How To Marinate Tempeh (Ultimate Flavor Guide!)

This guide will show you how to marinate tempeh the right way! With 8 different flavors to choose from, you’ll never get bored of tempeh again. This easy-to-make protein is perfect for baking, sautéing, air frying, or grilling!

Your Go-To Marinades

There are so many ways to flavor chicken, right? But did you know that these seasonings also work really well as tempeh marinades?

Tempeh and tofu are like blank canvases for vegetarians and vegans because they soak up marinades so well. Whether it’s taco night or you’re craving Indian food, we’ve got you covered with these 8 delicious marinades.

Once you know how to marinate tempeh, nothing can stop you from creating new flavor options. Whether you air fry, bake, or saute, you’ll be locking in those delicious flavors, especially if you follow our guide on how to cook tempeh).

Grab These Ingredients

All the ingredients for these tempeh marinade recipes are super easy to find (and likely in your pantry already!). Keep a stash of freezer bags on hand – they make marinating proteins so much easier than a bowl.

• Tempeh: Made from fermented soybeans, tempeh has a nutty flavor and lots of chew, making it the perfect protein for many meals.
• Flavors: We’ll jump into details below, but let’s just say we will travel the globe with our eight flavor varieties!

Steps To Making The Best Tempeh Marinades

It’s as easy as opening a bag and tossing stuff in! You can choose to whisk or mix your marinades in a bowl first if you’d like, or just squish it all up in the bag. I’m all for fewer dirty dishes.

Step 1: Cut The Tempeh
Cut your tempeh into cubes or triangles, whichever you prefer. Most tempeh is fairly flat already due to how it’s made, making it easy to slice and dice.

Step 2: Steam The Tempeh
Steam in a basket over water for about 10 minutes. This will help tone down some of the bitterness from the fermentation process. This is totally optional but will ensure that your tempeh marinade flavors really shine through.

Step 3: Mix The Sauce
Select a marinade from the list below and mix it up!

Step 4: Assemble The Marinated Tempeh
Add the cut tempeh to a large bowl or zippered top bag and pour in your marinade. Either use a spoon or squish the bag around to make sure every piece is coated in flavor.

Step 5: Cook Your Tempeh
Prepare your cooking vessel, fish out your tempeh pieces, and heat them up. A bonus of using this vegan protein is that your leftover marinade isn’t contaminated with raw meat bacteria, so you can use it in your meal, especially for something like a stir fry where you want extra sauce.

Smoked Bacon

Smoked paprika and liquid smoke add that bit of kick you need (combined with maple syrup) to make a wonderfully warm bacon flavor. This flavor pairs perfectly with cottage cheese omelettes or egg muffin cups.

Sesame Ginger

Sesame oil is key to the perfect Asian tempeh marinade. This variation also contains ginger and brown sugar. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh would all be perfect on a Buddha bowl, or try mixing it into fried rice for easy meal prep.

BBQ

This BBQ tempeh marinade couldn’t be easier. I thin out my favorite barbecue sauce with vinegar and add some zing with fresh garlic. Pair it with a light summer vegetable salad and grilled broccoli salad!

Herby Balsamic

It’s pasta night! Serve this tempeh along with a Caprese salad, or why not pop it right into a Caprese panini? You can also pick your choice of noodles and top both pasta and tempeh with the best homemade marinara.

Fajita

Obviously, since I’ve named this marinade after fajitas, it would be perfect to add to vegetable fajitas or vegan burritos. Fajitas are one of the easiest meals to serve to a crowd because everyone can customize their plates.

Garlic And Herb

Yup, I put 6 cloves of garlic in this marinade! Paired with Italian seasoning, I’d love to cube this tempeh up into bite-sized pieces and whip up some pizza dough, then add plenty of Parmesan and maybe pesto.

Tandoori

Garam masala, garlic, coriander, and more combine to make a really delightful Indian-inspired tempeh marinade. Serve this up with homemade naan and Greek yogurt for a hearty, flavor-packed meal.

Cilantro And Lime

Fresh cilantro has to be my favorite herb of all time. Cubed and seared cilantro lime tempeh would be a great way to add protein to avocado soup or crispy avocado tacos.

Switch It Up!

Now that you know how to marinate tempeh, try these seasonings on:

• Marinated Tofu: Just another blank canvas for some deliciousness.
• Air Fryer Chickpeas: Marinate, then air fry them for a crispy snack!
• Seitan: If you want protein-packed, seitan has you covered.