How to Make Vegan Rice Paper Bacon

If you’re all about extra-crispy bacon (real or otherwise), you’ll want to try this rice paper bacon recipe. Yes, you read that right — rice paper!

Traditionally for spring rolls in Vietnamese cuisine, rice paper wrappers are thin, translucent sheets of rice flour and tapioca starch. The sheets become wonderfully crispy and crunchy when baked, making them a perfect option for vegan bacon recipes.

This faux bacon is also ideal if you want that bacon flavor without bulking up your meal. After all, other vegan bacon options (like tofu bacon or tempeh bacon) are delicious, but they’re significantly more filling. On the other hand, rice paper is very light in terms of consistency and thickness, so it’s perfect for subtly enhancing a sandwich.

How to Make Rice Paper Bacon

You will need:

• square rice paper sheets
• avocado oil
• low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
• liquid smoke
• maple syrup
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• ground black pepper
• smoked paprika

In the United States, you can find rice paper sheets at Asian grocery stores or in the Asian section of most supermarkets. You can also order them online. For this recipe, I used Three Ladies Square Rice Paper Wrappers.

The square rice paper sheets are best for making bacon strips of equal size. But if you can only find the round rice paper wrappers, that’s fine too. Your vegan bacon strips will be different sizes, but the recipe will still work.

Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. You may need more baking sheets, depending on their size, or use one large baking sheet and work in two batches.

For this recipe, you’ll need six rice paper wrappers. Start by holding two sheets together, one on top of the other. Make sure the edges line up.

Using clean sharp scissors, cut the sheets into strips. (Kitchen shears are best, if you have them.) You can cut the sheets into fourths, as I did, or make them thinner. Another option is to cut width-wise across each strip for smaller bacon pieces.

The rice paper will flake and crack; this is fine, as long as big chunks don’t break off. If this happens, discard the strips and cut new pieces.

Cut the remaining wrappers.

In a shallow dish or pan, combine all the remaining ingredients. Whisk well and set aside.

Now, fill a dish or bowl with water. Dip each pair of strips into the water, and hold for 20 to 30 seconds. The strips will become hydrated and stick together.

Once the strips feel like gel, gently press out the excess moisture. To do this, press the strips with your pointer finger and thumb, moving from top to bottom.

Place the pair of strips in the marinade for 45 to 60 seconds.

Carefully place on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat until your baking sheet(s) are full. Brush extra marinade onto the strips.

Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and gently flip over with tongs. Brush on more marinade and return to the oven. Bake for another 5 minutes or until crispy and slightly charred.

As the rice paper bacon cools, it will be come crispier. Some parts will be slightly chewy, like real bacon. If the strips are too chewy for your liking, you can increase the overall baking time by 1 to 2 minutes. Just be sure to keep a close watch to make sure it doesn’t burn.

It’s also important to remember that every oven is different. You may need to make rice paper bacon a few times to determine the “perfect” baking time for your oven.

Once cool, your vegan bacon is ready to eat. I’d recommend making it in small batches, as it’s best enjoyed fresh. Otherwise, you can store it in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Enjoy!