15 Easy High-Protein Tempeh Recipes!

The great thing about tempeh is that it is extremely versatile—you can flavor how ever you like, and can use it to make delicious sandwiches, tacos, salads, and more. This list of 15 tempeh recipes is sure to keep you coming back for more!

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help you get healthy! And, don’t forget to check out our Tempeh Archives!

1. Tempeh Meatball Subs with Roasted Veggie Marinara and Homemade Buns

Souce: Tempeh Meatball Subs with Roasted Veggie Marinara and Homemade Buns

Homemade meatballs, homemade sauce, and homemade buns – what could be better! These Tempeh Meatball Subs with Roasted Veggie Marinara and Homemade Buns by Travis Piper are sure to impress.

2. Sweet Pineapple Tempeh Stir Fry

Source: Sweet Pineapple Tempeh Stir Fry

This Sweet Pineapple Tempeh Stir Fry by Tara Binder is delicious, healthy, and plant-based!

3. Quinoa Fried Rice With Bok Choy and Tempeh

Source: Quinoa Fried Rice With Bok Choy and Tempeh

4. Sweet and Sour Tempeh

Source: Sweet and Sour Tempeh

This Sweet and Sour Tempeh by Talida Voinea is a sweet and tangy stir-fry recipe that is healthy and delicious! A quick way to serve flavorful tempeh in 10 easy steps.

5. Korean Tempeh Steaks

Source: Korean Tempeh Steaks

I had a tub of Korean doenjang paste leftover from a stew I’d made, I decided to experiment a little and create these Korean Tempeh Steaks by Natalie Tamara. Doenjang (된장 – roughly pronounced ‘dwen-jang’) is a thick, chunky paste made from fermented soy beans. So you may be wondering at this point, isn’t tempeh also made from fermented soy beans!? Well, yes they both are! That’s where the comparison ends though: where tempeh is all about the texture, doenjang is all about the flavor. Added to the marinade here, it gives the tempeh steaks a deep savoriness you rarely find in plant-based cooking.

6. Tempeh Gyros with Tofu Tzatziki

Source: Tempeh Gyros With Tofu Tzatziki

You can make these juicy, tempting Tempeh Gyros With Tofu Tzatziki by Annie Oliverio at home, minus the animal fat, the strange mish-mash of meat-ish substances and the nagging worry about how long that conical slab has been slowly rotating on its spit. It’s called tempeh. And lots of garlic.

7. Moroccan-Spiced Vegetable and Tempeh Stew with Lemon Almond Amaranth

Source: Moroccan-Spiced Vegetable and Tempeh Stew with Lemon Almond Amaranth

This Moroccan-Spiced Vegetable and Tempeh Stew with Lemon Almond Amaranth by Nikki and Zuzana is a great post-workout meal option. The combination of tempeh, amaranth, kale, and almonds will provide your body with a complete amino acid profile –important for protein synthesis and instrumental in helping your body recover after a workout.

8. Curried Tempeh Salad Sandwich

Source: Curried Tempeh Salad Sandwich

Tempeh is a nutrient dense, high protein, high fibre, wholesome fermented food. It’s usually sold in a rectangular cake and can be found in the refrigerated or frozen section of the grocery store (oh and it’s super cheap!) It’s a traditional Indonesian food that is made from partially cooked whole soybeans that are left to ferment in warm temperatures. There are many health benefits to eating fermented soy or tempeh as the fermentation process actually adds nutrition, and minerals such as calcium, iron and zinc become more available for the body to use. Still it has to taste good or who cares, right?! That’s why you have to try this Curried Tempeh Salad Sandwich by Tara Binder It’s super yummy, hearty, sweet, spicy and has crunch. It can be used as a tasty plant based alternative to a chicken salad sandwich.

9. Pecan Crusted Tempeh Cutlets

Source: Pecan Crusted Tempeh Cutlets

These Pecan Crusted Tempeh Cutlets by Compassionate Cuisine, Linda Soper-Kolton and Sara Boan make a gorgeous main dish for your dinner table. We’ve updated the classic breading process by using flaxseed instead of eggs, and a gluten-free flour blend instead of traditional all-purpose flour (though you can certainly use all-purpose flour). Taking the extra steps to do a three-step breading—seasoned flour, a flax egg, then pecans—ensures that the pecans won’t fall off the cutlets after they’re baked. Serve these pecan tempeh cutlets with mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce for a simple, delicious holiday feast—no turkey required. You can also try this recipe using our seitan cutlets!

10. Tempeh Salad with Tahini Dressing

Source: Tempeh Salad with Tahini Dressing

Massaged kale with balsamic sautéed tempeh, tangy tahini dressing and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast and hemp hearts. This Tempeh Salad with Tahini Dressing by Caroline Doucet is done in less than 30 minutes, which makes it perfect for quick weeknight dinners.

11. Black Bean Tempeh Nachos with Cashew Cheese

Source: Black Bean Tempeh Nachos with Cashew Cheese

This fabulous array of ingredients in these Black Bean Tempeh Nachos with Cashew Cheese by High Protein Vegan, Ginny McMeans is more of an assembly than a recipe. The cashew cheese is so delicious you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful.

12. Queso Tempeh Taco Salad

Source: Queso Tempeh Taco Salad

Even though it’s a salad, taco salad is usually a far cry from a healthy dish. Its main ingredients typically include fried tortillas, taco meat, and cheese, which all come together to create a calorie-, sodium-, and saturated fat-loaded entree. We made a few tweaks to fix this problem. Our new and improved Queso Tempeh Taco Salad by Natalie Martin MS, RD and Lexie Staten MS, RD is a nutrient-dense, fiber-loaded entree with all the savory flavors intact.

13. Tempeh Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Avocado Grilled Cheese

Source: Tempeh Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Avocado Grilled Cheese

There’s no denying that a vegan grilled cheese sandwich tastes good, but this Tempeh Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Avocado Grilled Cheese by Zsu Dever takes it to the next level. Smoky tempeh bacon, creamy smashed avocado, crisp lettuce, tomato, and melty vegan Swiss cheese are sandwiched between two crispy, buttery slices of grilled bread. Pair with your favorite tomato soup for the ultimate comfort food meal.

14. Sticky Baked BBQ Tempeh Strips

Source: Sticky Baked BBQ Tempeh Strips

These Sticky Baked BBQ Tempeh Strips by Larice Feuerstein are the perfect addition to your collard greens and mashed potatoes. Nothing says summer like sticky, smoky, barbecue-sauce-slathered eats. Just because you’re following a plant-based diet, doesn’t mean you don’t get to enjoy a “meaty,” saucy meal! This oil-free baked BBQ tempeh recipe would make a delicious addition to your backyard get-together this summer or anytime you’re looking for an easy vegan dish that everyone will love. Just make sure to cook a couple of batches––it’ll go fast!

15. Tempeh Tikka Masala 

Source: Tempeh Tikka Masala

This Tempeh Tikka Masala by Brittany Mullins will leave you with all the comfort feels minus all the heavy feels. Make this delicious Indian dinner right in your own home.

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home!

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

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