This recipe is my favorite way to prepare tempeh for salads, noodle dishes, and grain bowls. A simple 6-ingredient marinade infuses it with savory flavor.
Prep time: PT30M
Cook time: PT30M
Total time: PT60M
Rating
4.98 stars (97 reviews)
Keywords
tempeh, fall, spring, summer, winter
Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) package tempeh
¼ cup tamari
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sriracha
Freshly ground black pepper
Categories
cooking component
Steps
Cut the tempeh into cubes, place in a steamer basket, and set over a pot with 1-inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and steam for 10 minutes. This helps the tempeh become tender and ready to soak up more flavor from the marinade.
In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari, vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, sriracha, and several grinds of pepper. Place the tempeh in a shallow dish and pour the marinade on top to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Arrange the cubes in a single layer on the baking sheet, reserving the excess marinade.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush more of the marinade onto the cubes. Bake for 10 more minutes, or until the cubes are charred around the edges. Enjoy on salads or grain bowls.
Reviews
Margaret on 2025-12-07 22:00:24 (5 stars): This is my go to recipe for tempeh. Comes out great every time.
Rene on 2025-12-03 09:23:47 (5 stars): Liied it so much that I will make it again. It came out like the description.
Mark on 2025-07-13 14:18:22 (5 stars): The tempeh had a hint of sweetness from the maple syrup and a hint of Chinese food from the rice vinegar and the coconut aminos I used in place of the tamari. It also had a nice bit of a crunch from glazing the tempeh midway through cooking. I licked my fingers after putting the tempeh on the sheet pan before putting them in the oven and the sauce was spicy but after cooking I didn’t get any spiciness at all. This recipe is a keeper!
Fedora on 2025-06-10 13:25:11 (5 stars): This is the third time I’ve made this recipe and it is delicious every time. Thank you so much!
Kimberly W. on 2025-05-04 18:36:03 (5 stars): Thanks for all the tips for cooking tempeh! I’ve never cooked it the “correct” way, and the flavor has always been bitter. The steaming and marinating method made me like this food for the first time :) Now to experiment with different marinades and different styles of food!
Laura on 2025-03-10 11:15:33 (5 stars): OH WOW!!! This is fabulous. My husband won’t touch soy so more for me…YAY! It was so easy and has such a nice meaty, umami flavor.
Barb on 2025-02-19 14:27:15 (5 stars): Tried this one as a test as hubby does not like tofu or tempeh, prefers actual meat. But he loved this one so I am going to plough on and try the others and see if I get the same reaction. Will do one per week or so, so I don't bombard him to much.
Michelle on 2025-01-09 18:58:57 (5 stars): Do you ever find tempeh to be bitter? Does steaming it first help eliminate that?
Cynthia on 2024-12-16 05:15:33 (5 stars): I am so thrilled to have found this page with SO MANY GREAT RECIPES!!! I can NOT digest tofu, so, Tempeh is the next choice and no issues because it is frmented!!!
THANK YOU!!!
MM on 2024-11-13 17:21:58 (5 stars): That was excellent, thank you for the great recipe.
