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Shiitake bacon (vegan bacon bits) makes a super-savory topping for a wide variety of your favorite meals, from scrambled eggs to pasta and risotto to pizza. Here’s how to level up your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners with this quick and easy recipe.
Why we love this recipe
This four-ingredient, 30-minute (mostly hands-off) recipe is an umami-lover’s dream come true. It yields a lot of savory bang for your buck. Sprinkle these beautiful whispers of possibility over:
They make the best recipes even better. And if you’re ever faced with lackluster food, they basically function as a get out of jail free card.
I originally published this recipe in 2015. I’ve updated the post and recipe for clarity.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the very few ingredients you’ll need to make this high-impact recipe. The power of this four-ingredient combo always amazes me.
- I tend to buy shiitake mushrooms pre-sliced for this recipe. It cuts down on prep time, and they’re often, surprisingly, a better value, since the tough, heavy stems of whole shiitakes get discarded. If you use whole mushrooms to slice yourself, buy extra to account for the weight of the stems.
- Safflower oil is my high-smoke-point, neutral-tasting vegetable oil of choice. You can substitute another oil that has similar properties, such as canola, sunflower, peanut, corn, or vegetable oil blend.
- Use sweet (not hot) smoked paprika to contribute bacon’s signature smokiness without any spiciness.
How to make it
Here’s what you’ll do to make a great batch of shiitake bacon (vegan bacon bits). You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post. And get all the details in the recipe card below.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment for a nonstick surface and easy cleanup. Place the sliced shiitakes onto the parchment.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the mushrooms.
- Sprinkle on the paprika and the salt.
- Mix well until the mushrooms are evenly coated. Bake in the center of the oven until crispy and sprinkle over your favorite meals.
Expert tips and FAQs
Ovens vary, and the level of crispiness that people want out of their shiitake bacon can vary, too (just like it does with traditional bacon). I usually bake mine for about 30 minutes, but it’s a good idea to start checking at about the 15-minute mark. Pull them out when they’re done to your liking.
To be honest, we rarely have leftovers. But if you do, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week and re-crisp them in the oven or toaster oven before serving if you like.
“Shiitake” comes from the Japanese words for mushroom (take) and the kind of fallen trees that they grow on (shii). Not necessarily in that order. 🙂 How cool is that?
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Shiitake Bacon (Vegan Bacon Bits)
Ingredients
- 10 ounces (284 grams) sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) safflower oil
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F with a rack in the center.
- Place sliced shiitakes onto a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment.
- Add the oil, smoked paprika, and salt. Toss thoroughly to coat.
- Spread shiitakes into a single, fairly even layer. They will shrink a lot while cooking, but try not to crowd them anyway.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until many of the bits are quite crispy and others a little softer. (See note 4.)
- Let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- I tend to buy shiitake mushrooms pre-sliced for this recipe. It cuts down on prep time, and they’re often, surprisingly, a better value, since the tough, heavy stems of whole shiitakes get discarded. If you use whole mushrooms to slice yourself, buy extra to account for the weight of the stems.
- Safflower oil is my high-smoke-point, neutral-tasting vegetable oil of choice. You can substitute another oil that has similar properties, such as canola, sunflower, peanut, corn, or vegetable oil blend.
- Use sweet (not hot) smoked paprika to contribute bacon’s signature smokiness without any spiciness.
- Ovens vary, and preferences on how crispy to make shiitake bacon vary, too. Start checking as early as 15 minutes into cooking time and remove from the oven when they’re done to your liking.
- I rarely have leftovers, but if you do, store tightly covered in the fridge for up to a week and pop in the toaster oven to re-crisp.
- Shiitake bacon has made the rounds, but I first got the idea to incorporate smoked paprika from Joy Manning.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Ok – just… amazing! Also, best line I’ve read in ages –> “you learn what it feels like to be a saint and a martyr and an ass all at once. A one-woman manger scene.” Brilliant!
LOVE this! I learned from a great mushroom forager a few years back how to make fungi inspired bacon with chanterelles. It is so good, and easy. I love that you have done it with the more affordable shiitake!