01
Cured Beef
7.51 slice : 1 slice
Smoky salty cured meat; thin-sliced beef bacon crisps similarly in the pan
7.5
dairy-free bacon
substitute.
11 dairy-free substitutes for bacon — top pick Cured Beef at 75% function match.
all substitutes on this page are dairy-free
top substitutes
02
Turkey Thigh
7.51 slice : 1 slice
Leaner and milder; brush with smoked paprika and maple for bacon-like finish
7.5
03
Canadian Bacon
5.01 slice : 1 slice
Leaner pork back bacon; less fat but similar salty smoky cured pork flavor
5.0
show 8 more substitutes
04
Sunflower Seeds
5.01/4 cup : 1 cup
Toasted seasoned sunflower seeds make a crunchy bacon-bit topping for salads
5.0
05
Mushrooms
2.51 cup : 1 cup
Slice thin, roast until crispy; smoky umami flavor
2.5
06
Tempeh
2.51 slice : 1 slice
Marinate in soy sauce, maple, and liquid smoke then pan-fry for tempeh bacon
2.5
07
Seitan
2.51 slice : 1 slice
Thin-sliced marinated seitan crisps up; chewier than bacon but same role
2.5
08
Tofu
2.51 slice : 1 slice
Press firm tofu, slice thin, marinate with smoke and maple; crispy plant-based bacon
2.5
09
Jackfruit
2.51 slice : 1 slice
Shredded jackfruit marinated in smoke and soy crisps in the oven for BLTs
2.5
10
Paprika
2.51/2 tsp : 1 tsp
Smoked paprika adds bacon flavor to beans, soups, and sauces without the meat
2.5
11
Eggplant
2.51 slice : 1 slice
Thin eggplant strips with smoke seasoning and maple bake into crispy eggplant bacon
2.5
pitfalls to avoid
watch out
Cured Beef: Beef texture differs from pork belly strips
watch out
Turkey Thigh: Milder poultry flavor instead of pork
watch out
Mushrooms: Lacks smoky pork fat richness
watch out
Mushrooms: Cannot achieve bacon's crispy shatter
watch out
Tempeh: Chewier soy-based strip — won't shatter
watch out
Seitan: Chewier than crispy bacon strips
watch out
Tofu: Thinner crisp — won't match bacon's fat snap
watch out
Jackfruit: Chewier and stringier than crispy bacon
watch out
Paprika: Powder only — no meaty strips or fat
watch out
Eggplant: Eggplant strips lack bacon's fatty crunch
watch out
Eggplant: No smoky pork fat flavor without seasoning