Tofu Bacon Bits
If you wanna skip the store-bought Bacon Bits, make these Tofu Bacon Bits which are even better, and can be just as crunchy!
Last year I made some Tofu Bacon, and while you can certainly just chop that up, I thought it might be fun to test out a few ways to make Tofu Bacon Bits!
So I went ahead and tested out three different methods, and they each have a different texture which I think will please everyone!
ingredients for Tofu Bacon Bits
- Tofu – I almost always recommend using Super Firm Tofu, and this recipe is no exception. It requires no pressing because has very little water. Additionally, the low water content makes it crisp up a lot faster too! You can find this at most major grocery stores in the US. Sprouts, Trader Joe’s and Ralphs / Kroger have their own brand as well.
- Smokey Marinade – The marinade includes ingredients like Soy Sauce, Smoked Paprika, Liquid Smoke, Nutritional Yeast and mostly pantry staples to get us a savory and smokey flavor!
how to make Tofu Bacon Bits
We have three options to make these! The first one is the chewiest option as the pieces are larger.
For large and chewy bacon bits, slice the tofu thin with a mandolin or sharp knife. Stack the slices on top of each other and cut them into bite sized squares.
For a bacon bit that has some chewy and some crispy bits, you can simply crumble it with your hands.
And lastly for the crunchiest option, you can shred the tofu with the large holes of a cheese grater.
Whisk the ingredients for the Marinade in a large bowl and set aside.
Add the chopped, crumbled or shredded tofu to the bowl with the marinade, and stir to combine.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the tofu out in a single layer.
Bake for 25 minutes. Then take out the sheet pan and toss the tofu around and spread it out evenly again. Bake for another 10 minutes and flip again. Repeat this process 1 – 2 more times, until it’s done to your liking. Check them every 5 minutes to ensure you don’t burn them. They will crisp up more as they cool too.
Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container in the fridge and use within 1 week. Use them to top a Twice Baked Potato or Potato Soup!
storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge and use within 1 week.
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Tofu Bacon Bits
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Super Firm Tofu (Vacuum Packed)
Marinade
- 1/4 cup Neutral Oil (Vegetable, Canola, Avocado etc.)
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce (use Tamari for Gluten-Free)
- 2 tsp Liquid Smoke
- 1 Tbsp Sriracha (optional for heat)
- 3 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 2 tsp MSG (optional for umami)
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F / 190 C.
- Whisk the ingredients for the Marinade in a large bowl and set aside.
- For large and chewy bacon bits, slice the tofu thin with a mandolin or sharp knife. Stack the slices on top of each other and cut them into bite sized squares.
- For a smaller bacon bit that has chewy and crispy bits due to irregular sizes, crumble the tofu with your hands.
- And lastly for the crunchiest option, you can shred the tofu with the large holes of a cheese grater.
- Add the chopped, crumbled or shredded tofu to the bowl with the marinade, and stir to combine.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the tofu out in a single layer.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Then take out the sheet pan and toss the tofu around and spread it out evenly again. Bake for another 10 minutes and flip again. Repeat this process 1 – 2 more times, until it’s done to your liking. Check them every 5 minutes to ensure you don’t burn them. They will crisp up more as they cool too.
- Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container in the fridge and use within 1 week.
- Use them to top a Twice Baked Potato or Potato Soup!
This was super tasty on its own and in other recipes! I was craving BBQ pulled pork so I ended up cooking this with shredded tofu, slightly less crispy and adding BBQ sauce and it was amazing. Thanks!
Oh that sounds so good, glad you liked it!!
😍😍😍😍
This was good! I left out the sriracha because I was out so I didn’t have the nice red color you got so I’ll definitely be adding that in next time. But the flavor is nice and smoky and the shredded tofu crisped up nicely. Thank you!
Excellent, so glad you dug it, the Sriracha is nice! Thank you!
So good!! A great way to get a little protein boost. Thank you!