Vegan Bacon BLT Grilled Cheese (Printable)

A plant-based take on the classic BLT with smoky tempeh bacon, fresh vegetables, and melty vegan cheese grilled between bread.

# What You Need:

→ Smoky Tempeh Bacon

01 - 7 oz tempeh, sliced into thin strips
02 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
03 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
05 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
06 - 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
07 - 1/2 teaspoon 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 tablespoons vegan butter or margarine

# How To Make It:

01 - Whisk together soy sauce, maple syrup, olive oil, smoked paprika, liquid smoke, garlic powder, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. 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 slices, 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 with edges that crunch like the real thing, thanks to that maple and smoked paprika marinade.
  • Everything comes together in thirty minutes, which means you can pull this off on a weeknight without feeling like you've spent hours in the kitchen.
  • The contrast between the warm, melty cheese and the cold, crisp lettuce creates the kind of texture that makes you slow down and actually taste each bite.
  • It's hearty enough that even the most skeptical meat eaters at your table will ask for the recipe.
02 -
  • Don't crank the heat too high when grilling or the bread will burn before the cheese melts, medium low is your friend here.
  • Let the tempeh marinate for the full ten minutes, I tried rushing it once and the flavor was noticeably flat.
  • Press gently when grilling, if you smash too hard, all the tomato and cheese will squeeze out the sides.
03 -
  • Make a double batch of tempeh bacon and keep it in the fridge for up to four days, it's perfect for breakfast scrambles, salads, or just snacking.
  • If your vegan cheese isn't melting, cover the skillet with a lid for the last minute of cooking to trap the heat.
  • Let the sandwich rest for thirty seconds after grilling so the cheese sets slightly and doesn't ooze out everywhere when you cut it.
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