If tempeh doesn’t have a spot in your plant-based protein rotation, you are missing out.
- It’s jam-packed with protein and fiber.
- It’s just as versatile as tofu.
- It’s easy to cook.
I get it—where tofu is the gateway plant-protein for most vegans, tempeh can feel intimidating. But believe me: properly prepared, tempeh can be a flavor-saturated, crispy-edged meat substitute that will blow you away.
I wrote this comprehensive guide to pass on all the tips and tricks I’ve learned from transforming tempeh haters into tempeh lovers.
You’ll learn my favorite ways to prepare and cook tempeh, as well as my trusted flavor-boosting techniques for eliminating tempeh’s natural bitterness and infusing it with can’t-get-enough flavors, and one of my go-to recipes—Savory Tempeh Nuggets—that will quickly join your meal prep rotation.
It’s time to join Team Tempeh 💪🏽
In this post:
🎥 Video: how to make amazing tempeh
I invited 28 tempeh skeptics to try my tempeh recipes to see if I could convert them into tempeh lovers.
With over 300K views, this video was a massive hit with my community. I hope you’ll love the featured recipes just as much!
Tempeh 101
What is tempeh?
Tempeh is an Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans. You can find it in major grocery stores sold in rectangular or square blocks. You can also find pre-seasoned tempeh, but I don’t call for those in RPL recipes.
Like tofu, tempeh can soak up flavors like a sponge and is easy to cook (if you know a few tricks). And it delivers an impressive nutritional bang for your buck: a 3-ounce serving of tempeh contains 18 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber!
According to the Cleveland Clinic, tempeh is loaded with nutrients, including iron, manganese, magnesium and B vitamins, and it contains probiotics that can improve gut health. They even say it can lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Lastly, tempeh is fermented, which our guts love.
What does tempeh taste like?
Just because you can eat raw tempeh, it doesn’t mean you should. It’s naturally bitter with earthy, nutty, and subtle umami notes. Texturally, it’s dense, crumbly and slightly chewy.
But tempeh will absorb any flavor you throw at it, meaning you can take it from “meh” to “WOW!” with a few simple techniques.
Three tricks for actually good tempeh
If you’re dying to start cooking tempeh like now, skip to the recipe for savory tempeh nuggets at the bottom of this post.
But if you want to understand the principles of cooking great tempeh, this section has you covered!
Slice your tempeh the right way(s)
Tempeh preparation is straightforward: it’s all about how you slice it. The number one rule? Go small.
Smaller, thinner cuts crisp up much better AND absorb marinades and sauces more thoroughly. In contrast, with larger or thicker cuts, you’re more likely to taste tempeh’s natural bitterness and experience a drier, crumbly texture.
Here are my go-to slicing methods:
- Thin strips — this is what I use for my BBQ Tempeh and Tempeh Bacon recipes. Slice the block of tempeh crosswise into thin strips (or super thin strips for bacon-esque vibes).
- Crumbled or grated — break apart the block by hand into tiny crumbles or use the large holes on a box grater. This yields a ground meat-adjacent texture perfect for vegan tacos, stir-fries, and the Savory Tempeh Nuggets recipe below.
- Matchsticks — the method I use in my Tempeh Kecap. It takes a few extra minutes, but all that surface area means maximum crispiness.
Tip: If you do want to keep your tempeh in bigger pieces, like cubes or triangles, I highly recommend steaming the tempeh for 10 minutes first (use a steamer basket over a pan of simmering water). This will help tame some of that bitterness.
Enhance the flavor!
Tempeh has a naturally bitter, earthy flavor, but the good news is that it’s easy to mask. The trick is to pair it with bold flavors that balance that bitterness: think tart, slightly sweet, and salty. Here are three techniques I come back to again and again:
- Pair it with a balanced sauce. In my Tempeh Tacos recipe, I toss pan-fried tempeh crumbles with soy sauce (salty, savory) and lime juice (tart), then top the tacos with pickled shallots (tart, sweet).
- Marinate the tempeh. A bold marinade can utterly transform tempeh’s flavor. Tempeh Bacon with a sweet-salty-savory marinade is a perfect example. For the best results, marinate your tempeh for at least 1 hour, though 8 hours is even better. In our tests, the longer marinating time yielded a richer flavor profile and sticky, caramelized edges.
Pan frying is the way to go
Across all of my (manyyyyy) recipe tests, for both blog posts and Big Vegan Flavor, pan-frying in an oiled skillet came out on top as the best cooking technique, time and time again.
This cooking method locks in moisture and gives tempeh a golden crust that no other method can match. If you want to minimize the amount of oil and sticking, use a nonstick pan (but you can also use a properly pre-heated stainless steel or cast iron skillet; learn how to use a stainless steel skillet almost like a nonstick pan here).
Check out the FAQs for more on why I don’t love baking or air frying tempeh (though I do love baked tofu and air-fried tofu!).
Frequently Asked Questions
You can of course bake and air fry tempeh, but these are not cooking techniques I enjoy or recommend.
In my experience, the dry heat of the oven/air fryer tends to dry tempeh out even when paired with a great marinade. The tempeh tends to “eat up” the marinade and mute the flavors.
The most commonly available brand of tempeh sold in U.S. grocery stores is Lightlife. I almost always buy their “original” tempeh, and it can usually be found at major grocery stores, including Vons/Safeway, Albertsons, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Fairway, Key Food, and even Target.
I’ve also seen tempeh sold by the brands Franklin Farms and Tofurky, but not as frequently.
Tempeh slices and crumbles will take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes to become golden and crispy when pan-fried. However, the cooking time will vary depending on how the tempeh was prepared (steamed ahead of time, marinated, cooked in a sauce, etc.).
Tempeh is safe to eat raw. But do I recommend it? Definitely not.
Its naturally bitter and earthy flavors make raw tempeh quite unappetizing. To enjoy tempeh to the fullest, I always recommend soaking it in a marinade and/or pan-frying it with a tart, sweet, and salty sauce.
Leftover cooked tempeh will stay fresh for about 5 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To get its crispy edges back, reheat the tempeh in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat until it’s warmed through.
Excited to cook some tempeh?
With these techniques for slicing, seasoning, and pan-frying in your back pocket, you’re ready to start making some seriously flavorful meals starring this underrated protein.
Try my Savory Tempeh Nuggets recipe below and let me know what you think by leaving a rating and review!
Introducing
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Savory Tempeh Nuggets
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce / 227g) block tempeh (see Note 1)
- 1 ½ tablespoons (21g) avocado oil (or other high-heat oil)
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon (17g) soy sauce (or tamari if gluten-free)
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Instructions
- Use your hands to crumble the tempeh into very small pieces, ideally around the size of a pine nut (the smaller the pieces, the crispier the tempeh gets).
- Open some windows for ventilation and line a large cutting board or plate with a few paper towels.
- Heat a nonstick frying pan with the avocado oil over medium-high heat until it just starts to lightly smoke. Add the crumbled tempeh pieces and arrange them in a single layer.
- Cook for 2 minutes undisturbed, then toss. Cook for 6 to 8 more minutes, stirring every 1 ½ to 2 minutes, until mostly golden brown and crisp (some pieces will get brown before others, that’s okay). If needed, lower the heat to medium to prevent burning.
- Transfer the tempeh to the paper-towel lined surface to blot out excess oil and season with a couple pinches of salt. Once the tempeh has cooled off a bit, transfer it to a bowl. Add in the soy sauce and the lime juice. Toss to coat the tempeh.
Notes
- If you want to double the recipe, simply double all ingredients. Be sure to use your largest pan, and cook for slightly longer, a total of 12 to 14 minutes. Or, cook in two batches for the most even browning.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!
About 30 years ago, I got the most delicious vegan tacos at a local restaurant, and they told me how they prepared the tempeh for frying: simmer flat tempeh slices (slice the whole block lengthwise into 2 or 3 thin slices) in a broth of soy sauce, garlic, rice vinegar, sweetener, sesame oil, and water or broth, for 30 minutes or so. Then drain well, dry on paper towels, and fry. It was so good! I made it often, and put it on crispy corn tortillas and dressed it with mashed avocado, crispy lettuce, and a little lime juice/garlic/mayo dressing. Thank you for bringing back tempeh for me. I can’t wait to try your preparations–they sound like next level!
Ooh, those tacos sound delicious indeed, Diana! Thanks for reading the post and for the sweet words. Enjoy the recipes!
I love tempeh more than tofu. I usually steam it for a few minutes to release the bitterness.
Thanks so much for the wisdom! Slicing the Tempeh thinly and pan frying led to such great results (I did a Hoisin-ish glaze instead of marinating for lack of time). I struggle to love Tempeh but I think with this simple but effective cooking method this is about to change. Love your work, love the book, recommend it whenever I can 🙂
We’re happy to hear that, Eva! Thank you so much for all of your support 🙂
I have never heard of this and I have colitis and am looking forward to trying it. There’s so many things I cant have or thst upset my stomach, I just wanna eat better and healthier to avoid flare ups. Thank you for stating there are different ways of cooking. The American diet is so bad for you and completely lacking nutrients. I cant belive this has all 9 amino acids and Im just now learning about it. Wish I had known about it sooner! Cant wait ti try it
Nisha -I’ve tried to love tempeh for 50 years; the matchsticks cut is genius! Thorough pan browning with s&p in avoo and then sauced. All dressed up, it can go anywhere. Thank you! Congrats on the NY Times gig, by the way. It’s fun to find you there!
Hi Janet, thanks for the kind words! I’ll be sure to share your sweet message with Nisha!
I had tried tempeh a few times before but never stuck to it. It never occurred to me to crumble it! I saw this and tried a bit of LightLife Original, crumbled, a dash of EVOO and low sodium soy. Brought to a simmer in a tiny fry pan, covered and shut off heat and left it for 6 min. FABULOUS!!! Huge thank you!!!!!!!!!! Now I will always have some on hand!
Awesome, Kristi. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Thank. I tried cooking tempeh without knowing how to properly and it tasted terrible. I have not tried it since, but will now that you have shared these great tips and recipes.
*****
We hope one of the RPL tempeh recipes wins you over, Elizabeth! 🙂
I currently eat tempeh and like it a lot. This refresher was very helpful however to remind me to cook it more often. I will look for your bacon recipe and try tomorrow actually.
Thanks for the kind words! We hope you loved the tempeh bacon, Surae 🙂
great overview of this great ingredient………..THANKS !!!
Thanks for the positive review, Tim!
I made Nisha’s tempeh bacon. The flavor was good but the slices all fell apart. This was the first and only time I’ve worked with tempeh. Is there a trick to slicing it?
I had the same problem………..maybe a better description of this would be “bacon bits”, of which there are tons of great uses (mostly toppings)
Hi Kim, it’s great to hear you loved the tempeh bacon, thanks for trying it out! Sorry to hear yours fell apart. Our best tip would be to use a sharp chef’s knife to more accurately and thinly slice the tempeh. Or, next time, try slicing a bit thicker.
Thanks,
This was just the information I need as a total newb with tempeh. I just ordered a block with my grocerires and will try it out with a marinade
It’s lovely to hear you found the article useful, Annelies! Best of luck on your tempeh journey!