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If you've ever stared longingly at a BLT and thought, "Wish that B didn't stand for, y'know, BS…" this rice paper bacon recipe is your crispy ticket to smoky-salty vegan bacon bliss. It's fast, stupidly-easy, and made in under 20 mins, entirely from pantry stuff plus those translucent sheets you forgot you bought for summer rolls.
Recipe tips tailored to what matters most to you:
Rice paper is just rice and tapioca, so this is already gluten-free, provided you reach for tamari rather than regular soy sauce.
This whole thing is done in 20 minutes, and skipping the oven step gets you a chewier bacon in even less time.
A single pack of rice paper sheets makes batch after batch of these, so the cost per serving lands way under any packaged vegan bacon.
The air fryer handles these at 350°F for 6-7 minutes, flipping halfway and keeping the strips spaced out, so you can skip the frying oil.
Rice paper sits in the Asian aisle at most supermarkets, and whatever hot sauce you can actually find, chili garlic or red chili sauce, covers the sriracha.
A quick dunk is all you need. Too much water makes the rice paper gummy, stretchy, and hard to work with long before it hits the pan.
Don't overlap your bacon strips in the pan, or you'll get stuck-together bacon that will make you mad.
They crisp up more as they cool. Hot-from-the-pan strips may seem chewy.
Oodles more tips, step-by-step recipe photos, info on weird ingredients, and FAQs are all still here. I just tucked 'em out of the way so you can start cooking sooner.
Slide it into a spinach-loaded vegan omelette with crispy potatoes on the side, and you've got a brunch that doesn't miss the eggs or the cholesterol. Or go full weekend glory mode with a tower of vegan pancakes, and soft, buttery tofu scramble that welcomes a salty crunch like a soulmate.
Your breakfast game just leveled up. Let's get this!
I was skeptical at first! I had brown rice paper sheets on hand and used those. It turned out great! The texture is spot-on...crispy edges with that perfect chew. Plus it literally takes 20 minutes and uses pantry staples. Perfect for when you need that bacon fix without the fuss!
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🥰Why you'll adore this vegan bacon recipe
✊Vegan AF & GF: Like all my vegan breakfast recipes, this is made without harming a single pig or turkey, and it contains no cholesterol either! Besides, it's one of the gluten-free vegan recipes that your picky family can get down with too.
⏱ Fast & Furious: Marinade and prep happen in under 20. You'll be snackin' while the rest of the breakfast comes together.
Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of my vegan recipes, this one's been cooked and crisped by hundreds of recipe testers around the world.
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
🥓 Rice paper bacon ingredients
Rice Paper
Made from rice flour and usually tapioca too, these Vietnamese wrappers puff and crisp when cooked. Doubling them up after a quick soak in warm water gives them a lot more structure. I use 'em in all kinds of recipes like my rice paper salad, vegan drumsticks (where they act like "skin"), and goi cuon salad rolls.
The Soy Sauce
I recommend making this with tamari, a fermented Japanese soy sauce with deep, complex saltiness and umami. It's naturally gluten-free and typically cleaner tasting, but you can also rock this out with coconut aminos, nama shoyu, or whatever soy sauce you've got on hand.
Liquid Smoke
A lot of folks don't realize this stuff is natural; liquid smoke is literally made from condensing actual wood smoke particles and concentrating them in water. That's it. Just a few drops of hickory or mesquite give this bacon the illusion of hours in a smoker, and unlike my vegan breakfast sausage, there's no wood chips required.
I use liquid smoke in tons of my vegan meat recipes like vegan pepperoni, vegan hot dogs, and vegan ham.
Smoked Paprika
A good quality Spanish smoked paprika is what gives this bacon and recipes like my vegan chili, vegan shawarma, and vegan yakitori their smoky vibe. Use sweet smoked paprika, or use chipotle powder for a little extra fire with the same smokiness.
Mushroom Powder
Mushroom powder is a fantastic umami booster made by grinding dried mushrooms. Try to find one made mostly, if not entirely, from porcini for a more robust flavor. I use it to give body and meatiness to vegan schnitzel and vegan corned beef.
Molasses
Molasses brings mineral-rich complexity that somewhat mimics the caramelization of real bacon fat. I opt for regular, not blackstrap molasses, which I think is a little bitter for this.
Sriracha
If you want to make your own, I've got a killer sriracha recipe that brings the fire with no weird additives. Otherwise, go with a solid store-bought brand like Huy Fong or Ninja Squirrel. Sub with chili garlic sauce, red chili sauce, or just about any not-too-hot hot sauce you already have open in your fridge.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Vegan Bacon Variations
Tofu Bacon
Great for soaking up marinades, tofu bacon delivers a dense, chewy strip with crisp edges. It takes longer to crisp than rice paper and won't give you that brittle snap, but that makes it better for using in BEC Sammies and other places where rice paper bacon would get soggy on you.
Seitan Bacon
Thick, meaty, and sliceable-seitan bacon is the most realistic vegan bacon to use in club sandwiches or topping burgers.
Tempeh Bacon
Tempeh bacon is kinda the OG of vegan bacons and has a natural depth thanks to fermentation.
Carrot Bacon
Carrot bacon is fast-cooking and has some natural smoky-sweet flavor that makes it awesome for scrambling up with some mung bean eggs.
Grab my easy-yo-use app that builds your whole week with real, chef-tested vegan dinners in 30 seconds, customized to your budget, time, and taste, with a shopping list sorted by aisle.
📖 How to make vegan bacon
Don't wanna scroll through a photo essay just to get to the crisp? You can hop down to the easy-to-print full recipe card if you're hangry.
Step One
Ralph Mari-Nader:
Whisk tamari, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, mushroom powder, onion powder, garlic powder, molasses, maple syrup, and sriracha in a cup or shallow dish.
Step Two
A Rice Against Time:
Fill a shallow bowl with warm water. Dip 2 rice paper sheets in the water together for only about 2 seconds. Remove and smooth out bubbles.
Step Three
The Da Vinci Cut:
Using kitchen scissors or the tip of a sharp knife, cut layered rice paper into 1-inch strips.
Work quickly so you can get the strips cut before the rice paper gets soggy and stretchy.
Step Four
Lost in the Sauce:
Briefly dip each strip into the marinade , throughly coating both sides and transfer the strips to a place.
Make sure not to let the strips touch each other so they do not stick together.
Step Five
For Frying Out Loud:
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat for 90 seconds. Fry strips in batches, 20-30 seconds per side, without overlapping.
Step Six
Baking Bad:
Transfer fried strips to a baking sheet to cool and dry before serving.
💡Serving Ideas
Crush of shards of this super-crispy bacon to top off a bagel spread thicccc with vegan cream cheese and carrot lox.
Crumble it on top of vegan shakshuka, serve it with some homemade Just Egg, or as part of the filling for a vegan frittata or vegan quiche.
You can also tuck a few pieces into vegan blintzes, or slide 'em deep into a vegan sabich sandwich with roasted eggplant and garlicky toum.
👉Top tips
- Don't Oversoak: A quick dunk is all you need-too much water makes the rice paper gummy, stretchy, and hard to work with long before it hits the pan.
- Fry Fast, Bake for Crunch: The skillet adds flavor and structure, while the oven takes it to full crispy town. But if you want a chewier bacon, skip the oven altogether
- Keep Strips Separate: Don't overlap your bacon strips in the pan, or you'll get stuck-together bacon that will make you mad, and then you will throw the whole frying pan into the sea in a crazed veggie bacon rage. Please spare the fish your temper tantrum, fam.
- Cool Before Eating: They crisp up more as they cool. Hot-from-the-pan strips may seem chewy.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Yes, as long as your tamari is also GF, this whole recipe is gluten-free.
It's usually from over-soaking the rice paper or not cooking it long enough. Also, let it cool-crisp happens off-heat.
Yup! Air fry at 350°F (175°C) for about 4-6 minutes, flipping halfway. Keep strips spaced apart.
Use a well-seasoned nonstick or cast iron skillet and make sure the oil is hot enough before frying.
🫙Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days. If you live somewhere humid, the fridge is safer.
🔥Oven reheating: Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 4-5 minutes until crispy again.
💥Microwave reheating: Not ideal. It'll soften the strips instead of crisping. Use the oven if you can.
✌️You'll love these vegan breakfast recipes too:
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Rice Paper Bacon
Equipment
- Wide shallow dish
Ingredients
Bacon Marinade:
- 3 tablespoons tamari or other soy sauce of your preference
- 1 ½ teaspoons liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon mushroom powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons molasses
- 4 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
The Rice Paper:
- 8 sheets rice paper 22 cm. size
- Warm water
To fry the bacon:
- 2 tablespoons canola oil vegetable oil, or sunflower oil
Instructions
- Whisk the tamari, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, mushroom powder, onion powder, garlic powder, molasses, maple syrup, and sriracha in a wide, shallow dish until fully combined. Set the marinade aside.
- Fill a large, shallow bowl or pie plate with warm water. Submerge 2 sheets of rice paper in the water for just 2-3 seconds, just until barely softened but not stretchy and mushy.
- Lay the sheets flat on a clean surface. Smooth them together to remove air bubbles and align the edges.
- Working quickly so you can cut the rice paper before it becomes too soggy, using clean kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut the double-layered rice paper into strips approximately 2.5 cm (1 inch) wide.
- Place the strips in the marinade, turning each piece to coat both sides evenly. Place the seasoned rice paper strips onto a plate or baking sheet and repeat with the remaining rice paper until all bacon strips are formed.
- Set a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and wait 90 seconds until the oil is hot. Working in batches, lay several strips flat in the skillet without overlapping. Fry for 20-30 seconds per side, turning once, until the strips appear blistered and crisp at the edges. Watch closely to prevent burning.
- If you want crunchier, crisper bacon, transfer the cooked strips to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces, adding more oil if necessary. Once all strips have been pan-fried, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool and dry before serving.
Notes
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Tee Hansen says
I was skeptical at first! I had brown rice paper sheets on hand and used those. It turned out great! The texture is spot-on...crispy edges with that perfect chew. Plus it literally takes 20 minutes and uses pantry staples. Perfect for when you need that bacon fix without the fuss!