Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 °F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2. For steaming the tempeh, cut your tempeh block in half horizontally so you have 2 thick pieces. Add the 2 cups of water to a pot with a steamer basket, and bring to a boil. Place the 2 pieces of tempeh in the steamer basket, cover the pot with a lid, and let the tempeh steam for about 15 minutes. When the tempeh is done steaming, remove it from the steamer basket and let it cool for about 5 minutes.

3. Into a small bowl, add the 2 tablespoons of water, Worcestershire sauce, tamari, coconut aminos, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, granulated onion, granulated garlic, cumin and black pepper and whisk to combine.

4. When the tempeh is cool enough to handle, slice each piece widthwise into 12 slices that are about 1/4 inch thick. You’ll end up with 24 strips. Place the slices in a bowl and pour your marinade mix on top, making sure to coat all of the pieces. Be careful that your tempeh doesn’t break apart! Let this marinate for at least 30 minutes.

5. Transfer your tempeh strips to your prepared baking sheet and place them in a single layer so they are not touching. If there is any marinade left in the bowl, drizzle that over your tempeh slices.

6. Bake on the middle rack for 15 minutes and then carefully flip each strip over with a fork and bake for another 12-15 minutes, until they are nicely browned.

Tip: Steaming the tempeh first removes some of the bitterness it tends to have and it also softens, so it can readily absorb any marinade. You can find tempeh in the refrigerated section next to the tofu.

Tip: You can store any leftover Tempeh Bacon in a storage container in the fridge for up to a week.