Spicy Marinated Peanut Tempeh

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If you’re looking for a go-to tempeh recipe, look no further than this marinated peanut tempeh recipe. It’s easy, flavorful and packed with nutrients. 

Plus, this marinated baked tempeh is a great dinner recipe to prep ahead the night before so dinner the next day is super simple. 

This marinated peanut tempeh is creamy, spicy, with a hint of umami and zing. All in all, this is probably one of the best tempeh recipes I’ve made to date. 

Marinated Peanut Tempeh Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this spicy peanut marinated tempeh — keep in mind that the full recipe with measurements is below in the recipe card. 

• Original Lightlife Tempeh – this is my favorite brand of tempeh
• Peanut butter or Sunflower butter – sunflower butter is a great sub if you’re allergic to peanut
• Soy sauce or Amino Acids – I personally like using the amino acids from Braggs as it’s healthier than conventional soy sauce
• Sesame oil
• Lemon juice
• Coconut sugar – feel free to use maple syrup instead
• Fresh Ginger
• Fresh Garlic
• Pink Himalayan Salt – if you’re using table salt, use a little less as the grain of salt is smaller and this will be more salty
• Cayenne pepper

How to Make this Marinated Peanut Tempeh 

This healthy tempeh marinade recipe couldn’t be simpler to make.

Simply whisk all the marinade ingredients together, pour over the tempeh and let marinade overnight. 

All you have to do before dinner the next day is bake the tempeh and pair it with some rice and veggies and you have a super simple, minimal effort dinner bowl. 

But to elaborate more, here’s the details on how to make this marinated sesame peanut tempeh. Keep in mind that the full detailed instructions are in the recipe card below. 

1. In a bowl, add the peanut butter, soy sauce, coconut aminos, sesame oil, lemon juice, coconut sugar, ginger, garlic, salt and cayenne pepper. Whisk to combine and taste test to adjust any spices. This is the main flavor of the tempeh, so feel free to add more salt, more coconut sugar or even more cayenne pepper depending on your preference.
2. Add the sliced tempeh to the marinade and toss to coat. Then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably 12 hours or overnight. Through testing I’ve found that 12 hours is sufficient to infuse the tempeh with the marinade flavor!  (Pro tip: Just before baking, drizzle with a bit more coconut aminos and coconut sugar for extra flavor. Optional but recommended!)
3. Once marinated, preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add tempeh pieces to the pan and reserve any leftover marinade to top the finished bowl with.
4. Bake for 22-30 minutes or until caramelized and deep golden brown.
5. I like to serve this atop white rice with some steamed broccoli and a light sprinkle of sesame seeds, chili flakes and the reserved marinade! Pro tip, pour the reserved marinade on top of the bowl to make it extra saucyyy and good. 

Can I Substitute Peanut Butter? 

If you don’t like peanut butter or you’re allergic to peanuts, sunflower butter is the best possible option. 

Not only does it have the same consistency and protein content of peanut butter, sunflower butter also happens to taste exactly the same in terms of flavor. 

Just make sure you buy an unsweetened and unsalted sunflower butter (love the SunButter brand).

More Healthy Dinner Recipes You Need to Try

• Spicy Lentil Salad Bowl
• Crispy Tofu Chicken Nuggets
• Easy Chili Oil Noodles

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