The New Weird Food Trend Is Here: Banana Peel Bacon

Lex Gabrielle
banana peel
Unsplash | Louis Hansel

Many people online love to play around with foods and flavors to make new creations. With social media being at the forefront of cooking and recipe sharing, people are able to create new trends and hacks that go viral pretty quickly.

One group of individuals who stay creative in their edible creations are those who are vegan. Figuring out how to turn foods or recipes into something vegans can eat are certainly becoming part of a popular trend.

Almost everyone loves bacon.

bacon
Unsplash | Wright Brand Bacon

Bacon is just one of the foods that go well with everything. For breakfast, bacon and eggs are supreme. For lunch, who doesn't want a BLT or a burger with bacon on top? And, for dinner, wrapping scallops in bacon or even having thick-cut bacon as an appetizer is delicious.

But obviously, vegans don't eat bacon.

vegan
Unsplash | Marisol Benitez

A lot of vegetarians and vegans choose the diet for more than just health or the environment. They do it because they love animals. However, that doesn't mean they don't like the taste of the food!

Recently, a chef on TikTok shared a new way to create vegan bacon using an ingredient you would not expect.

Someone caressing a banana
Giphy | Topshelf Records

Personal chef Charles Hunter III shared the vegan bacon recipe on TikTok using a banana peel. That's right—the peel of a banana can be cooked and turned into vegan bacon. Crazy, right?

At first, we were totally surprised.

surprised
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I had no idea that you could eat a banana peel, let alone turn it into bacon. I thought that they were toxic or bad for you—or just used against other players in Mario Kart.

But, as it turns out, banana peels are good for you.

banana peel
Unsplash | Sigmund

Much like the fruit itself, banana peels contain B12 and B6 vitamins. They also have a high concentration of fiber, potassium, and magnesium. You should try to eat them when they are ripe for a better taste.

If you want to try the "banana peel bacon," it's pretty simple to make.

TikTok user banana peel
TikTok | TikTok l ballehurns

Thanks to this user on TikTok, you can follow the step-by-step recipe to make some vegan bacon. You'll need banana peels, seasonings, a frying pan, or a baking sheet.

First, take the peel of the banana and scrape the inside.

Scraping banana peel
TikTok | TikTok l ballehurns

Then, put it in a big mixing bowl. Add vegan Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke, and if you'd like you can put some soy sauce in there, as well for some extra spice.

Next, you want to season it with your favorite touches.

seasoning banana peels
TikTok | TikTok l ballehurns

Season the banana peels generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika for a little kick of flavor. Mix it together and let the banana peels marinade in there for about 10-15 minutes.

You then fry the peels in oil on the stove.

frying banana peel
TikTok | TikTok l ballehurns

Like regular bacon, you'll want to fry them in some oil on the stove, flipping it as it cooks. You should cook it on each side for about 2-3 minutes, making sure it doesn't totally burn.

If you want to go a bit "healthier," you can bake the peels.

baking banana peels on arack
TikTok | TikTok l chefsummerstorm

If you don't want to fry the peels in oil, you can also bake the peels in the oven on a baking sheet. Be sure to spray the sheet first so they don't stick.

And, just like magic, you have vegan bacon!

booksmart, character saying don't knock it till you try it.
Giphy

While it seems rather strange, apparently, they taste pretty damn good. And, you know we are always down to try new things—especially when it comes to bacon. Here's to cooking new, strange things!