Marinated Peanut Tempeh (7 Ingredients!)

Since I was short on time and didn’t want to heat the house up with the oven, I added the tempeh, all sauce ingredients except for the lime juice, and water to cover in a medium saucepan. I used a high flame to bring to a boil then simmered until the liquid was reduced by half, turned off the heat and added the lime juice. The warm sauce was the dressing and the spinach leaves held up really well to the warmth of the tempeh and sauce. The only addition I made was some fried shallots on top, the ones in the big plastic jars from the Asian food Mart. The herbs are so refreshing, you have sweet/heat, crunch, soft cold noodles, and juicy tempeh. This was fantastic for a post-workout dinner!

You’ve done it again! Your words, ‘ if you’re not a tempeh lover…’ resonated with me, but this is just great. I cut the pieces a bit (too) small and after 20+ hours, some were mushy and unable to hang onto the skewer. But decided to toss those in a hot pan and give this a test-run! Delish! Thank you for making aNOTHER quick-easy-foolproof VEGAN recipe!
You’re my idol :)

delicious! i burnt mine a little (will know better next time) and they still turned out so good <3

I love this recipe!! So yummy and easy. I make it all the time.

I used tofu instead of tempeh and it was divine. Thank you for the recipe.

I made this for my daughter who is a recent vegan. I tried it too and unfortunately it did not taste good. It tasted like cardboard peanut butter to both of us. I recommend adding some more spice to it; perhaps even a titch of Himalayan sea salt or something else to give it flavor. I really did enjoy the tip about boiling the tempeh before marinating it. Thank you for the recipe and I am sorry we did not have success with it.

Great recipe! The marinade was fantastic! Didn’t have any limes, so I added apple vinegar, ginger syrup instead of maple and lemon rapeseed oil. Also the peanut butter I used contained coconut and it all came together perfectly! We ate it with veggies in tortilla wraps and on avocado toast. I’m new to tempeh and now it’s going to be one of my favourites! Thank you!

Loved it! Best way to roast tempeh. This peanut sauce is a nice change from barbecue sauce. Your recipe gives it an Afro-Asian vibe, which I crave. To adjust the marinade, I used hot pepper sesame oil, plus pepper flakes, fresh thyme, soy sauce, peanut butter, maple syrup. I used orange instead of lime, since I did not have the lime. I simply sliced tempeh into inch-size strips straight from the package. I did not steam it first. I put in container, poured marinade on tempeh, and gave it a vigorous shake. Refrigerated it overnight. Roasted in oven. Delicious! Thank you!

I made the marinated tempeh. It was good, but not great. I followed the marinade recipe and directions exactly. Would probably not make this again.

The marinade was quite thick after about 20 hours so I added an additional mixture of maple syrup and soy sauce (as suggested as a basting cooking tip), which definitely helped. It made the mixture moist again and most likely added more flavor. It wasn’t overly flavored.

My family liked it, but no one loved it. I will probably go the BBQ route next time I marinate tempeh.

The leftovers the next day were even better than the freshly baked tempeh! Amazing!

I wasn’t a tempeh-hater, but I wasn’t really a tempeh lover either. I had some in my fridge and was thinking about what to eat for dinner, so I thought I’d give this a shot. It was AMAZING. I served it as a bowl with brown rice, steamed broccoli and green beans, and made some more peanut sauce to put on top. This is for sure my new favorite way to make tempeh and I’m pretty sure will be a weekly meal for us.

Would love to see more recipes like this with different sauces!

I followed the recipe exactly and served it with quinoa and sautéed bok choy. This was an excellent way to serve tempeh and I will definitely use this recipe again but maybe tweak the marinade. While it boasted strong flavors to tantalize the taste buds, I feel like it needed some fish sauce and/or ginger. All in all, great recipe and I will continue using it as a base then add modifications.

I had been eyeing this recipe for forever and finally made it this weekend to have with the Rainbow Thai Salad (also from Minimalist Baker) – LOVED it! My last experience with tempeh was less than stellar, and I’m SO glad I didn’t give up on it and gave it a shot with this recipe. I used almond butter and subbed paprika for the chilli because I’m not super into spice. I also marinated for just under 24 hours, which was perfect. I am 100% going to make this again!

I went vegan for about 4 months and this was one of the recipes I tried during that time. I fell in love and made it weekly!! Now that I went back to not being vegan, I still make this recipe all the time because it is just so delicious!! I do everything as listed in the recipe and it’s perfect every time. Thanks for sharing!!

So, so , so good!!!! Love it in the blissed out Thai salad. Thank you for a great recipe

FANTASTIC!!! Perfect flavor balance and so easy. I marinaded for 24 hours; the tempeh was packed with savory flavor. This is now part of my go-to recipe collection. Thanks!

loved this!! I didn’t use chili flakes, I used a big spoonful of harissa, used lemon juice instead of lime, and only marinated for 2 hours. the steaming/boiling at the start is a game changer! turned out fluffy & tender and not bitter. Please post more marinades soon! :)

I made this last night and it was SO good. My friends loved it as well. I made it with udon noodles and roasted cauliflower. I doubled the sauce recipe to drizzle over top of each bowl. It served three of us nicely.

Thanks for this simple and delicious recipe!

I made this recipe for the second time tonight and I doubled it this time!!!! A few delicious meals are waiting for me! Thank you so much for this delicious recipe!!!?

I made this for dinner last night; DELICIOUS!! I steamed, cut and marinated for 24 hrs with the exact recipe. I baked it with all the extra marinade and a bag of broccoli stir fry mix. We were fighting over the last bit and licking the bowls! I am printing this recipe and handing it out to all my co-workers ! Well done!!

I made this tonight with broccoli and water chestnuts and it was SO good. My teens said 10/10. Thanks!

My go to tempeh recipe. Reallly good. Tried attaching pic, unsuccessfully

Tried this a few weeks ago and loved it. But also thought with a few modifications it would make a great mole style marinade. So I tried it tonight with Mexican street corn and shredded cabbage. I used the same peanut butter and soy (brags) base, but put in a diced chipotle in adobo with 3 T of the sauce, about a 2t each of cumin, coriander, and garlic powder, 1T of chile powder, salt, pepper and , a while Lime, and 1 square of dark 85% cocoa shaved into the sauce. Left it overnight and prepared as directed with a few sports of brags over it. I’ve been looking for a different way to translate vegan to Mexican and really happy with this adaptation!

I’ve used this recipe a few times, it really transforms tempeh into something delicious. I use gochujang in place of birds eye chili, seems to work great! Tried it over a Thai noodle bowl the other day. I never knew I liked peanut sauces so much!

These were very tasty overall! They seemed a bit more dry than I was anticipating, but this could be because I only marinated them for about two hours (rather than the 24 hours suggested). Great flavor though, and went very well with the Thai salad recipe also found on this blog.

Thanks you for answering my prayers ?? I had tempeh waiting in my freezing for awhile and wasn’t sure on how to prepare it… and then found this on your amazing blog… it taste like heaven dipped in maple syrup, I’m French Canadian so everything is better with liquid gold…
Steaming, marinating for 24h and baking…ad to tell myself to stop eating it?
Keep inspiring us with your lovely, awesome and tasty recipes ☀️
Much love ❤️
Martine

I have just tried your tempeh recipe and it was surprisingly delicious! Didn’t think I would buy tempeh beyond my detox but now I will. Other recipes I have tried during my detox were great too. Will definitely recommend your site thanks.

My husband wanted to try this, but tempeh has always freaked me out lol! It’s marinating in the fridge right now. I hope it turns out like yours because the photos look delicious. So far the marinade was amazing!!!! Putting this on the Thai salad recipe you posted.

We had to go to Natural Grocers and buy the big’n of tamari sauce! I’m loving your Asian-inspired dishes, Dana! Thank you so much.
I have made this twice this week! I marinated the tempeh for 48 hours the first time, and 6 hours tonight. Yummy both times! Next time (next week, probably ;)) I plan to soak for the full 24 hours for good measure.
I used pad thai rice noodles first time and thinner rice noodles the second time (tonight). I prefer the pad thai rice noodles because the thinner noodles require more dressing for flavor.
I used peanut butter for the marinade and almond butter for the dressing. I also added a little more pepper flakes to the marinade than you suggested. Fresh mint and cilantro are KEY. So, so good!

& thanks for the <3 on my instagram story!

This recipe cured my distaste for tempeh! I made it to top the Blissed-out Thai Salad, but could honestly have eaten this tempeh by itself (and did, right off the pan!). I will be making it again for salads and wraps.

Delicious! I messed up my tempeh cutting and ended up with ground tempeh. Still wonderful! Great flavors even though I only had 2 hours of marinating time. This recipe is now a part of my regular repertoire.

Just made this recipe and we loved it! Beautiful, colorful salad and the tempeh and dressing were so good! We added a little more chili garlic sauce (and sriracha) because we like a lot of heat, but that was the only thing we changed. Will make this again. Thanks!

Delicious and addictive! I can see adding this to so many things. Great recipe!

First time trying tempeh and we loved it! Health conscious DH said this is a keeper. Made according to the recipe, marinating 24 hours. Used it in salad. Thanks for the recipe.

I come from a family of heavy meat-eaters so when I made this for them for dinner along with your bright green spinach curry, I was a little hesitant on how they would respond to their first time trying tempeh. It was so delicious smelling coming out of the oven, they even began to pick it off the pan to eat before dinner was even done. Rave reviews all around. They even REQUESTED it the next time they came to visit.

Made this a while ago-couldn’t keep my hands away from it. Tasted wonderfully with gado gado when I don’t have tofu in my fridge :)

This was incredible tasting!! My new favorite thing! I never could make Tempeh in a way that I loved. I mean, it was okay, but not great. This was just delicious. I will be making it over and over. It was a hit, my husband ate it on his salad and I ate it with some noodles. It will go in so many things. I was thinking it would make a tasty sandwich too. Thank you!!!

I have made this at least 5 times now. SO GOOD! I added some minced ginger and turmeric root last time. Yum!

So good! I didn’t realize that I needed to marinate overnight, so only marinated for 2 hrs. Still delicious!

Thank you so much for this recipe! After eating Tempeh for the first time in Bali a few years ago, I tried to make it at home several times but always got disappointed. This Tempeh now is by far the best I made and I def. will make this again and again!

made the marinated peanut tempeh for the Blissed out Thai Salad – this was SO good. I ate as my main dish while my husband had it as a side. I followed the recipe except I substituted sriracha sauce for the chili garlic sauce because I didn’t have any. We brainstormed and agree that if your skipping the tempeh to add some crushed peanuts. Already plan to bring to summer picnics, so refreshing.

Really enjoyed this dish! Another win for Minimalist Baker! – Allison Bost, This Tiny House Wife

Marinated this overnight and cooked it tonight and it was delicious! Took my stir fry to the next level. Low on maple syrup so I also added a bit of brown sugar. Thanks for the recipe!

I tried this recipe (and tempeh!!) for the first time tonight. It was soo delicious! I am not vegan or vegetarian (yet) but adore your recipes. Thank you for sharing!

This is awesome! Steaming the tempeh before marinating it really helps the flavor infuse. Oh, I used sambal instead of chiles and it turned out great. Thanks for all the great recipes and content!

Really really easy and delicious! I didn’t have a lime, used lemon juice, it was fine. I served it as a side, but this is a versatile dish; it would work well in many combinations, and could even be an appetizer!

this is hands down THE BEST tempeh I have made and have ever had in my life. I will be making this all the time seriously. It is so easy and amazing. AMAZING job Dana!

Wow, you weren’t lying about how good this is!! I kept buying tempeh at the store, it would sit in the refrigerator, I wouldn’t know exactly what to do with it (despite the countless vegetarian and vegan cookbooks I have), it would expire, I would toss it and be sad. NO MORE!!

I’ve made this twice now. The first batch I marinated for 6 hours, it was good, but still kind of dry. I also didn’t split the tempeh in half to make it thinner in Batch #1. I could not find any dried bird’s eye chili’s, despite my searching, so used crushed red pepper flakes as recommended. I used salted creamy peanut butter for both batches. I used Bragg’s Liquid Aminos for the tamari (it is also gluten-free), and I did use the sesame oil (plain, light colored, not the darker roasted variety – was I correct here??).

In the first batch, I did drizzle the maple syrup and tamari (Braggs) as suggested, but merely poured it from the jug and bottle. It was not very uniform and was pretty messy. The second batch I mixed the maple syrup and Bragg’s in a small bowl, whisked it together and then brushed it on – much better results. My mix was probably 2/3 maple syrup to 1/3 Braggs.

Then the cutting of the tempeh. The first time, I cut the slab in half lengthwise and then into the triangle shapes. They were still kind of thick. The second time, cut the slab into 2 pieces (so I had 2 kind of square shapes), and then split each segment in half so I ended up with 4 much thinner segments. Then I proceeded to cut those segments into the same small triangle shapes. Because I split the tempeh into thinner sections, I ended up with twice as many triangles in batch #2. I also marinated batch #2 for 48 hours (woops – change in dinner plans that night). It still worked out, most of the marinade was absorbed when I took them out of the container to bake them, so the brushing on of the maple syrup and tamari/Braggs really made a difference.

We served the tempeh bites over the Blissed-Out Thai Salad – YUM!!! My meat-eating husband requested that I keep this on a weekly rotation, which I happily will!!

AWESOME Recipe Dana!! Thanks once again for helping us eat better and having it be extra delicious at the same time!!

Made this last night..the hubby gave it a ten. This no-love for tempeh girl gave it a…..10! It was super! It was the first time I have ever tried the steaming method and it makes all the difference! I am converted. No I can not stop thinking of what to make with tempeh next!

I absolutely loved this. The goal was to keep it for a week’s worth of salads but we ate most of it already, haha. My 1.5 year old loved it which is a huge deal to me. Thank you for this recipe. Finally, a tempeh recipe that is a keeper.

This is awesome! My only problem is that the tempeh pieces are so fragile that there were bits of uncooked tempeh in my marinade, so I felt I couldn’t really use the remainder of the sauce to coat the baked pieces. Did anyone else have this problem?

Otherwise, these are fantastic! I am no longer afraid of tempeh :)

Made this tonight with a bowl of jasmine rice and broccoli. I’ve never found tempeh to be particularly bitter so I didn’t steam, but I marinated it for 20 hours and it was great! Wonderful flavor and so simple.

I didn’t enjoy this :( maybe I just don’t like tempeh! Never had it before but just felt it tasted odd?! I
Marinated it for 24 hours but still didn’t feel like a strong flavour. Any suggestions?

Just made this over the weekend and it is AWESOME! Made it exactly as stated in the recipe (let the tempeh sit in marinade for about 15 hours). I am eating it over a salad and it is just perfect. I’m a fan of tempeh but this is by far the best I’ve ever had it. Thank you for such a great new recipe ?

This was such a yummy recipe! I added ginger and subbed orange juice instead of lime but it worked out perfectly:) I might make some extra sauce next time for the veggies/rice but o so delicious. Definitely a keeper, thank you!

Which do you prefer more, tofu or tempeh? And why? I think I’ll start experimenting with tempeh!

Dana, your recipes bring pure joy… simple, delicious, plant based meals that are also healthy. Seriously in love with your blog! Please, more recipes and more cook books! Yum yum from snowed in Switzerland!