Vegan bacon substitutes are readily available as a prepared food, but it’s more healthful to make your own out of less processed ingredients. While the marinade for this plant-based bacon could be used on thinly sliced vegetables such as zucchini or eggplant, the use of rice paper creates a crunchy, crumbly texture that resembles bacon more than any vegetable.
This rice paper bacon has the look of “the real thing,” all the way down to random crinkles and ridges. Use it anywhere you would animal bacon, from a B.L.T. sandwich to a macaroni and cheese topping or a simple snack.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup tamari sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as grapeseed or avocado
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 8 pieces rice paper
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo
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Preheat the oven to 400 F. Whisk together the tamari, olive oil, neutral oil, smoked paprika, liquid smoke, and onion powder in a small mixing bowl; set aside.
The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo
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Fill a 9-x 9-inch baking dish with 1-inch of water. Take 2 pieces of rice paper and dip each in the water very briefly. Place them directly on top of one another, and press to adhere.
The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo
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Using a pastry brush, brush the marinade over the rice paper until it's thoroughly coated.
The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo
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Using a pizza cutter, scissors, or a very sharp knife, slice the rice paper into 5 strips. Each should be the width of a piece of uncooked bacon, about 1.5 inches wide. Transfer to a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat this process with the remaining sheets of rice paper,
The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo
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Bake the rice paper "bacon" for 8 minutes, checking at 5 minutes to ensure they aren't browning too fast.
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Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.
The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo
Recipe Tips
- Once cooked, the rice paper bacon will keep for 1 to 2 days in a tightly sealed container at room temperature, or 1 to 2 weeks if stored in the refrigerator.
- If available near you, square rice paper should be chosen over round. That way, you don't have to trim any edges.
- The liquid smoke is an integral ingredient for the smoky flavor to be prominent and shouldn't be omitted.
- Because rice paper is so thin, using two sheets together at a time is imperative. Otherwise, the "bacon" is likely to burn in the oven, and would be difficult to deal with prior, when cutting, and easily breakable.
- For stronger bacon flavor, once you brush the top sheet with marinade, you can flip it over and brush the underside as well. Note that this may make it cook a little faster, so aim for 7 minutes in the oven instead of 8.
