How to make crispy baked tempeh in the oven! The easiest way to bake delicious crispy oven-baked tempeh, no frying needed.
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Why I Love This Recipe
If you’re not familiar with tempeh, it’s traditionally made of fermented soy beans that are formed into a block and can be either baked or cooked in a pan. It’s high in plant-based protein and is usually eaten like tofu, so it’s mixed into stir frys, in salads, or in bowls.
When I first went plant-based, I loved order tempeh dishes when I went out to restaurants but I had no idea how to properly cook it! But now years into my plant-eating journey, I’ve learned the best (and easiest) way to make crunchy, tasty tempeh is to bake it until its crispy.
But the key to tasty tempeh is to first marinate it in a simple, yet flavorful, sauce. This can consist of any flavors you’d like to imbue, but I like to mix up a simple soy sauce with ground ginger and ground garlic. Then I toss it in a touch of nutritional yeast to help it crisp up in the oven.
I hope you give oven-baked tempeh a try as well, and let me know how it goes!
What You’ll Need
Step-by-step photos of how to make it
Step One: Preheat oven and cut tempeh
First, preheat you oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Then prep a sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or a piece of parchment paper. Then cut tempeh into 1/2-inch cubes.
Step Two: Marinate tempeh
In a medium bowl, add add your marinade ingredients (I used soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and nutritional yeast). Then add tempeh to the bowl and toss to coat, waiting a few minutes for the tempeh to absorb the marinade.
Step Three: Bake tempeh until crispy
Add the marinated tempeh to the sheet pan and then bake it in the oven for a total of 15-17 minutes. Toss it halfway through so that it browns on all sides.
Crispy Baked Tempeh
Ingredients
- 8 ounces tempeh
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- ½ tablespoon nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Preheat oven and cut tempeh: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Prep a sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or a piece of parchment paper. Then cut tempeh into 1/2-inch cubes.8 ounces tempeh
- Marinate tempeh: In a medium bowl, add soy sauce, garlic powder, and ginger powder and mix to combine. Then add tempeh to the bowl and toss to coat. Wait a few minutes for the tempeh to soak up the liquid, and toss again to evenly coat. Then sprinkle the tempeh with nutritional yeast.3 tablespoons soy sauce, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ginger powder, ½ tablespoon nutritional yeast
- Bake tempeh until crispy: Add the marinated tempeh to the sheet pan and spread it out in a single layer, then bake it in the oven for a total of 15-17 minutes. At the halfway mark, remove the pan from the oven to turn the tempeh so it gets crispy on all sides.
- Store or serve: When the tempeh is done, either enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container to enjoy for later.
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 sheet pan
- 1 silicone baking mat or parchment paper
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
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