The Best Shiitake Bacon Recipe! (2024)

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Smoky, salty, chewy, and lightly crisp, you won't believe how delicious this Shiitake Bacon recipe is! It's quick & easy to make requiring only 5 ingredients. Just slice the mushrooms, season, and then bake. Shiitake mushroom bacon is perfect on pasta, salads, sandwiches, pizza, baked potatoes, and anywhere you want a little vegan bacon oomph (which is everywhere)!

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I actually published this shiitake bacon recipe way back in 2013, but it was buried in an old ebook and not easy to find, so I knew it was time to share this recipe again. Boy do I love a good vegan bacon recipe! The smoky salty taste is the perfect way to add a tasty pop to any dish. I have a ton of vegan bacon recipes already on my blog, but I wanted to reshare this recipe because it truly is so deliciously special.

Shiitake mushrooms are full of umami flavor (very savory) and have a wonderful meaty texture which is perfect for making vegan bacon. Due to the size of the mushrooms, the bacon pieces will be small, so this isn't the best option to add to your breakfast spread, but it's ideal for garnishing any dish you like. (Or just munching on them straight from the pan as I do).

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Common Questions:

Why can you not eat the stem of a shiitake mushroom?shiitake stems are usually too tough and woody to eat.

What can you do with shiitake stems? You can either discard them or if you want to save the stems, store them in a freezer bag and then use them to make homemade vegetable broth.

What is shiitake bacon made of?shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce, olive oil, maple syrup, and liquid smoke. If you are gluten-free you can substitute the soy sauce for tamari.

Can I use dried shiitake mushrooms?Yes. Just rehydrate the mushrooms in hot water for about 10 minutes. Then squeeze out any excess water before slicing and marinating.

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How to make the Best Shiitake Bacon recipe:

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

While the oven heats you can slice the mushrooms, discarding the stems.

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Add the soy sauce, olive oil, maple syrup, and liquid smoke to a medium bowl and mix. Add the sliced shiitake caps and gently toss to evenly coat.

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Spread the shiitakes in a single layer evenly over the prepared baking sheet. Bake 25 - 30 minutes, stopping to stir a few times until they have reduced in sized and are a dark golden brown.

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Remove from the oven. They will get slightly crispy as they cool. Enjoy right away or store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

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Shiitake bacon is...

  • smoky, salty, chewy, and slightly crisp
  • quick and easy to make- just 5 ingredients
  • the perfect topping for salads, pasta, pizza, baked potatoes, and more.

What to serve shiitake bacon on:

Creamy Vegan Potato Soup

(instead of the sundried tomato bacon)
Vegan Alfredo Pasta Bake
Vegan Loaded Baked Potato

If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.

Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.

The Best Shiitake Bacon Recipe! (8)

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The Best Shiitake Bacon

Smoky, salty, chewy, and lightly crisp, you won't believe how delicious this Shiitake Bacon recipe is! It's quick & easy to make requiring only 5 ingredients. Just slice the mushrooms, season, and then bake. Shiitake mushroom bacon is perfect on pasta, salads, sandwiches, pizza, baked potatoes, and anywhere you want a little vegan bacon oomph (which is everywhere)!

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4

PRINT PIN COMMENT

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. While the oven heats you can slice the mushrooms, discarding the stems (see notes).

    The Best Shiitake Bacon Recipe! (9)

  • Add the soy sauce, olive oil, maple syrup, and liquid smoke to a medium bowl and mix. Add the sliced shiitake caps and gently toss to evenly coat.

    The Best Shiitake Bacon Recipe! (10)

  • Spread the shiitakes in a single layer evenly over the prepared baking sheet. Bake 25 - 30 minutes, stopping to stir a few times until they have reduced in sized and are a dark golden brown. Remove from the oven. They will get slightly crispy as they cool. Enjoy right away or store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

    The Best Shiitake Bacon Recipe! (11)

Notes

Shiitake stems: shiitake stems are too tough and woody to eat so you can either discard them or if you want to save them, store them in a freezer bag and then use them to make homemade vegetable broth.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving (recipe makes 4 servings) | Calories: 89kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 510mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Insta and let the world see just how amazing plant-based creations can be!

Author: Sam Turnbull

Cuisine: American

Course: Side Dish

More vegan bacon recipes to try:

The Best Shiitake Bacon Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What is the best shiitake substrate recipe? ›

We use a half-quart of grain spawn per bag of bulk substrate. The bulk substrate formula consists of 20 parts hardwood shavings : 2 parts wheat bran : 1 part gypsum. of spawn bags: After being spawned, the bulk substrate bags are incubated at room temperature in light or dark.

How to cook fresh shiitake? ›

  1. Preheat non-stick skillet on a medium heat.
  2. Add shiitake mushrooms, sesame oil, and soy sauce.
  3. Sauté for about 3 minutes, until mushrooms are soft. Shiitake mushrooms cook quickly.
  4. Optional: serve over buckwheat soba noodles and fresh arugula (as shown in the video).

What is the substrate for shiitake? ›

Typically, an 80% hardwood sawdust and 20% additive mixture is used as the standard substrate formula for shiitake cultivation [23].

What is the best additive for mushroom substrate? ›

The most popular supplement materials for mushrooms are bran or seed derivatives, with oat bran and wheat bran being utilised in a 5-10% dry weight ratio. A popular mix includes 18% bran and 2% gypsum, as well as the sterilised substrate.

What is the best quality shiitake? ›

That's why a large, thick and rough mushroom with “baau fa” is more prestigious. Origin and storage time are also important factors of consideration. In general, the Japanese shiitake is the best.

How long does it take to cook shiitake? ›

Cook shiitakes for at least 5-7 minutes until they are tender and lightly browned. Mushrooms must reach an internal cooking temperature of 266-293 degrees Fahrenheit. To make sure shiitakes are fully cooked, insert a candy thermometer into the meaty center of the mushroom.

Why discard shiitake stems? ›

In actuality, the stems of shiitake mushrooms are technically edible and are not poisonous. Still, most people choose not to use the stems because they have an unpleasant woodsy flavor and are too fibrous and chewy to eat.

Can I eat raw shiitake? ›

Shiitake Mushrooms (Lentinula edodes)

While shiitake mushrooms are more commonly cooked to bring out their umami flavour, they can also be eaten raw. They have a chewy texture and a rich, smoky flavour.

Will shiitake grow on coffee grounds? ›

Mushrooms grow best in porous, sterile, slightly moist soil known as substrate. The optimal substrate is very easy to achieve with a combination of used coffee grounds and straw or sawdust.

What type of fungus is shiitake? ›

Shiitake, Lentinula edodes, is a white rot fungus that has been raised on logs for more than 1000 years. More than 1 million tonnes of shiitake are produced every year and China dominates the market.

What wood does shiitake grow on? ›

Use hardwood logs like Alder, Ash, Birch, Bitternut, Cherry, Chestnut, Hophornbeam, Ironwood, Maple, Oak, Pecan, Sweet gum, Sycamore, Tulip Poplar, Walnut, Willow and others. They do not grow on conifers. Shiitake sawdust spawn. Click here to see our varieties.

What does shiitake grow best on? ›

Shiitake are found naturally growing on logs, so it is best to grow them as such or a dense wood-based substrate such as a sawdust block. As mentioned above, for hobbyists or newcomers, growing shiitake mushrooms on logs will be the best way to grow your mushrooms at home.

What is the best grain for mushroom substrate? ›

Rye Grain. If you have access to Rye, it will be your best choice most of the time. It's excellent at holding water (can hold more moisture than any other grain), and doesn't often burst or get mushy when processed. Also, mushrooms of all types seem to absolutely love rye as a source of nutrition.

How do you make shiitake liquid culture? ›

Adding liquid culture to airport jars

For oyster mushrooms and shiitake, a simple recipe is tap water + maple syrup. Simply add 1 tsp of pure maple syrup to 1 cup of hot water, give it a mix and add it to your jars with airport lids screwed on.

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