One Pan Tempeh Butternut Squash Bake

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This tempeh butternut squash bake is a breeze to whip up. Just throw everything in one pan and bake! It’s absolutely delicious, vegan, gluten-free and loaded with 24 grams of plant-based protein per serving!

This recipe is for those busy weeknights when you don’t have a ton of time to prep, but still want a delicious, nutritious meal. One bowl + one pan and you’re done!

This meal is vegan, but honestly you can serve this to meat-eaters and no one will miss the meat! The combination of oven-roasted butternut squash, mushrooms, tempeh and the delicious tamari marinade is just so dang delicious! This is a great recipe if you’ve been wanting to try tempeh or just want to add a plant-based meal to your week.

A shallow bowl filled with butternut squash tempeh bake served with brown rice and greens.

Why I Know You’ll Love This Recipe

I’m pretty excited about this recipe for a variety of reasons.

  • It utilizes one of my favorite fall veggies: butternut squash!
  • It doesn’t take long to prep. Just chop your veggies, whisk together your marinade, combine and bake!
  • It’s packed with almost 30 grams of plant-based protein per serving.
  • It only requires one pan and one bowl! Less dishes to wash is always a plus in my book.
Overhead view of butternut squash tempeh bake served with brown rice and greens, a fork is scooping a bite.

What is Tempeh?

It’s a plant-based protein made of cooked soybeans (think edamame) that have been fermented. The fermentation process binds the soybeans into a cake/patty, which is what you’ll find at your local grocery store.

Tempeh vs Tofu

It’s similar to tofu, however there are some differences – tempeh is less processed, fermented, has a stronger flavor and a bit more texture. The flavor is usually described as nutty or earthy, but there are different varieties with subtle taste differences. 

Ingredients measured out to make a tempeh butternut squash bake: butternut squash, coconut oil, onion, mushrooms, tempeh, ginger, garlic, tamari, red pepper, salt and apple cider vinegar.

Here’s What You Need

  • tamari – I recommend using low sodium tamari so you can control the amount of salt in the recipe! Tamari is gluten-free soy sauce but traditional soy sauce or soy-free coconut aminos also works.
  • coconut oil – make sure your coconut oil is in a liquid state as this is part of the marinade. If your coconut oil is solid, you can heat it for a few seconds in the microwave or on the stovetop to melt.
  • apple cider vinegar – a key part of the marinade! Apple cider vinegar is one of my favorite vinegars to use in recipes (check out all of the amazing health benefits of apple cider vinegar). Fun fact: vinegar helps weaken the food surface which helps it absorb the flavors in the marinade!
  • fresh ginger and garlic – two key flavors of the marinade. I recommend using fresh ginger and garlic but you can also use pre-prepped ginger and garlic for a shortcut.
  • tempeh – the plant-based protein source of this recipe! I love Lightlife tempeh. It’s organic, GMO-free and easy to find at mainstream stores. I gravitate towards the Three Grain variety because it is the mildest in terms of taste, but I like the Original, Garden Veggie, Wild Rice and Flax too!
  • butternut squash – you can use pre-prepped butternut squash from the grocery store or buy a full squash and peel, deseed and cut into bite-sized pieces. Here’s a tutorial on how to prep butternut squash! If you can’t find butternut squash, sweet potatoes or really any squash would work in its place.
  • onion – adds delicious savory flavor to this recipe!
  • fresh mushrooms – cremini, portobello or white mushrooms all work in this recipe.
  • sea salt and pepper â€“ to taste. These key seasonings help bring all of the flavors together.
  • crushed red pepper flakes – add a little extra spice, to taste! Feel free to skip this if you’re not a fan of heat.
  • sriracha or chili sauce – optional for serving if you love spice and want more flavor.
Side by side photos of a tempeh butternut squash bake before and after being baked.

How to Make Tempeh Butternut Squash Bake

Prep veggies and tempeh: Chop your butternut squash, onion, mushrooms, garlic and tempeh if you haven’t done so already.

Make marinade: Whisk tamari, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, ginger and garlic in a small bowl.

Combine: Gently toss tempeh, butternut squash, onion and mushrooms in a square baking dish or a baking sheet. Pour marinade over the tempeh, squash, onion and mushrooms and toss to coat. Sprinkle on sea salt, ground pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to taste.

Bake: Cover the baking dish/sheet with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes at 400ºF. Pull the baking dish out, remove and discard the aluminum foil, stir and place back in the oven for another 20 minutes or until butternut squash is cooked to your liking.

Serve: Remove from baking dish and serve over quinoa, brown rice or greens.

tip! 
If you're like me and enjoy your tempeh a little crispy, you can turn your oven on broil for the last 5 minutes.
Butternut squash tempeh bake served with brown rice and greens in a shallow bowl.

How to Prep in Advance

Even though this recipe requires minimal prep time, there are still some shortcuts you can take for even faster assembly on the day you want to have this for dinner. Here’s what I would prep in advance:

  • Veggies and tempeh â€“ cut all your veggies and tempeh the night before and store them in the fridge in your baking dish.
  • Marinade â€“ prep your marinade the night before and store in an airtight container like a mason jar overnight.
  • Quinoa or rice â€“ if you want to serve this dish over quinoa or rice you can prep it the night before serving. Just warm it up in the microwave or over the stovetop before serving.
tip!
To save even more time use pre-prepped butternut squash and pre-sliced mushrooms!

How to Serve Tempeh Butternut Squash Bake

This dish is great on its own! If you want to add more substance, I recommend serving it over brown rice, quinoa or greens. As a volume eater, I typically serve this with the extra base just so I leave the meal feeling really satisfied!

How to Store Leftovers

This recipe stores really well. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. To reheat, I like to pop it back in the oven for a few minutes, but the microwave will work if you’re in a rush as well.

More Tempeh Recipes You Might Enjoy

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4.44 from 30 votes

Tempeh Butternut Squash Bake

This tempeh butternut squash bake is a breeze to whip up. Just throw everything in one pan and bake! It's absolutely delicious, vegan, gluten-free and loaded with 24 grams of plant-based protein per serving!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 3

Ingredients  

  • 3 Tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari, soy sauce or coconut aminos
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, in a liquid state
  • 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ½ Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 8oz package tempeh, cut into bite-size chunks
  • 1 medium butternut squash, about 4 cups, peeled, deseeded and cut into bite-size pieces
  • ½ medium onion, chopped
  • ¾ cup chopped fresh cremini, portobello or white mushrooms
  • sea salt and pepper, to taste
  • crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
  • chili sauce or Sriracha, for serving (optional)
  • rice, quinoa or greens, for serving (optional)

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Whisk tamari, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, ginger and garlic in a small bowl.
    Tamari, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, ginger and garlic mixed together in small bowl
  • Use hands to gently toss tempeh, butternut squash, onion, and mushrooms in a square baking dish or a baking sheet.
    Tempeh, butternut squash, onion, and mushrooms tossed in a baking dish.
  • Pour tamari mixture over the tempeh, squash, onion and mushrooms and toss to coat. Sprinkle on sea salt, ground pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
    Tamari mixture spread over butternut squash and tempeh in baking dish.
  • Cover baking dish/sheet with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Pull baking dish out, remove and discard the aluminum foil, stir and place back in the oven for another 20 minutes or until butternut squash is cooked to your liking. If you’re like me and enjoy your tempeh a little crispy, you can turn your oven on the broil for the last 5 minutes.
    Butternut squash tempeh bake after baking.
  • Remove from baking dish and serve over quinoa, brown rice or greens.
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. To reheat, pop it back in the oven or microwave for a few minutes.

Notes

  • Butternut squash: If you can’t find butternut squash, sweet potatoes or another winter squash would work as a substitute. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1/3 of recipe | Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 724mg | Potassium: 1780mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 5g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Lunch/Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: tempeh butternut squash
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

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Recipe Rating




64 Comments

    1. Yay!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this sheet pan, Christina. Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It means the world to me. 🙂

  1. 5 stars
    Really looking forward to making this. I try to use up ingredients I have in the house already to minimise food waste – is there anything that would be a good substitute for mushrooms? Thanks!

    1. Hey Tom! You can really sub in any veggies you have on hand instead of the mushrooms. 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    Delicious flavor! We didn’t have tempeh so we just made it with the veggies and added some pre-grilled chicken at the end. Turned out great!

  3. 5 stars
    First time using tempeh in anything and was surprised at how good it was! This was a delicious experiment and one that I will repeat!

    1. Ah yay! I’m so pumped to hear this recipe was a hit, Cindy! Thanks so much for trying it out and I really appreciate you coming back to leave a review. It means so much to me!

  4. have you tried freezing this? I am a big fan of doing several hours of meal prep in a day then freezing.
    thank you…can’t wait to try it!

    1. Hey Karin, I haven’t tried freezing this dish, but I bet it would freeze just fine if stored in an airtight container. Just let it cool completely before freezing!

  5. 4 stars
    Okay, I tried this recipe originally with tofu because I’m unfamiliar with tempeh. It was okay with tofu but seemed to be missing something. I tried it tonight with tempeh as instructed. Now I find that it still seems to be missing something and the tempeh has a bitter aftertaste. Any tips on how to make this without it tasting bitter. And any ideas of something I i can add to this?

    1. Hey Adrienne – What kind of tempeh are you using? Typically tempeh shouldn’t have a bitter taste. Did you change anything about the way you cooked it?

    1. I am excited to hear that you are enjoying this recipe, Sue. Thank you so much for coming back and sharing your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!

  6. Hello! I’ve made this for my work lunches this week, and after inputting the recipe into my fitness app this morning, it told me that it’s very high in saturated fat. I’m assuming this is from the coconut – do you have a work around?

    1. Hi! You can definitely swap the coconut oil with another oil of choice like avocado oil, olive oil or sesame oil!

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