This buffalo tempeh recipe can be eaten as an appetizer or an entree. You can even place these buffalo tempeh strips inside a tortilla or cut them up for a salad topping. Serve with vegan blue cheese dressing or vegan ranch.
When my family gets together, I always make buffalo tempeh. Sundays at our house are football, football, and more football during the fall and winter. On Championship Sunday, the pressure for "football" food rushes in. The kids beg for buffalo "something," so instead of buffalo cauliflower which I make often, I opted for my buffalo tempeh recipe instead.
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Although I enjoy cooking on Sundays, football brings the kids home to eat and watch football. Since the family adopted a plant-based diet, food preparation has become more fun and experimental. The kids often come home because "mom cooks so good." And they can't pass up an opportunity to eat vegan buffalo tempeh.
We all eat at home more than ever because homemade food is better than what we get at a restaurant, or at least more healthy. I don't know if that is a blessing, but I love to cook, so it's a bonus.
How to Prepare Tempeh
First, you need to know my best-kept little secret! Tempeh, for instance, is naturally bitter and a bit tough. As a result, tempeh only absorbs marinades and takes on its flavor after boiling it first.
Yes, that’s what I said. Boiling tempeh for 20 minutes removes the bitterness and then absorbs marinades like a sponge.
First, remove the tempeh from the package, and cut it in half, making two equal-sized squares. Then, place the tempeh pieces in a pan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil, cook for 20 minutes, and then remove the tempeh from the boiling water.
- It softens the tempeh to make it easier to eat and enjoy.
- And boiling allows for better absorption of flavors and marinating (when marinating for other recipes).
I marinate my tempeh beforehand to absorb the sauce flavors I plan to use. Regardless of the sauce, marinating is a must. I chose my favorite vegan buffalo sauce this time, but you don't need to marinate for this recipe. Instead, the buffalo sauce is added later.
Buffalo Tempeh Ingredients
Once the tempeh is boiled and cooled, it is time to dip it in 3 different bowls:
Flour Mixture Ingredients:
- Chickpea Flour: I like the texture of chickpea flour when breading tempeh.
- Smoked Paprika: During the dried process for smoked paprika, the red peppers are dried over smoke instead of the air.
- Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is ground-dried garlic.
- Salt: Salt gives the flour mixture a little flavor.
- Fresh Ground Pepper: I suggest fresh ground pepper.
Bread Crumb Mixture Ingredients:
- Bread Crumbs: I make bread crumbs bt toasting bread and pulsing in a food processor.
- Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast is vegan cheesy.
Plant Milk:
- Unsweetened, Unflavored Plant Milk: I used oat milk because it's naturally creamy.
Buffalo Tempeh Ingredient Substitutions
- Choose any type of flour.
- Use regular paprika if you don't like smoked paprika.
- To make homemade bread crumbs, toast your favorite bread and pulse it in a food processor.
- For a gluten-free option, choose gluten-free bread or gluten-free bread crumbs.
- Any unsweetened, unflavored plant milk works well. Or substitute with unflavored, unsweetened plant yogurt.
How to Make Buffalo Tempeh Strips
Then, simply dip and dredge.
- Place each strip in plant milk.
- Next, coat in flour mixture, then briefly re-dip into milk.
- Toss with bread crumbs/nutritional yeast, coating well while pressing into the tempeh.
- Set each strip on a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Repeat the process with the remaining tempeh strips.
- Once all are coated and on the baking sheet, bake for 10 minutes; flip “strips” over and bake an additional 10 minutes.
When the buffalo tempeh is done baking, slather with your favorite vegan buffalo sauce, and cook for 5 more minutes!
Serving Suggestions
Since I'm serving buffalo tempeh strips as an appetizer, I served it with celery, carrots, and vegan blue cheese. But you can also use the buffalo tempeh recipe for a buffalo tempeh sandwich or an excellent topping for a salad.
Or, if you aren't a vegan blue cheese dressing fan, try vegan ranch dressing instead.
Regardless of who you want to win the Championship, make some healthy, vegan eats to bring your family together. Whoever goes on to play in the Super Bowl, there is a way to celebrate while eating healthy.
Recipe FAQs
Tempeh contains more fiber and protein than tofu because it contains whole beans. In addition, the soy protein in tempeh is more digestible because of the fermentation process.
The fermentation process dramatically reduces the oligosaccharides that make beans hard to digest for some people. Studies have shown tempeh to be essentially non-flatulent and produce no more gas than non-legume food.
Perhaps the only downside to tempeh is its calorie count is higher than tofu's, but the nutrients it packs more than makeup for this. But tofu is not without its advantages. Because tempeh is often made with additional ingredients, it may not be gluten-free, so keep that in mind if you have dietary restrictions.
Tips
- Always boil the tempeh before marinating it.
- I recommend marinating tempeh overnight for the best flavor.
- Cut the tempeh into strips before marinating so it absorbs.
- Serve with vegan blue cheese or vegan ranch.
Try buffalo tempeh for your next football party or another party! You will love this easy recipe!
Other Fun Football Foods
If you love this buffalo tempeh recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Buffalo Tempeh
Ingredients
Tempeh Strips:
- 16 ounces Tempeh cut into thick strips
- 4 cups Water
Flour Mixture:
- ⅓ cup Flour of Choice choose gluten-free flour if you are following a gluten-free diet.
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
Bread Crumb Mixture:
- ½ cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
Plant Milk
- ½ cup Unsweetened Plant Milk I used
Buffalo Sauce:
- ½ cup Vegan Buffalo Sauce
Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing/Dip
Instructions
- Prepare Tempeh: Preheat oven to 400.
- Bring 4 cups of water to boil over high heat.
- Remove tempeh from packages and slice into strips.
- When water is boiling, lower heat to medium-high and add tempeh.
- Boil for 20 minutes.
- Immediately drain and rinse with cool water.
- NOTE: Be gentle so as not to break the tempeh strips.
While Tempeh is Cooking, Make Vegan "Bleu Cheese" Sauce:
- Press tofu until 1 to ½ inch thick.
- Use only half the tofu block; store the rest to use for another recipe.
- Crumble tofu in a bowl and set aside.
- Combine the other ingredients in a 1 cup or larger blender cup: Vegenaise or Silken tofu, Garlic, Maple Syrup, Lemon Juice, White Miso, Apple Cider Vinegar, and Tahini.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour mixture over crumbled tofu and add chopped parsley.
- Stir.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Prepare 3 Bowls for Dredging/Coating:
- Set out 3 bowls: one with plant milk, one with flour and seasonings, and the third with panko crumbs with nutritional yeast.
- Place each strip in plant milk.
- Next, coat in flour mixture, then briefly re-dip into milk.
- Toss with Panko crumbs/nutritional yeast, coating well while pressing into the tempeh.
- Set each strip on a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Repeat the process with the remaining tempeh strips.
- Once all are coated and on the baking sheet, bake for 10 minutes; flip “strips” over and bake for 10 minutes.
- Coat with Buffalo Sauce: Cover cooked tempeh strips with buffalo sauce using a spoon or brush.
- Place back in the oven for 5 minutes.
- Remove.
- Serve on a platter with carrot and celery sticks.
Notes
- Always boil the tempeh before marinating it.
- I recommend marinating tempeh overnight for the best flavor.
- Cut the tempeh into strips before marinating, so it absorbs.
- Serve with vegan blue cheese or vegan ranch.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Rachel
Hi why is boiling required?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Rachel, boiling the tempeh first removes its naturally bitter taste and makes it porous to absorb the marinade.
Rachael Neusch
Do I cut it into 15-20 strips before or after I boil? You say to do it before in the recipe and don't mention cutting it in the description.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Rachel, you can boil the tempeh whole or cut it into pieces before you boil it. You want to make sure to boil it to get the bitter taste out, but it doesn't matter when. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Marcia Wolfe
I am confused as to when to marinate? After boiling or after dredging in the flour mixture?
Kathy Carmichael
I'm sorry Marcia, that is my fault. You don't marinate for this particular recipe. I was trying to explain why you boil the tempeh. The buffalo sauce is added later. I apologize for the miscommunication. When you boil tempeh for other recipes, you want to marinate it overnight if possible before grilling for BBQ tempeh for instance. Thank you for pointing out the miscommunication. I appreciate it. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Anonymous