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glass container with tempeh marinating in a dark sauce
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5 from 2 votes

Tempeh Marinade

See how easy it is to make TRULY delicious tempeh by marinating it using one of my 6 delicious tempeh marinades!
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Marinade
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 2 serves 2
Author: Brita Britnell

Ingredients

TERIYAKI MARINADE:

  • 1 package of tempeh roughly 8 ounces
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons ginger fresh grated
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

THAI PEANUT MARINADE:

  • 1 package of tempeh roughly 8 ounces
  • ¼ cup peanut butter
  • 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons ginger fresh grated

CILANTRO LIME MARINADE:

  • 1 package of tempeh roughly 8 ounces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup/ honey
  • ½ cup cilantro leaves chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

BBQ MARINADE:

  • 1 package of tempeh roughly 8 ounces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ cup favorite BBQ sauce
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Dash of liquid smoke optional

BALSAMIC MARINADE:

  • 1 package of tempeh roughly 8 ounces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

FAJITA MARINADE:

  • 1 package of tempeh roughly 8 ounces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 –2 tablespoons chili powder
  • Optional: dash of liquid smoke

Instructions

  • Prep your tempeh: Remove from packaging and slice the tempeh as desired. I show you lots of different ways to cut it. I usually go with simple cubes.
  • Make the marinade: I like to whisk together my marinade directly in the dish/ bag that I plan to marinate the tempeh in. A plastic bag, silicone bag, or really any kind of shallow resealable container works well. Add all of the ingredients (minus the tempeh) and whisk until fully combined.
  • Add the tempeh: add in your tempeh pieces and let marinate for 30 minutes or even overnight. Ideally this will marinate for a good few hours but even just 30 minutes makes a big difference.
  • Cook as desired and ENJOY!
    Here is my post detailing all the different ways to cook tempeh. As desired, you can use the leftover marinade to make a sauce for your tempeh (this works with all of the marinades EXCEPT the peanut marinade). Add it into a saucepan with a cornstarch slurry (2 tablespoons of water + 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch) and cook over medium heat until thickened (about 3-5 minutes). It makes for a great sauce to put on top of the tempeh!

Notes

  • These marinades work well for tofu as well!
  • Once the tempeh is in the marinade, you can freeze it (sitting in the marinade) and leave it in the freezer for up to 6 months. When ready to eat, simply place it in the fridge to thaw and cook as desired.
  • NUTRITIONAL INFO is just for the first marinade listed.

Nutrition

Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 1927mg | Potassium: 693mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 201mg | Iron: 4mg
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