Use This Ingredient To Make Vegan Bacon That's Actually Crispy

What's more American than a tall plate of crispy, smoky, savory bacon in the morning? One survey conducted by YouGov showed that about 70% of Americans prefer their bacon to be at least somewhat crispy. But for a dish that most people seem to love, you gotta wonder how the vegans do it, especially when most of the meat-free bacon options, while tasty, don't get that beloved crisp.

The two classic questions every vegan gets asked are: "Where do you get your protein?" and "How do you live without bacon?" Fortunately, meat-free bacon options are vast. From tempeh bacon to coconut bacon, vegans have found creative ways to participate in one of America's favorite foods. But there's one category — debatably the most important — that each of these options falls short on: crispiness. Vegans are in luck, however, because there's an easy and simple ingredient to fix that.

Not only does rice paper bacon look, taste, crisp, and sizzle like the real thing, but it's also very easy to make. You can find rice paper wraps in the international aisles of most grocery stores, and if they're not there, you will definitely find them at your local Asian grocer. To prepare it, all you need is a bacon-inspired marinade. To achieve the simultaneously smoky and sweet flavor bacon is adored for, Yup, It's Vegan uses a mixture of liquid smoke, soy sauce, maple syrup, neutral oil, and paprika.

From there, you cut the rice paper into bacon-sized strips and dip them straight into the marinade. Then, you'll place the wet rice papers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, before placing them in the oven at 400 degrees for seven to nine minutes. If you want to get real fancy, you can use a balsamic glaze to create a marbling effect and make the pieces look even more like actual bacon. The Hidden Veggies also recommends wrapping the rice paper around other proteins (like marinated tofu) to get a result that's both meaty and crispy — perfect for a vegan BLT.