I can’t get enough of this highly addictive 5-ingredient eggplant bacon. It’s crispy on the edges and a little tender in the middle. This recipe is fantastic on its own, in a sandwich or for bacon wrapping some vegan scallops.
There are countless recipes for eggplant bacon online, but I prepare mine a little differently. It mostly comes down to technique. I keep the ingredients simple but pay more attention during the baking process. My method involves taking the eggplant out of the oven every five to seven minutes to flip and brush with sauce. Preparing them this way ensures that they are packed with flavour and absorb more oil to a fattier bacon-like finish.
For best results, I recommend working with a mandolin. If you don’t have a mandolin, cut your eggplant as thin as possible with a knife. The thinner the eggplant slices, the better the crisp. Chubby pieces will taste great, but they’ll be a little more waterlogged.
Highly Addictive Eggplant Bacon [Vegan/GF]
Equipment
- 1 mandolin or chef knife
- large baking tray(s) with silicone liner or compostable parchment paper
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup grapeseed oil or any neutral oil
- 1/2 cup tamari
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 medium eggplant washed, stem removed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF / 165ºC. Prep two baking sheet(s) with your silicone liner or parchment paper and set aside. If you only have one baking sheet, you'll need to bake in batches.
- Use a mandolin to slice into thin strips of 1/8th inch or less: the thinner, the crispier. If you don't have a mandolin, slice the eggplant as thin as possible with a large knife.
- Cut your eggplant slices in half lengthwise to resemble bacon slices and line them up on your baking tray(s).
- Make the sauce: Whisk together grapeseed oil, tamari, smoked paprika, garlic powder, in a small bowl.
- Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with a generous amount of sauce. Place in the oven and bake for seven minutes.
- Remove bacon from the oven, flip strips and brush once more with sauce. Repeat this step every five to seven minutes. Keep a close eye on the eggplant bacon to ensure it doesn't burn. It's done when crispy on the edges but tender in the middle. It should be dark in the middle but not black. Note: Given that the slices are so thin, they will bake unevenly. This is normal. Remove any pieces that are done right away to prevent burning.
