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This Sesame Ginger Tempeh Stir Fry Recipe is one of the most popular recipes on my blog! It’s an easy vegan stir fry that only requires 25 minutes to make and SO DELICIOUS! Even my meat loving family enjoys this dish!
Interested in trying more tempeh recipes? You’ll love my Tempeh Tacos as well as this Tempeh Chili and this delicious Tempeh Bacon!
In this post…
Please tell me that you’ve tried tempeh before? PLEASE!
If not, then you’ve come to the right place because this tempeh stir fry is seriously SO so good! But I’m a little biased because I happen to think that tempeh is THE most underrated vegetarian protein source out there. Seriously so good.
Tempeh is SO GOOD that I created a whole roundup of my favorite tempeh recipes and even have a whole post on Tempeh 101. Check em out!
I recently wrote a whole post about how to marinate tempeh and it makes a huge difference when cooking with it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick & easy – Ready in under 30 minutes!
- Packed with flavor – Sweet, savory, nutty, and tangy all in one.
- High in protein – Thanks to the tempeh and nut butter.
- Great for meal prep – Stores well for leftovers!
- Customizable – Swap the veggies or protein for whatever you have on hand.
Ingredients we’re working with:
- Tempeh – A great plant-based protein! You can swap it for tofu if needed.
- Ginger paste – Can substitute with grated fresh ginger or ground ginger in a pinch.
- Garlic paste – Swap for minced fresh garlic if you prefer.
- Sesame oil.
- Rice vinegar – Gives the sauce a slight tang. Apple cider vinegar works too.
- Soy sauce or coconut aminos – Use tamari for a gluten-free version.
- Maple syrup – Adds natural sweetness. Swap for honey or agave syrup.
- Cornstarch – Helps thicken the sauce. Arrowroot starch is a good alternative!
- Nut butter – Adds depth and richness! Peanut butter or almond butter work well but you can use tahini or sunflower seed butter for a nut free option.
- Green beans & carrots– other veggies can easily be swapped or added in as desired!
How to make this easy stir fry
The full printable recipe can be found at the bottom of the post in the recipe card but let’s go over the main steps:
STEP #1: Make the sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a blender and blending until smooth.
STEP #2: Cook the tempeh in a large skillet and toss in just a little bit of the sauce to coat the tempeh. Set aside to cook the veggies.
STEP #3: Cook the veggies in a large skillet with a little oil. During the last few minutes, add in a little water to steam the veggies until tender.
STEP #4: Combine all of the ingredients – add the tempeh back into the skillet along with the sauce and cook until the sauce has thickened and the veggies and tempeh are covered in the sauce.
Expert Tips
- Adjust the sauce thickness: If too thick, add a splash of water. If too thin, let it simmer longer.
- Marinate the tempeh: Let it soak in the sauce for 15-30 minutes before cooking for extra flavor.
- Crispy tempeh hack: Air fry or bake the tempeh at 375°F for 15 minutes before adding to the skillet.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: Cook in batches if needed for even browning.
If you try this Sesame Ginger Tempeh Stir Fry recipe or any other recipe on Food with Feeling, don’t forget to leave a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below to let others know how much you loved it. Happy cooking!! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I would love to hear about your experience making it. And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @foodwithfeeling!
More Tempeh Recipes:
Sesame Ginger Tempeh Stir Fry
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces tempeh, cubed into bite sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons ginger paste, sub for grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons garlic paste, sub for 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon nut butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups green beans, ends trimmed
- 2 cups carrots, thinly sliced (or baby carrots)
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the sauce ingredients: ginger, garlic, sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, cornstarch, and nut butter. The sauce can also be whisked together in a bowl but I find the blender much easier.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add in the tempeh and cook for about 8 minutes, flipping every few minutes so that all sides are browned. Turn the heat to low and toss in 2 tablespoons of the sauce and continue to cook until the tempeh is fully coated in the sauce and it has started to caramelize a bit. Remove to a clean plate and return skillet to the heat.
- Turn the heat back to medium, and add in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and toss together the green beans and the carrots in the skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add in a few tablespoons of water and place a lid on the skillet to steam the veggies a bit until tender. About another 5 minutes. Remove the lid and take out any excess water.
- Pour in the remaining sauce as well as the tempeh. Toss to coat everything and continue to cook until sauce thickens and everything is nicely coated in the sauce. Cook about 2-3 more minutes.
- Serve over rice or quinoa and ENJOY!! Also great on its own!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was good but needed less corn starch. With that much the sauce quickly turned to a sticky goo. I will try with 1 tsp next time.
This had really good flavor. We only used 2 T of maple syrup and it was just right for us. We used coconut aminos and peanuts in the sauce, since I didn’t have nut butter. It’s a fast, flavorful dish we’ll make again!
thanks for coming back to comment! that means a lot. This is seriously one of my FAVORITE dishes to make for dinner! love tempeh
My family thought this was pretty good. We will have it again but will maybe use about 1 tbsp less of maple syrup in the sauce. The only complaint from the family was maybe the sauce was a “bit sweet.” I also think it’s a pretty versatile recipe and other vegetables that are on hand could be substituted and/or added. Also, fwiw, I used fresh minced garlic and ginger in the recipe and not from the tubes.
Hi! This looks great! Do you have the nutrition stats?
The dish was delish ! A newbie to tempeh, I used a 3 grain that I’m not too crazy about. Will try another next time. The sauce was yummy (with the green beans ;) ). Made a side of Thai coconut basmati rice :D Thank you for sharing !
way too salty!!!! cut back the soy sauce. otherwise good
Easy to make, balanced flavours and textures, and absolutely delicious. My guests and I enjoyed it enormously and I will certainly make it again.
aww yay!! SO glad to hear that you liked it! I might make this again for dinner this week myself!
That looks so delicious! Love the colours, and the little “pop” from the sesame seeds!
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It looks yummy and very colorful. I am surely gonna try this at home.