Vegan Bacon BLT Grilled Cheese (Printable version)

A plant-based twist on the classic BLT featuring smoky tempeh bacon, fresh lettuce, tomato, and melty vegan cheese.

# Ingredient list:

→ Smoky Tempeh Bacon

01 - 7 oz tempeh, sliced into thin strips
02 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
03 - 1 tbsp maple syrup
04 - 1 tbsp olive oil
05 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
06 - 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
07 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
08 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Sandwich

09 - 4 slices sourdough or sandwich bread, vegan
10 - 4 slices vegan cheese
11 - 1 medium tomato, sliced
12 - 4 leaves crisp lettuce, romaine or iceberg
13 - 2 tbsp vegan butter or margarine

# Step-by-step guide:

01 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, maple syrup, olive oil, smoked paprika, liquid smoke, garlic powder, and black pepper. Add tempeh strips and marinate for 10 minutes.
02 - Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add marinated tempeh and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until browned and slightly crispy. Remove from heat and set aside.
03 - Spread vegan butter on one side of each bread slice.
04 - Place two slices of bread, buttered side down, on a clean surface. Top each with a slice of vegan cheese, half the smoky tempeh bacon, tomato slices, lettuce, and another slice of vegan cheese. Cover with remaining bread, buttered side up.
05 - Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-low heat. Place sandwiches in the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, pressing gently, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
06 - Slice in half and serve immediately.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • The tempeh bacon gets genuinely crispy and smoky without any fake meat products, just real ingredients doing their best work.
  • Everything melts together into this perfect mess of textures that makes you forget you're eating something technically "healthier."
  • It comes together in thirty minutes, which means you can make it on a weeknight when takeout feels too expensive and cereal feels too sad.
  • The marinade for the tempeh works on tofu, mushrooms, or even eggplant if you want to experiment.
02 -
  • Don't marinate the tempeh longer than fifteen minutes or it absorbs too much liquid and won't crisp properly, I learned this the hard way when I got distracted by a phone call.
  • Keep the heat medium-low when grilling the sandwich, high heat burns the bread before the cheese melts and you end up with a blackened outside and cold center.
  • Press the sandwich gently while cooking but don't smash it flat, you want contact with the pan but also want to keep the layers intact.
  • Let the tempeh bacon cool slightly before assembling or the lettuce wilts instantly and loses all its crunch.
03 -
  • Make a double batch of tempeh bacon and keep it in the fridge for up to five days, it's perfect crumbled over salads or stirred into pasta.
  • Use a cast iron skillet if you have one because it distributes heat evenly and creates the most beautiful golden crust on the bread.
  • If you're making multiple sandwiches, keep the finished ones warm in a 200-degree oven while you cook the rest so everyone eats at the same time.
  • Save any leftover marinade and toss it with roasted vegetables or use it as a glaze for grilled tofu.
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