This is less of a recipe and more of an introduction to an all-around approach to preparing tempeh. Follow along, but feel free to experiment with your own glazes or other recipes as well.

Basic Equipment

A good sauté pan or cast iron pan.
Spatula or tongs
A plate with a paper towel on it
Sautee pan, ideally cast iron

Ingredients

8 oz Block of tempeh
Oil (Coconut, canola, olive oil…you want a good neutral oil with decently high smoke point)
Salt to taste

Step 1

Figure out how you’re going to cut the tempeh. Tempeh is versatile and can be cut into many shapes and sizes, depending on your preference and depending on the dish—the important part is consistency. This list is just a starting point:

Cubes: ¼”-1/2”, great for stews and stir-frys
Thin Slices: ¼”, this is great for topping salad bowls, making tempeh bacon, and layering onto a sandwich.
Thicker Slides 1/2'“, nice when served on its own, like as a tempeh dipper appetizer
Whole Block: this is great for creating a roast to be baked, or to grill and then slice at the table.

Step 2

Heat 1/8”-1/4” of oil in a pan, again ideally cast iron, at medium-high heat (this is about a pinky nail’s worth of oil). You want the pan hot but not smoking. Tempeh likes to absorb the oil so if you plan to pan-fry a lot, you should be adding more oil as you go.

Step 3

Fry each side of tempeh until golden brown on each side. Depending on your cut, it will take only a few minutes to sear all sides. Sometimes only seconds if you cut it super thinly. At this point, you can remove your browned tempeh to a plate with a sheet or two of paper towels on top. While it’s still hot and season with salt. Stop here for pan-fried tempeh, or continue to make a glaze.

Step 4

Clean out your frying pan, or have another pan ready to glaze your tempeh. At this point, you will add your sauce and tempeh into a medium-hot pan and let the sauce reduce with the tempeh until it evenly coats it and the sauce has reduced by a third. You don’t want it to reduce so much that it sticks or burns to the bottom of the pan.

Step 5

There you go, you now have glazed tempeh that can be the starting point of a rice bowl, a sandwich topping, or eaten by itself. This is one simple way to get the most out of your tempeh.

PRO TIP: GLAZE YOUR TEMPEH BLOCK WHOLE

Preheat your oven to 400° F. Sear your tempeh (the whole block, no slicing) as directed above. After searing, add your sauce, cover, and bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 F. This is now a glazed roast that you can store in the fridge and slice as needed, or eat it all up on the spot.

Two Suggested Glazes

Ginger Hoisin Glaze

Mix in a bowl and season to taste:

1 ½ tsp grated Ginger
1 tbsp Soy sauce (or GF tamari)
3 tbsp Hoisin (or coconut aminos)
3 tbsp Orange Juice
1 tbsp Orange zest
1 tbsp Water
½ tsp Chile paste

Apple Honey Glaze