Smoky Mushroom "Bacon" that Non-Vegans Will Love
When I was a kid, one of my favorite sandwiches was a bacon, lettuce, and tomato. A good BLT rocked my world. I loved the smoky, salty flavor of the bacon.
Today, the thought of eating a sweet and intelligent pig makes me feel horrible, and like most of us, I was raised to believe that meat and dairy was an important part of a healthy diet.
Once I realized that wasn't the case, I gave up eating mammals. That was over twenty years ago, and I've never looked back. However, I never lost the craving for smoky and salty food.
Since Alex and I started this blog we've been working hard to find alternatives to animal products that will convert even the most hard core carnivore to a plant-based only diet.
I'm convinced that this Portobello mushroom "bacon" recipe will lure meat eaters into the light. It may not transform them, but I bet that it will make them crave the shroom over Babe.
The story of Portobello Mushroom "Bacon"
As I was cruising the condiments section of my local supermarket (I spend a lot of time looking for different ingredients these days), I stumbled upon across liquid smoke.
I'd never heard of the stuff before, so I picked up a bottle and looked at the label. A little jolt of excitement ran through me the moment I realized that I had struck culinary gold.
I realized that I could use this in veggie burgers to give them a little extra something, or, I could try making a vegan bacon that mimiced the flavor of the real stuff! My imagination had shifted into fifth gear and there was no slowing it down.
I cruised through the aisles looking for that special ingredient that would put a thick and juicy BLT back into my world. Tofu? No, too squishy. Tempeh? No, not a big fan. And then, I saw a big pile of Portobello mushrooms, and I thought, why not? It could work.
Round One
For my first attempt at making mushroom “bacon" with liquid smoke, I dipped the mushrooms in the liquid smoke and then immediately fried them. They were all right. Not great, not horrible.
Round Two
The second time I marinated them in the liquid smoke for about an hour. They were better, they had a good flavor, but it was almost too much of a good thing. I think I let them soak too long. A little bit of liquid smoke goes a long way.
Round Three - Ding-Ding-Ding, WINNER!
How to Make Vegan Portobello Mushroom "Bacon"
Finally, I got it right. I thought about the kind of bacon that my mom used to cook. Maple flavored bacon. I added maple syrup to the liquid smoke and it was perfect. The syrup gave it just enough sweetness, and it gave the mushrooms a stickier coating, which gave them a tiny bit of crispness . This my friends, is really, really good.
STEP ONE
Whisk the liquid smoke, maple syrup, and salt & pepper in a wide shallow dish.
STEP TWO
Slice the mushrooms into thin strips and marinate them in the marinade for approximately 15 minutes per side.
STEP THREE
Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat and add the oil when the pan is hot. Cook the mushroom strips for approximately 4 minutes per side, or until they're brown and the edges are crispy.
That's it, friends. You can eat them as is, or you can stack them on toasted bread with lettuce, tomato, and your favorite vegan mayo for a delicious PLT. Portobello Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich.
I couldn’t wait to put that BLT together and take a bite. Ahhhh, it was as good as I had hoped it would be. Smoky, mapley, salty, yummy goodness, all without harming one living being. That made it taste even better.
HOW TO SERVE MUSHROOM BACON
This is such an easy recipe, it doesn’t require any special culinary skills. I promise.
As you can see, it makes a fantastic vegan BLT. Just add the mushroom bacon to toasted bread with a smear of vegan mayo, lettuce or your favorite green leafy vegetable, and tomato.
You could also dice the mushrooms and put them in a salad, or put the slices on the side of a tofu scrambler. Anything that bacon can be added to, you can add these mushrooms to.
How about putting the strips on a grilled veggie burger for a “bacon” burger?
Make this and let us know what you think. We love to hear from you! And, don’t forget to take a picture of your gorgeous creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram.
Let’s connect! Hop on over to our Facebook page and give it a like, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter, and follow us and share this and other Veganosity recipes on Pinterest. We'd be so grateful if you did. If you like this recipe and can't wait to see what we're going to share next, subscribe to Veganosity. Just fill in the subscription box above our picture in the top right corner of the page. And, Alex and I love hearing from you, please leave a comment and let us know what you think of our recipes.
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Portobello Mushroom Bacon – Vegan Bacon
Equipment
- 1 skillet
- 1 stove
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- One large Portobello mushroom – washed and patted dry
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- sea salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl that is large enough to marinate the mushroom slices combine the liquid smoke, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.
- Cut the mushroom into thin strips, no more than a ¼ of an inch thick, and marinate both sides in the liquid mixture. At least 15 minutes per side.
- Heat the oil in a medium skillet and cook the mushrooms for approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes. They should be browned and the edges.should be crispy.
- Notes
- For a Bacon Lettuce and Tomato sandwich toast two pieces of whole grain bread. Add lettuce, sliced tomato, the mushroom bacon, and salt and pepper if desired. You can also spread some vegan mayo on the toast for added flavor.
Aurora says
Can’t wait to try this. What are your thoughts about using an air fryer to make these? And, are there any kinds of liquid smoke that are safer to use?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Aurora, you can definitely make these in the air-fryer. We suggest frying for about 7 to 10 minutes. In regards to the safety of liquid smoke, we are not at all concerned and urge you to read/listen to Dr. Greger's video. You could use smoked paprika, but it won't give the same amount of flavor. 🙂
Linda Meyer says
Sorry, here's the link to the video. https://nutritionfacts.org/2015/04/14/does-liquid-smoke-cause-cancer/
LiverSupport.com says
WOW! What an interesting recipe. I wonder if patting the mushrooms dry before frying them will help them to crisp up then cooking them similar to Julia Child's method to brown mushrooms (she used very hot pan and butter though). Cannot wait to try this.
Linda Meyer says
Hi! Thanks for the comment. Patting them dry with the marinade would probably cause the fibers of the towel to stick to them because of the maple syrup. If you do try it, please let us know how it turns out. 🙂
Tina says
I whisk my liquid smoke into olive oil- maybe 1/4 tsp of smoke in a tablespoon of oil. I then put the portobello slices into a hot cast iron pan with hot canola oil(about a tsp, just enough to grease up the bottom of the pan. Then I drizzle the olive oil and liquid smoke over it. Let them cook for a long time and they start to dry out and crisp up. Sprinkle with lots of salt and you have but heaven. There’s usually enough smoky flavour in the pan to cook a few mushrooms without adding more of the oil smoke emulsion. I’m going to try adding the maple syrup next batch.
Linda Meyer says
Hi Tina, thanks for that tip, we'll definitely try it. We're all about crispy textures. 🙂
Vickie Fisher says
Dear Meyer ladies, This recipe is amazing! I swear, I will never have shriveled old mushrooms again (because I have not used them fast enough)! I didn't have enough smoke flavoring, so I used mostly Braggs. No matter, because they were so good, I couldn't stop eating them, and they barely made it into my wrap sandwich! Thanks so much!
Linda Meyer says
Yay!!!! This makes us so happy. We love this recipe and it's one of our most popular. To hear that you love it, too makes us so very happy. Thank you!!
JENNIFER D MARCHANT says
Loved this added ancho chili powder and a dash of lime juice. Actually over cooked the first batch and had smoky caramel crunchy treats. They were tasty too. Second batch went for BLT and panini grilled cheese. Fantastic idea. Thanks for sharing!!!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Jennifer! Thank you, we're so happy you enjoyed the recipe. We love that you made it spicy!!!
Sylvie says
just made this with only 4 slices of portebello, threw the rest of the portebello in the tomato soupe I was making and it was great, didn’t want to make too much in case it wasnt good. Well tks for the recipie it was excellent will do it again dor sure. enjoy your saturday afertoon.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Sylvie! We're so happy you liked it. 🙂 Thanks for letting us know.
Laura Dewey says
Just made this. Broiled instead of frying hoping to crisp up. Worked somewhat on texture but not completely. Maybe air frying? Incredible taste though! Loved it and will make again for sure. Thank you!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Laura! We bought an air-fryer recently and this is on our list of things to try. We're hoping it will make them crispier too. 🙂
Laura Dewey says
Threw in toaster oven on a sheet of foil to reheat for my kids and that did the trick!! They said it was one of the best things I’ve ever made. Thank you again.
Linda Meyer says
That's fantastic! Thanks for the tip, and we're so happy your kids loved them. 🙂
Denise says
I had a concern about the liquid smoke. I mixed chipotle power with the maple syrup for the smokey taste..yum
Linda Meyer says
Hi Denise! Thanks for the tip, we're happy that you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
Kirsten Matthes says
Hello Linda, I love this vegetarian bacon, this opens a world of veggie dishes. I read all comments, was inspired and therefore a bit too generous with chipotle powder 😊 but it's still delicious and I'll certainly will prepare this again and again. I'll also buy smoked alderwood salt, never heard of it before. Oh, and I'll buy some other brands of liquid smoke, I'm sure they all taste different. I'm so glad I tried this receipe tonight.
I will add my first batch to a lentil salad for my lunch at work tomorrow. Uh, I wish it was tomorrow. Must watch out not to finish off the mushrooms right now.
Thanks for sharing, I'll pass it on,
Kirsten
Alex Meyer, MA says
Kirsten, Thank you so much! We love this recipe too and definitely understand how hard it is to not eat it all at once. And that's awesome that you tried to make the recipe your own by adding more chipotle powder! Even if it doesn't always work out, it's always a good thing to try new things and really individualize a recipe : )
sheila says
i would like to try this. is there a replacement for maple sugar?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Sheila, the maple syrup gives the bacon a great flavor. You could use agave or a simple syrup, but it wouldn't taste the same.
Kristi says
hello!
I'm looking for a meat substitute for freezer breakfast burritos. Do you think these would be a good option? In your opinion, after freezing, would they get rubbery when reheated?
Thanks!
Kristi
Linda Meyer says
Hi Kristi! I've never tried freezing them but I'm sure they'd be fine since they're cooked and have released most of their water.
Susan says
My husband and I loved this so much, we had it twice in a week! I added avacado for a ABLT. Thank for this great recipe. I am going to try more of your recipes.
Linda Meyer says
Hi Susan! We're so happy to hear this!! Yes, avocado on everything. 🙂
Frederick W Hill says
Tried this on Sunday—-delicious! Don’t drain the mushrooms on a paper towel. They will stick because of the maple syrup liquid smoke combo.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Frederick! We're so happy you liked the recipe. 🙂
Kathy Woody says
Hi. This looks and sounds amazing. I can't wait to try them out. My question is why/how are they so high in calories and saturated fat? This surprised me. However, it won't stop me from trying the recipe. Thanks!
Kathy
Linda Meyer says
Hi Kathy! I honestly don't know how the nutrition application in this recipe card index calculates the calories, fat, or any of the other nutrients, as they all seem so far off. I don't use a lot of oil to make them and everything else is pretty much fat free. I wouldn't worry too much about the calories and fat, as 1 tbsp of coconut oil is approximately 120 calories and 1 medium mushroom is about 10 to 15 calories. I think the high calorie count comes from the 1/4 cup of maple syrup that the mushrooms marinate in. Unless we drink the marinade, we won't be consuming all of the calories-haha! Thanks so much, let us know what you think. 🙂
Selenia Cordero says
Hi Linda ! I try this recipe and is fantastic. I am with you about small amount of smoke liquid not hurting
our body and health. Just like that. Thank you
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Selenia! You're absolutely right, and we would never consumer anything that we thought would compromise our health. We're so happy you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
Andrea says
This recipe looks delicious and I am excited to try it soon! I am amazed how nit picky many of the comments are regarding a recipe on YOUR blog that you are SHARING that noone has to try if they dont want to. Thank you for taking the time to share something you enjoy. After all, taste is a preference and its really no big deal if a recipe is tried and not liked so why do readers reply so negatively like you stabbed them in the heart by posting a recipe they feel isnt up to their standards? A few drops of liquid smoke isnt the end of the world!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Andrea! Thank you so much for the comment. I let those comments roll off my back because we've received far more positive comments than negative. I'll never understand why people waste their time with negative comments. I do appreciate legitimate questions or suggestions, so people can keep those coming. 🙂 Happy New Year to you!
sharon says
Did it! I didn't have liquid smoke so used a little tamari in its place. Loved it! Thanks; I will make this again, (with liquid smoke if I can find one I like.)
Linda Meyer says
Awesome! I'm so happy you liked it. You could whisk smoked paprika in to the liquid if you can't find a liquid smoke that you like. That will give it the smoky flavor that mimics bacon. Thank you for taking the time to let us know. 🙂
Malin says
Hi! Would like to make this for my man for breakfast, and wondering if it would be ok to let the mushrooms marinate through the night?
Also - as I see someone made this with unrefined coconutoil, which has a distinct flavor to it, and you replied that there shouldn't be any flavor - maybe it would be an idea to specify that you should use a flavorfree, refined coconut oil? 🙂
Linda Meyer says
Hi Malin, the longer you marinate the mushrooms the stronger the flavor will be. If you don't want a strong smoky flavor I'd suggest reducing the amount of liquid smoke. Thanks for the suggestion regarding the coconut oil. I'll go back and look at the comment. I must have misread it because I'd never suggest cooking with unrefined coconut oil, unless I was cooking something that should taste like coconut. 😉
Shauna Miller says
Can you freeze these after cooking?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Shauna! Yes, make sure you cook them first and let them cool completely. Store in an air-tight container or bag. They are best eaten within six months.
Kelly Rose says
I prepared this recipe last night. It was delicious. I did have to cook the mushrooms longer than 3 minutes on each side to get the edges to crisp up. I laid them on parchment paper to cool for about 5 minutes, and that made the edges even a little bit crunchier. I also sprinkled a bit of smoked alderwood salt on the sandwich when assembling for a deeper, richer smokier flavor. Tonight I'm making it again but adding avocado to the sandwich.
Linda Meyer says
Hi Kelly Rose! Thanks for letting me know how much you enjoyed the recipe. I haven't tried smoked alderwood salt, thanks for the tip.:)