Skip to Content

25+ Vegan Tempeh Recipes

There are so many amazing dishes you can make with Tempeh! Burgers, curries, tacos, vegan ribs, and wings. Have you tried them all?

Vegan Tempeh Recipes

I love tempeh! To be honest, I don’t think I would have ever tried tempeh if I weren’t vegan. Most omnivores never heard of tempeh, but vegans appreciate this protein-rich relative to tofu.

So this collection of more than 25 Tempeh recipes is my we-love-you-tempeh appreciation post.

I’ve grouped the recipes into:

So, what is Tempeh?

Tempeh is like tofu a soy product. Through culturing and fermentation, whole soybeans are molded into a block. Tempeh is even higher in protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins than tofu thanks to the fermentation and use of whole soybeans.

Pro-tip for buying tempeh: If you want to spend a lot of $$$ on mini tempeh, buy it at health food stores. If you want to spend little $ on lots of tempeh, buy it at Asian markets.

Tempeh | ElephantasticVegan.com
I always buy my tempeh at the Asian store! It’s either refrigerated or frozen.

Tempeh Basics

Vegan Tempeh Bacon in the pan
Tempeh Bacon – Real bacon is high in cholesterol and saturated fats! This Vegan Tempeh Bacon is a much healthier plant-based alternative. It’s quick and easy and you can make it in the pan. The tempeh slices are smoky and crispy – perfect for breakfast with some tofu scramble or in wraps, burgers, etc.!

Marinated Air Fryer Tempeh – This easy marinated air fryer tempeh is crispy and full of flavor! It cooks quickly in the air fryer making weeknight dinners a breeze.
Baked Tempeh in Red Wine Marinade – This baked tempeh in red wine marinade makes a perfect addition to your rice dishes and salad bowls. Furthermore, this oil-free marinated tempeh is a perfect high-protein vegan recipe to add to your menu.

Tempeh Curries

Vegan Tempeh Curry
Vegan Tempeh Curry – This vegan Tempeh Curry is made with delicious tempeh chunks in a creamy tomato cashew sauce. It’s quick and easy to make! It’s best served with rice and naan.
Balinese Tempeh and Potato Curry – A fragrantly spicy Balinese tempeh and potato curry, with a made from scratch curry paste (or traditional base gede).
Peanut Butter Tempeh Curry – One Pot Peanut Butter Tempeh Curry is a lip-smacking entrée that’s loaded with vegan protein. I made this recipe with simple ingredients and in few easy steps yet it’s satisfying and flavorful.

Tempeh Pizza

Vegan Tempeh Pizza
Tempeh Pizza – This vegan Tempeh pizza with homemade pizza crust, flavorful tomato sauce, vegan cheese, and marinated tempeh crumbles is so good!

Tempeh Bowls

Vegan Tempeh Buddha Bowl – This vegan tempeh buddha bowl features marinated tempeh, brown rice, edamame, veggies and a delicious, creamy tamari tahini dressing.
Vegan Rice Bowl with Smoky Tempeh – This gluten-free vegan rice bowl with smoky tempeh is a delicious hot vegetarian dinner but also makes a great cold lunch on the go. Simple to make, high in protein, and topped with fresh vegetables and a creamy dressing this Asian bowl is a savory, flavorful dish that everyone will enjoy.

Tempeh Pasta

Tempeh Bolognese over spaghetti
Vegan Tempeh Bolognese – This vegan Tempeh Bolognese can be made in 15 minutes! It’s quick, easy, and delicious! Sprinkle it with cashew parmesan.
Vegan Spaghetti Carbonara with smoky tempeh bits
Vegan Carbonara with smoky Tempeh – This is my totally unauthentic, but extremely delicious VEGAN carbonara recipe with smoky tempeh bits! It’s real comfort food!

Tempeh Salads

Vegan Caesar Salad – A vegan Caesar salad that everyone can enjoy! Made with “shortcut” roasted garlic and smokey tempeh.
Vegan Buffalo Tempeh Ranch Salad – This Vegan Buffalo Tempeh Ranch Salad is the perfect salad to add to your arsenal! Bold flavors paired with a creamy dressing make this a fast favorite! This salad is easy to make and comes together in under an hour! Full of plant-based benefits, this healthy salad is sure to turn heads!
Tempeh Lettuce Cups – These tempeh lettuce cups are made with crispy ginger tempeh and served with tahini cream and fresh herbs.

Tempeh Burgers & Sandwiches

Tempeh and Black Bean Sausage Burgers – This recipe combines tempeh, black beans, walnuts, and sausage spices for a flavorful and healthy vegan burger.
Tempeh Reuben Sandwich – This tempeh Reuben sandwich only requires a handful of ingredients to make and takes 20-minutes to prepare. It’s comfort food that’s super easy and quick to prepare.
Vegan Bao Burgers with Peking Tempeh – Made with protein-rich tempeh, these bao burgers are quick to make and packed with mouthwatering Asian flavours.
Vegan BLT – A healthy and kind twist on a classic, this Vegan BLT is made with smoky-sweet baked tempeh bacon. It’s so easy to make, just marinate, and bake for 20 minutes or less.
Teriyaki Tempeh Burger – These Asian-inspired tempeh burgers are flavor bombs waiting to explode in your mouth! Made with sweet and savory teriyaki sauce and topped with zippy slaw, they’re perfect for both weeknight dinners and summer cookouts.

Tempeh Wraps & Tacos

BBQ Tempeh Wrap
BBQ Tempeh Wrap – These BBQ Tempeh Wraps are super quick and easy to throw together. Plus, they are highly versatile: add shredded carrots, raw bell pepper, or roasted eggplant cubes for variations.
Mexican Tempeh Tacos – Perfectly spiced vegan Mexican tempeh taco meat that will please both vegan and meat-eaters! These tacos are super flavorful, filling, and easy to make. Only a handful of simple ingredients needed and is ready in 20 minutes.
Vegan Tempeh Tacos – Chipotle corn salsa, fresh and zesty tomato Pico de Gallo, crunchy tacos complete with mouth-watering tempeh taco meat come together and create the BEST vegan tempeh tacos you’ll ever have. These tacos boom with the smoky flavor of chipotle peppers, sweet roasted corn, tangy tomato salsa and savory vegan taco meat that will leave you craving more!

‘Meaty’ Tempeh

Vegan Chicken Wings – These vegan Tempeh Chicken Wings are crispy and sticky. Perfect for Super Bowl!
BBQ Tempeh Ribs – These BBQ tempeh “ribs” are sticky, smoky, sweet and satisfying. Enjoy them as is with your favorite side dishes or on a sandwich. Both baking and grilling instructions included.
Baked Buffalo Tempeh Tenders – These Vegan Buffalo Tempeh Tenders are so easy to make with just 4 ingredients required. The perfect appetizer or salad topping when you want something delicious and protein-packed!

Tempeh Stir-Fry

Cashew Tempeh Stir-Fry – This scrumptious tempeh stir-fry is made with juicy bell peppers, cashews, and a sweet and savory maple hoisin sauce. It’s loaded with flavor and cooks up lightning fast!
Vegan Nasi Goreng – Nasi Goreng is an Indonesian classic, and this one features delicious chunks of tempeh too (also from Indonesia!) for a protein hit. It takes just 15 minutes to make and is totally delicious.

Want more posts like this?

Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn referral fees if you make a purchase through my link. While clicking these links won't cost you any extra money, they will help me keep this site up and running!