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Portobello Bacon


  • Author: Liz Madsen
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cup 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Smoky, chewy, and packed full of flavor, this Portobello Bacon is super easy to make and perfect for all your vegan bacon needs.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 Portobello mushrooms (or any mushrooms!)
  • 6 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce (use GF tamari if needed) (see note 2)
  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil (like grapeseed or avocado oil), optional (see note 3)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or agave)
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (preferably mesquite flavor) (see note 4)
  • 1 tablespoon applewood spice rub or your favorite steak seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees Celsius) and line a baking tray with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
  2. Clean & slice mushrooms: Now prepare your mushrooms. Clean them off with a kitchen towel (or paper towel). Wipe all dirt off. I like to give mine a wash too, but I know people swear by not washing them. I’ll leave it up to you. Gently dry off the mushrooms. Use a paring knife to gently slice off the stems. Save them--they’re great in stir fries or you can toss it in a container in the freezer to make veggie scrap broth. Slice the mushrooms in quarter inch thick slices. Don’t worry if some break. Include them anyway! I call them “snacking casualties.” Hah.
  3. Mix marinade: Next, mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl or measuring cup (a family habit I just can’t break). Add the mushrooms to a large bowl and toss with the marinade. I like to use my hands because it helps me not break the delicate mushrooms. 
  4. Optional for more flavor: This part is optional--I like to let the mushrooms sit in the marinade for about 10 minutes because I feel it helps them soak up more of the flavors. But if you’re in a rush, go ahead and skip to the baking part. If you are soaking for 10 minutes, give them a toss halfway through so that they’re all equally soaking in the marinade.
  5. Bake: Add your soaked mushroom bacon to a lined baking tray and place on the top rack of your oven. Bake for 20-26 minutes, or until done to your liking.
  6. Eat: Eat it all right off the tray like we did--I mean, add to sandwiches, breakfast burritos, salads, pastas, and more. We loved this portobello bacon in a vegan carbonara we made.
  7. Store: I do think this portobello bacon is best when freshly made but I’m trying to understand that some folks may have leftovers (but HOW?!?!) Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. When reheating, heat in a frying pan with a little oil or broth, preferably as it will help revive the texture.

Notes

  • Note 1: While this is called Portobello bacon, you could really use any mushrooms that you like. White or crimini would be fine, as would oyster mushrooms, thinly sliced king oyster mushrooms, and even shiitake mushrooms would be great this way.
  • Note 2: I used reduced sodium soy sauce because regular is just too salty for me. However, use what you like. Definitely get some gluten-free tamari if you can’t have gluten. If you can’t have soy, you have a couple options: Coconut aminos (if choosing this, you may want to dial back or omit the maple syrup) or NoSoy.
  • Note 3: The reason for this addition is it just makes the mushroom bacon taste a little richer and more like animal bacon because oil is fatty like animal bacon is. But it tastes good without it.
  • Note 4: You can just substitute more smoked paprika instead if you prefer, but a dash of liquid smoke goes a long way here in making these mushrooms taste like bacon. I highly recommend using mesquite liquid smoke, but the hickory or other flavors are good too.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast, ingredient
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Vegan, Nut-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, Can Be Oil-Free, Can Be Gluten-Free, Can Be Soy-Free, Vegan Bacon, Portobello Bacon