This tempeh stir fry is packed with aromatic veggies and tasty plant-based protein in a delicious and easy homemade teriyaki sauce. A great weeknight dinner that's ready in just 30 minutes.
Table of Contents
Have you ever tried tempeh? It's a great plant-based protein source that originates from Indonesia.
It's a fermented product, typically made from whole soybeans and a tempeh starter, which is a type of fungus. If you are looking to increase your consumption of fermented foods, tempeh is a brilliant addition to your diet.
Tempeh can be used in similar ways to tofu, and it works great in this stir fry! It has a firmer texture and contains more fiber and protein than tofu.
Taste-wise, tempeh has a stronger flavour, which could be described as earthy, savoury and mushroomy. Some brands are more bitter in taste, so I recommend trying a few.
You can even get tempeh made from other pulses, such as black bean tempeh, or with extra ingredients such as hemp seeds, which we really like as well.
In this tasty recipe, we combine crispy fried tempeh with stir-fried veggies and a mouthwateringly delicious teriyaki sauce.
Ingredient tips
Here's what you'll need to make this teriyaki tempeh recipe:
Dark soy sauce is a bit sweeter, but a bit less strong in flavour than regular soy sauce. Don't worry too much if you don't have any at hand - we got tips to make this teriyaki stirfry without! Check out the section below on substitutes.
Another two traditional ingredients used in this recipe are rice vinegar and mirin, a sweet cooking wine used in Asian cuisine.
Brown sugar has a more complex flavour than white sugar, so we prefer it here. Whether you use dark or light brown sugar, or even palm or coconut sugar, doesn't really matter.
We sometimes fry the tempeh with sesame oil for a bit of extra depth of flavour, but this is optional and can be replaced with more vegetable oil.
We love tenderstem broccoli, aka broccolini, for stir fries (as well as steamed as a nutritious side)! Like its name suggests, its tender stems don't take long to cook, which means it keeps more of its delicate flavour than regular broccoli.
Step by step pictures
Here's a visual guide on how to make teriyaki tempeh stir fry. For the full, adjustable and printable recipe, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
Step 1 - To prepare the sauce, whisk together cornstarch and water, then combine with dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin and brown sugar.
Step 2 - Season sliced tempeh with salt and pepper and fry it in vegetable and sesame oil on both sides, until golden brown.
Step 3 - Set fried tempeh aside, and in the same pan saute the onions for 2-3 minutes until soft and beginning to brown.
Step 4 - Add the other veggies and fry for 3-5 minutes. Set aside as well.
Step 5 - Add the prepared sauce and simmer for a couple of minutes until thickened.
Step 6 - Add the crispy tempeh to coat it in the sauce.
Step 7 - Stir in the veggies and serve.
Substitutions and variations
Change up the veggies. These veggies all work well in stir fries:
- Bok choy / pak choi
- Baby corn
- Sugar snap peas or mangetout
- Bamboo shoots
- Beansprouts
- Zucchini / courgette
Even if you don't have some or any of the traditional ingredients, you can still make a delicious teriyaki sauce - here's how.
Instead of dark soy sauce, you can use regular soy sauce and an extra teaspoon of sugar per tablespoon of soy sauce. If you prefer a slightly less dominant soy sauce flavour, replace a third or half of it with water.
As a substitute for rice vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar or some vegan white wine vinegar.
Mirin can be replaced with other sweet cooking wines like sherry or marsala. Alternatively, you can use sake, another cooking wine used in various teriyaki recipes (often alongside mirin). Or just leave the mirin out without replacing it. There's still plenty of flavour in this dish!
Serving
Wholewheat noodles, rice noodles, or brown rice make the perfect side for this tempeh stir fry.
For a lower carb side, serve with cauliflower rice.
Our Vegan Egg Fried Rice is also a delicious accompaniment!
For garnishing we love to use:
- A sprinkle of sesame seeds
- Chopped green onions / spring onions
- Chopped cilantro / coriander leaves
Storage
The stir fry is best enjoyed fresh for the best texture, however you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days.
To reheat, add to a frying pan and heat on medium heat, stirring regularly until thoroughly heated. Or heat in the microwave in intervals, stirring every 30 seconds.
FAQs
Tempeh is becoming more mainstream and easy to find! Look for tempeh in the refrigerated or frozen aisle of your local whole foods store, or in the vegan and vegetarian section of large supermarkets.
You can also order it online from specialist producers (We like Impulse Tempeh in the UK).
Grey or black spots and patches on tempeh are a natural part of the fermentation process and do not indicate spoilage. Signs that tempeh has gone bad include a bad smell, furry mould, or a slimy, mushy or crumbly texture.
More Asian-inspired recipes
Try these other delicious meals inspired by the wonderful flavours of far-east Asia.
Vegan Pad Thai (rice noodles with tofu and mushrooms in a tangy sauce)
Vegan Katsu Curry (with breaded tofu)
Burmese Tofu (served with a zingy ginger, garlic and chili sauce.)
Sticky Tempeh (another yummy way to enjoy tempeh!)
📖 Recipe
Teriyaki Tempeh Stir Fry
Ingredients
Crispy tempeh
- 1 block (200 g / 7 oz) tempeh cut into slices / pieces
- salt and pepper for seasoning
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil or more vegetable oil
Stir fry vegetables
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion halved, then quartered
- 115 g (4 oz) tenderstem broccoli / broccolini cut into 2 - 3 inch pieces
- 1 bell pepper red or yellow, cut into strips
- 1 carrot diagonally sliced
- 100 g (1 cup) mushrooms sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes / chilli flakes optional
Teriyaki sauce
- 4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1.5 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour) mixed with 3 teaspoons water
Garnish
- 1 scallion / spring onion sliced, optional
- sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Mix the teriyaki sauce: In a small jug or bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until no lumps remain. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, and rice vinegar. Stir to dissolve the sugar and set aside for later.4 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons mirin, 1.5 teaspoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- For the fried tempeh, heat up vegetable oil and sesame oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Season the sliced tempeh with salt and pepper and fry for about 2 minutes on each side until crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside.1 block (200 g / 7 oz) tempeh, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, salt and pepper
- Place the frying pan back over medium heat. Add more vegetable oil and saute the onion until soft, for about 2 - 3 minutes.1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 onion
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Add tenderstem broccoli, bell pepper, carrot, mushrooms, minced garlic, grated ginger, and red pepper flakes to the frying pan and stir-fry for another 3 - 5 minutes until the veggies are browned in places, and the broccoli is a vibrant green. Remove the veggies from the pan and set aside.115 g (4 oz) tenderstem broccoli / broccolini, 1 bell pepper, 1 carrot, 100 g (1 cup) mushrooms, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp red pepper flakes / chilli flakes
- Place the frying pan back on medium heat. Give the teriyaki sauce a last good stir and pour it into the pan. Stir while heating up to a gentle bubble, and wait for the sauce to thicken a little bit.
- Add the fried tempeh back into the pan and stir to coat it well with the sauce.
- Turn off the heat, add the stir-fried veggies, and briefly toss everything together.
- Serve with rice or noodles, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and chopped scallion / spring onion.1 scallion / spring onion, sesame seeds
Notes
Nutrition
This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.
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