A Filipino breakfast recipe veganized in the most delicious way! This Vegan Mushroom Tocino is a sweet, salty, and slightly sour dish made with extra firm tofu or plant-based meat, seasoned with all the iconic Filipino tocino flavors you know and love. It’s best enjoyed with Filipino fried garlic rice, a fried egg (vegan optional), and some suka’t sili on the side—your ultimate tocilog combo!
Whether you're in Metro Manila, Cubao, or anywhere in the PH, this dish brings the flavor of home. It's a favorite any time of the day—from Mon-Sat breakfast rush to chill Sunday brunch!
For more delicious Filipino vegan recipes, try Fried Rice, Binignit, Vegan Filipino Champorado, and Vegan Chicken Afritada. Enjoy!
What is Tocino?
Tocino, which means bacon in Spanish, traditionally uses cured pork or chicken and is marinated to achieve a sweet, garlicky, and savory flavor. Often tinted with annatto powder (atsuete powder) for that signature bright red color, it's a beloved dish in the Filipino household. It’s commonly served with egg and rice, forming the classic tocilog.
In our vegan tocino recipe, we skip the animal-derived ingredients like meat, dairy, or seafood and use oz tofu, king oyster mushrooms, or soy curls instead. These plant-based, gluten-free alternatives absorb the marinade well, giving you a tender, satisfying bite—without the guilt!
The sliced pork meat is usually cured using the pink salt, also known as the curing salt or prague powder. This powder is the ingredient to keep the microbes away from the meat while it is in the raw state.
A delicious Tocino has to be tender enough to chew, and the flavors have to deeply seep in the meat. For this vegan version of the Tocino, I can say that it tastes awesome because the veggie meat lets a marinade seep through it while having a tender texture.
Tips on How to Make Vegan Tocino
- Prep the plant-based protein: In a large bowl, soak tofu or mushrooms in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain.
- Make the marinade: In another bowl, combine garlic, soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, vinegar or calamansi juice, annatto powder, and a pinch of salt.
- Marinate: Mix your plant protein into the marinade until fully coated and reddish. Let it soak for 30 minutes (or longer for a deeper flavor).
- Cook: Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Pan-fry until caramelized and golden. Add sliced red onions, tomatoes (kamatis), or even curry leaves or scallion if you want a twist.
Ingredients
These are the Vegan Tocino ingredients that you will need:
Marinade
- garlic, minced
- onion powder
- Allura red or Red Dye
- coconut vinegar
- soy sauce
- barbecue sauce
- brown sugar
- salt
Soaking Veggie Meat
- water
- veggie meat
For Cooking:
Instructions
In a large bowl add water, dried veggie meat and soak for at least 15 minutes.
In another large bowl, add garlic, onion powder, Allura red, coconut vinegar, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, salt, and mix until well combined:
Once veggie meat is soft, drain the water and add to the veggie meat in the marinade and mix thoroughly until the veggie meat turns reddish. Allow it to marinate for about an hour:
Drain the liquid from the veggie meat:
In a frying pan over medium heat, preheat oil. Then add marinated veggie meat and cook/fry until the veggie meat turns dark reddish:
This Vegan Tocino is a tender, sweet and salty dish that is usually served at breakfast. You can add sliced fresh cucumbers as sides 🙂
⭐ Top Tip
This vegan tocino is a flavorful way to enjoy a traditional Filipino breakfast without compromising your lifestyle. Whether you're a foodie takes flight or just starting out in the vegan world, this recipe brings comfort, culture, and creativity to your plate.
Try it out, tag us in your Reels, and let us know if you made any delicious twists!
FAQ
Q: Why is Tocino red?
A: Tocino is usually red in color because of the food dye added to the marinade called Allura red.
Q. Where can I buy veggie meat?
A: At your local asian grocery market or on Amazon. This version is my favorite (affiliate link)
Q: How do you preserve Tocino?
A: After marinating, you can put it in the chiller or freeze it if you will keep it for a longer time.
Q: Can I use beetroot as a substitute to color the Tocino?
A: Yes you can. I have seen many using red beet powder to color their tocino.
Q: Did you use nitrates in this recipe of Vegan Tocino?
A: There were no nitrates used in this vegan version of Tocino. I used spices, sugar and salt to add flavor to the magic meat.
Vegan Tocino
Ingredients
- Marinade
- 5 cloves of garlic minced
- 3 teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon allura red
- ½ cup coconut vinegar
- 3 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon barbecue sauce
- ½ cup of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- Soaking Veggie Meat
- 3 cups water
- 100 grams of magic meat
For Cooking:
- 3 tablespoon of oil
Instructions
Marinating:
- In a large bowl add water, dried veggie meat and soak for at least 15 minutes.
- In another large bowl, add garlic, onion powder, allura red, coconut vinegar, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, salt, and mix until well combined.
Soaking Veggie Meat:
- Once veggie meat is soft, drain the water and add to the veggie meat in the marinade and mix thoroughly until the veggie meat turns reddish. Allow it to marinate for about an hour, then drain the liquid from the veggie meat.
Cooking:
- In a frying pan over medium heat, preheat oil.
- Then add marinated veggie meat and cook/fry until the veggie meat turns dark reddish.
- Best served with hot steamed rice.
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