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Categories
  • Jeeca Jeeca
  • - May 10, 2021
  • - 5:59 am

Mushroom Tocino (Vegan Filipino Cured “Meat”)

📖 TABLE OF CONTENTS show
I served this Vegan Mushroom Tocino with:
WHAT IS FILIPINO TOCINO?
VERSIONS OF TOCINO GROWING UP
THIS VEGAN VERSION OF FILIPINO TOCINO
OYSTER MUSHROOMS
WHERE DOES TOCINO GET ITS COLOUR?
What is atsuete or annatto?
MARINATING LIQUID/SAUCE FOR MUSHROOM TOCINO
HOW TO COOK THIS MUSHROOM TOCINO
WHAT TO SERVE & ENJOY TOCINO WITH
SINANGAG OR FILIPINO FRIED GARLIC RICE
WITH TOFU SCRAMBLE
MORE VEGAN FILIPINO RECIPES YOU MIGHT LOVE:
Oyster Mushroom Tocino (Vegan Filipino Cured “Meat”)
Ingredients US CustomaryMetric 1x2x3x
Marinade
Tocino
Tofu Scramble
To Serve
Instructions
Marinade
Cooking the Tocino
Tocino
To Serve
WATCH Video
Notes
MUSHROOMS
SUGAR & PINEAPPLE JUICE
COLOURING
NUTRITIONAL INFO
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Vegan Mushroom Tocino  or Filipino Cured Meat with fried garlic rice in a bowl

This Filipino Mushroom Tocino is my vegan take on the iconic Filipino Tocino, which is a cured meat (usually pork) dish distinct for its sweetness and bright red colour.

I served this Vegan Mushroom Tocino with:

  • sinangag (garlic fried rice)
  • suka’t sili (vinegar with some chiles and onions)
  • kamatis (tomatoes)

You can also serve this with some tofu scramble or even a fried egg if you’re vegetarian for the perfect hearty Filipino breakfast that can also be enjoyed any time of the day.

WHAT IS FILIPINO TOCINO?

Tocino in Filipino cuisine is cured meat, usually made of pork, with other versions such as chicken tocino. A lot of Filipino dishes are heavily influenced by Spanish cuisine and Tocino is one of them. Tocino is also actually ‘bacon’ in Spanish but in Spanish cuisine, Tocino is prepared very differently.

Filipino Tocino is well known for its bright red colour (lots of recipes and ready-to-eat tocino brands actually use red food colouring) and its sweet-savoury notes. The sugars from the help create the desired glaze that coats the meat (mushrooms, in this case) as it cooks down.

VERSIONS OF TOCINO GROWING UP

Filipino Pork Tocino was one of those staple meat dishes we’d have in the freezer here at home. There’s a famous brand called ‘Pampanga’s Best’ that is most known for their ready-to-cook packs of Tocino that my mom would buy and store in the freezer. Sharing a photo of their packaged tocino below. The image is from their website! 🙂

She’d cook these on certain days, usually for breakfast, to serve for us before heading off to school. We also love to enjoy tocino during any time of the day—whether it be for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.


At school there are rice meals often served in the cafeteria and there were ‘tocilog’ days—days when they’d serve a meal of tocino, sinangag (fried garlic rice) with a fried egg. To(cino) + si(nangag) + (it)log. This garlic rice  + egg + tocino or other meats are a classic combo in Filipino cuisine.

THIS VEGAN VERSION OF FILIPINO TOCINO

OYSTER MUSHROOMS

A bowl of fresh white Mushroom mushrooms

For this version, I use fresh white oyster mushrooms. I love the texture of oyster mushrooms—they’re like small fan-shaped mushrooms with beautiful ridges caps and a chewy, chunky stem.

I would highly recommend using oyster mushrooms (white, brown, black, pink, or yellow varieties) if you have access to them. Maitake mushrooms also have a meaty texture, which can be great for this recipe.

WHERE DOES TOCINO GET ITS COLOUR?


For this version, I wanted to use an all-natural colouring so I used some annatto or atsuete powder to give it the nice orange-ish colour. Though most tocino i the market are actually coloured with red food colouring!

Colouring is totally optional and you can opt not too colour your tocino with anything.

What is atsuete or annatto?

Atsuete or annatto seeds

Atsuete or Annatto is an orange-ish red seed from the achiote tree. It’s commonly used as colouring in Filipino cuisine. I usually have these both in seed and powder form. The seeds are very small and can easily stain your hands and clothing so it’s best to be careful.

MARINATING LIQUID/SAUCE FOR MUSHROOM TOCINO

Mushroom tocino marinade in a bowl

The sauce I marinated the mushrooms in is a simple mix of the following:

  • 3-4 tbsp brown sugar, adjust according to desired sweetness
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • 3 tbsp pineapple juice
  • 1/2 tsp annatto powder or atsuete powder, optional for colour (see notes)
  • Ground black pepper

Feel free to adjust to your desired sweetness and acidity. Tocino is really very sweet but it’s of course a personal preference. I love the balance off the tocino by dipping it in some vinegar when eating.

Fresh Mushrooms marinating in a bowl

You can break apart your large mushroom mushrooms into smaller once if you’d like but I kept them as is. Mix the mushrooms in the marinate to completely soak and coat in the sauce.

Leave the mushrooms to sit for at least 15 minutes. You can also refrigerate these to marinate overnight.

HOW TO COOK THIS MUSHROOM TOCINO

Pork tocino is usually cooked by first boiling with some water then once the water evaporates, we’d add some oil and then leave the pork to cook down in the pan until the liquid is fully absorbed and the sauce has turned into a beautiful glaze that coats the pieces.

Cooking mushroom tapa on a pan

This vegan version uses mushrooms and since mushrooms cook down very fast and contain mostly water, I skipped the boiling part and went straight to pan-frying the mushrooms with the liquid I soaked these in.


Since the liquid has sugars, these cook down and are absorbed by the mushrooms that eventually turn into these beautifully glazed and lightly charred pieces.

Cooked mushroom tocino in a non-stick pan

NOTE: be careful not to burn your mushrooms though! The sugars can burn easily so keep an eye out as they cook.

WHAT TO SERVE & ENJOY TOCINO WITH

I served this Vegan Mushroom Tocino with some sinangag (garlic fried rice), suka’t sili (vinegar with some chiles and onions), and kamatis (tomatoes) for the perfect hearty Filipino breakfast that can also be enjoyed any time of the day.

Vegan mushroom tapa in a bowl

SINANGAG OR FILIPINO FRIED GARLIC RICE

Sinangag or Fiipino Garlic Fried Rice is perfect made with leftover rice. When we’d cook a big batch of rice and have leftovers, we’d usually make sinangag. My mom would always say “i-sangag nailing natin yung kanin”, which means “let’s just use the rice for sinangag”.

It’s really simple—you’ll just need rice, garlic, salt, and oil!

I have a homemade sinangag recipe that you can check out here.

WITH TOFU SCRAMBLE

This version is a tocilog. Tocilog is a very famous Filipino dish. Tocino (‘toc’), usually cured meat, is served with sinangag (‘si’) or garlic rice and an egg (‘itlog’ = log).

MORE VEGAN FILIPINO RECIPES YOU MIGHT LOVE:

  • Kaldereta or ‘Meat’ Stew
  • Fried Garlic Rice
  • Lumpiang Gulay or Fried Vegetable Spring Rolls
  • Filipino “Pork” Barbecue
  • Tofu and Mushroom Salpicao
mushroom tocino with garlic rice

Oyster Mushroom Tocino (Vegan Filipino Cured “Meat”)

5 from 5 votes
This Mushroom Tocino are my vegan take on the iconic Filipino Tocino, which is a cured meat (usually pork) dish distinct for its sweetness and bright red colour. I served this Vegan Mushroom Tocino with some sinangag (garlic fried rice), suka’t sili (vinegar with some chiles and onions), and kamatis (tomatoes) for the perfect hearty Filipino breakfast that can also be enjoyed any time of the day.
Print Recipe Pin this Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Marinate Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Breakfast, Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Filipino
Servings 2 people
Calories 195 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Marinade

  • 3-4 tbsp brown sugar , adjust according to desired sweetness (see notes)
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce , sub with tamari for gluten-free
  • 1 tbsp vinegar , I used distilled white vinegar
  • 3 tbsp pineapple juice (see notes)
  • 1/2 tsp annatto powder or atsuete powder, optional for colour (see notes)
  • Ground black pepper

Tocino

  • 9 oz fresh oyster mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil for cooking
  • Pinch salt to taste

Tofu Scramble

  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 small onion sliced
  • 9 oz extra firm tofu , pressed and drained
  • 1 scallion or green onion chopped
  • 1/2 tsp black salt or regular salt
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder for colour
  • Soy sauce or more salt to taste

To Serve

  • Sinangag (Filipino Fried Garlic Rice)
  • Tofu scramble or fried egg if vegetarian
  • Vinegar with chopped red onions and chopped bird’s eye chili
  • Fresh tomatoes sliced (I like to soak these in vinegar!)
  • Curly parsley for garnish

Instructions
 

Marinade

  • Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Feel free to adjust to your desired sweetness and acidity. Tocino is really very sweet but it’s of course a personal preference. I love the balance off the tocino by dipping it in some vinegar when eating.
  • You can break apart your large mushroom mushrooms into smaller once if you’d like but I kept them as is. Mix the mushrooms in the marinate to completely soak and coat in the sauce. Leave the mushrooms to sit for at least 15 minutes. You can also refrigerate these to marinate overnight.

Cooking the Tocino

  • Note: if cooking some sinangag (garlic fried rice), I suggest to cook this in the same pan before cooking the mushrooms.
  • Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add in the oil. Place the mushrooms along with the marinating liquid into the pan. Leave the mushrooms to cook over medium to medium high heat until the liquid slowly evaporates. The sugars will slowly cook down and start to beautifully coat the mushrooms.
  • You can leave the mushrooms untouched for 3-4 minutes to lightly brown and char at the bottom before mixing to cook the remaining sides. You can add a pinch of salt to season the mushrooms, if you’d like.
  • Continue to cook the mushrooms down until all the sauce has been absorbed and the mushrooms have turned shiny and have a thin glaze-like coating from the sugars that have cooked down.

Tocino

  • If making tofu scramble: Sauté the onions in the pan with some oil until tender. Add in tofu and crumble using a fork or with your spatula. Mix in the black salt and turmeric to coat the tofu. Season with some soy sauce or more salt, if needed. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until cooked and excess water has evaporated. Add in the chopped scallion or spring onions.

To Serve

  • Serve your tocino with some sinangag (garlic fried rice), tofu scramble or a fried egg (if vegetarian), suka’t sili (vinegar with some chiles and onions), and kamatis (tomatoes) for the perfect hearty Filipino breakfast that can also be enjoyed any time of the day. Enjoy!

WATCH Video

Notes

MUSHROOMS

  • For this version, I use fresh white oyster mushrooms. I love the texture of oyster mushrooms—they’re like small fan-shaped mushrooms with beautiful ridges caps and a chewy, chunky stem. I would highly recommend using oyster mushrooms (white, brown, black, pink, or yellow varieties) if you have access to them. Maitake mushrooms also have a meaty texture, which can be great for this recipe.

SUGAR & PINEAPPLE JUICE

  • I used ready-to-drink pineapple juice that’s sweetened. If you’re using fresh pineapple juice that has a tart and more sour taste, you can opt to add more sugar, if needed.

COLOURING

  • For this version, I wanted to use an all-natural colouring so I used some annatto or atsuete powder to give it the nice orange-ish colour. It’s optional and you can opt not to colour your tocino with anything.

NUTRITIONAL INFO

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 531mg | Potassium: 609mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 61IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Please leave a rating or comment and share a photo on Instagram, and tag me @thefoodietakesflight or use #thefoodietakesflight 🙂

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This Post Has 11 Comments

  1. Pingback: Filipino Fried Garlic Rice (Sinangag) - The Foodie Takes Flight

  2. paola September 9, 2021 Reply

    5 stars
    Made this many times. Have replaced the pineapple juice for other kinds and works great. Had it inside arepas and sushi. Obsessed!

    1. Jeeca September 9, 2021 Reply

      Such a good idea to put them in sushi!! Def need to try. Thanks so much!! 🙂

  3. Laura February 6, 2022 Reply

    5 stars
    Great flavor combo. Made it as a side dish and it was devoured!

    1. Jeeca February 7, 2022 Reply

      Thanks Laura! Glad you liked it 🙂

  4. Lisette November 30, 2022 Reply

    So god! I must have bought really thirsty oyster mushrooms as I needed to add more marinade (almost double!), which then absorbed all the liquid nicely in the pan. I’ll definitely make this again – first time using oyster mushrooms as a vegan “meat” so I’m going to try your other oyster recipes soon – probably the mushroom tapsilog or the miso udon soup next!

    1. Jeeca December 1, 2022 Reply

      Yay happy to hear you loved this! And lol at those thirsty oyster mushrooms! Haha

  5. Cosmic Kitchen August 13, 2023 Reply

    I just tried this recipe along with the sinangag !!
    Oh my good goddess!!! Its delicious
    I didnt have pineapple juice, but i did have sweet sour sauce that was made of pineapple it worked so well! Wish i could upload a photo

    1. Jeeca August 14, 2023 Reply

      Yaaay, so happy you liked it! Thanks for giving it a try! This is also definitely perfect with the garlic rice hehe

  6. Kara October 30, 2024 Reply

    5 stars
    What an absolute joy it is to be able to make a vegan version of my all-time favorite Filipino meals! The recipe is relatively quick to make, too. I’ve made this for Filipino family and friends + friends who’ve never had tocino to begin with and people were asking me for the recipe. Excited to continue to make this and share this recipe with loved ones <3

    1. Jeeca October 31, 2024 Reply

      Yaaaay, so so happy you enjoy this and thank you for sharing it with the people around you too. I love Tocino too and love making this whenever I have oyster mushrooms 🥹

5 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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I’m Jeeca, a food content creator and recipe developer passionate about creating easy yet tasty and flavour-packed vegan recipes. I share a lot of Asian recipes inspired by my travels and those I grew up enjoying.

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