Vegan Bacon BLT Grilled Cheese (Print Version)

Smoky tempeh, fresh lettuce, ripe tomato, and melty vegan cheese grilled to golden perfection.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Smoky Tempeh Bacon

01 - 7 oz tempeh, sliced into thin strips
02 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
03 - 1 tbsp maple syrup
04 - 1 tbsp olive oil
05 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
06 - ½ tsp liquid smoke (optional)
07 - ½ tsp 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 tbsp 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 bowl. Add tempeh strips and marinate for 10 minutes.
02 - Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add marinated tempeh strips and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until browned and slightly crispy. Remove and set aside.
03 - Spread vegan butter evenly on one side of each bread slice.
04 - Place two bread slices, buttered side down, on a clean surface. Layer each with a slice of vegan cheese, half the tempeh bacon, tomato slices, lettuce leaves, and another slice of vegan cheese. Top 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 bread is golden and cheese has melted.
06 - Slice sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The tempeh bacon brings a real depth that makes you forget you're eating plants, especially with that maple-soy glaze working magic.
  • Grilled cheese is already comfort in sandwich form, but the vegan cheese actually gets creamy and gooey without any weird aftertaste.
  • You can have this ready in 30 minutes, which means weeknight dinner feels like a treat instead of a chore.
02 -
  • The difference between a soggy sandwich and a crispy one is heat control—medium-low might seem slow, but it gives the cheese time to melt while the bread gets actually golden instead of burnt.
  • Tempeh can absorb the marinade incredibly quickly, so if you marinate it longer than 15 minutes or so, it doesn't get any smokier, just wetter and harder to crisp up in the pan.
03 -
  • Let your bread come to room temperature before grilling if it's been in the fridge—cold bread takes forever to toast and often dries out before the cheese melts.
  • The press-down motion with your spatula while cooking isn't about squishing the sandwich into a pancake, it's about making sure the butter and heat hit all surfaces evenly so the whole thing crisps up together.
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