What is shiitake bacon made of?

Shiitake bacon isn’t made from pork like normal bacon. It is a vegan meatless alternative made with shiitake mushrooms, seasoned with smoked paprika to give it a smoky flavoring. It is roasted to dehydrate it and crisp it up to give it a texture similar to bacon.

What does shiitake taste like?

They have a rich, nutty, toasty buttery, and woodsy flavor, and a meaty texture when cooked. You can eat shiitake mushrooms raw, but their flavor is much more enhanced when they're cooked.

Shiitake is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, though they are grown all over the world for consumption.

What is shiitake good for?

The shiitake mushroom is a good source of Vitamin B6, zinc and magnesium too, and in some traditional medicines, has been considered to have medicinal qualities. They are commonly used in Asian recipes like Tom Kha Gai (try our Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Coconut Soup ) or as a meat alternative like Mock Eel .

Can these be made ahead of time?

This vegan bacon is best used within a day of baking, but it can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

It will lose its crispy texture if you seal it into a container when it is not completely crispy and cool. Store at room temperature in a paper bag or a plastic bag that is not sealed shut. Re-crisp if necessary in the oven at 350 degrees or air fryer for 4 to 5 minutes or until sizzling hot. Then let it cool before serving.

Does Shiitake Bacon really taste like bacon?

Yes! It seems a bit too simple, but all you need is a little salt and smoked paprika to turn these mushrooms into little perfect pieces of vegan bacon perfection!

Vegan Shiitake Mushroom Bacon

Name: Vegan Shiitake Bacon
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (5 ounces); 1 tablespoon avocado oil or organic canola oil; ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika; ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Description

This Vegan Shiitake Bacon is the perfect savory salad topping! It is super flavorful and satisfying but 100% meatless so everyone can enjoy it. And it’s ready in just 30 minutes!

Ingredients

Scale

4 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (5 ounces)
1 tablespoon avocado oil or organic canola oil
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Toss shiitake mushrooms, 1 tablespoon oil, smoked paprika and salt in a medium bowl.
Spread out on a large rimmed baking sheet and transfer to the oven.
Bake, stirring and turning occasionally until the mushrooms are dried out and browned, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet.

Notes

You’ll know the shiitake bacon is done when it is browning but not burnt. That means that most of the moisture is roasted out of it and the small amount of natural sugars are caramelizing a bit.
This shiitake bacon will lose its crispy texture if you seal it into a container when it is not completely crispy and cool. It is best used within a day of baking. Store at room temperature in a paper bag or a plastic bag that is not sealed shut.
Re-crisp if necessary in the oven at 350 degrees or air fryer for 4 to 5 minutes or until sizzling hot. Let cool before serving.
You can substitute some smoked paprika for liquid smoke, but only do a small amount. If you chose to do this, use half the amount of liquid smoke that you’re removing from the paprika.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: salad topping
Method: oven
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 5 tablespoons
Calories: 41
Sugar: 0 g
Sodium: 70 mg
Fat: 4 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 0 g
Fiber: 0 g
Protein: 0 g