can we substitute cremini mushrooms or other mushrooms for the shiitakes? Shiitake mushrooms don't agree with me, but other mushrooms are fine. Thanks in advance

      Reply
    3. Joan says

      March 15, 2023 at 5:09 pm

      5 stars
      These are delicious!!! I’ve even made them without the liquid smoke and maple syrup and they were still delicious! Chewy with some crispness, salty and so tasty in a tomatoe sandwich or wherever we used to use bacon.

      Reply
      • Jess @ IDTLC Support says

        March 17, 2023 at 8:48 pm

        Wonderful, thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    4. Katherine D Emerson says

      March 15, 2023 at 11:26 am

      5 stars
      To be honest, I haven't tried this but I'm sure it will be delicious. Just wondered: Is there a substitute for the liquid smoke? Thanks.

      Reply

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    Sam Turnbull

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    I'm Sam. Bestselling cookbook author and full-time vegan recipe creator! I LOVE vegan food, but it didn't start that way. As someone who comes from a family of hunters, butchers, and chefs I'm the last person I thought would go vegan. Here's My Story →

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