Teriyaki Tempeh and Broccoli
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A vegan version of beef and broccoli, this one-skillet teriyaki tempeh and broccoli recipe is loaded with flavor and perfect for weeknights when you need to get a healthy meal on the table fast!
This here is an oldie but goodie tempeh recipe back from my early days of blogging. The photo I originally posted to share the recipe is pretty terrible. <– Feel free to check it out if you need a laugh today.
But despite the photo, several readers still had faith in me, made the recipe and commented about how good it turned out. I remade it just last month, was reminded of its greatness and decided it needed a little upgrade. Beyonce style.
15 Minute Miracle
This recipe comes together in just 15 minutes and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser in your home! It’s packed with flavor and has a ton of plant-based protein. I’m glad the pictures now reflect how absolutely delicious this recipe is!
Vegan Beef and Broccoli
This is a healthy, vegetarian/vegan take on beef and broccoli, my Chinese take-out dish of choice growing up. It’s just as delicious and satisfying! And like most of the dinner recipes you’ll find here, this one is pretty easy to toss together — no cooking experience needed. Everything is cooked in one skillet so you don’t have to worry about cleaning a bunch of dishes either. Hooray!
What is Tempeh?
If you’re new to tempeh, welcome. Here’s all you need to know!
Tempeh is 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.
The flavor is usually described as nutty or earthy, but there are different varieties with subtle taste differences. I’ve tried a ton of different kinds of tempeh and the Lightlife brand is my favorite for a few reasons: it’s organic, gmo-free and easy to find in most major grocery stores.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- tempeh – Like I mentioned above, I am a big fan of Lightlife tempeh!
- nutritional yeast flakes – nutritional yeast adds a delicious umami flavor to the dish so don’t skip it! If you’re unfamiliar, it’s is an inactive yeast made from molasses. It’s yellow in color and can be found in the spice section of most grocery stores. I typically buy the Bob’s Red Mill large flakes.
- fresh broccoli – I love serving this dish with broccoli but you could substitute for a different vegetable if you’d like.
- garlic cloves – the perfect flavor base to add to this savory recipe.
- olive or avocado oil – to sauté the tempeh and broccoli
- homemade teriyaki sauce – made with tamari (gluten-free soy sauce), maple syrup, garlic, ginger and olive oil.
- cooked rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice – pick any base you’d like to serve with this teriyaki tempeh.
- chopped scallions and sesame seeds – for garnish!
How to Make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
I know it’s tempting to grab a bottle of teriyaki sauce off of the shelf when you’re in the grocery store, but I promise it’s super simple to make at home!
Here’s what you need:
- olive or avocado oil – adds healthy fats and helps bind the rest of the ingredients together.
- low sodium tamari or soy sauce – make sure you grab low sodium! This dish can be pretty salty if you don’t.
- maple syrup – a hint of natural sweetness.
- garlic cloves and fresh ginger – two spice necessities for this Asian-inspired sauce!
Simply whisk all of the ingredients together and you have homemade teriyaki sauce!
How to Serve This Dish
The choice is yours for how to serve this up! I like serving the tempeh over a base of rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice. For added flavor and to bring the entire dish together, I recommend garnishing with sliced green onions and sesame seeds!
More Tempeh Recipes
- How to Cook Tempeh
- Sweet and Sour Tempeh
- Maple Tempeh Bowls
- Curried Cauliflower and Tempeh Bowl
- Tempeh Tacos
- Maple Balsamic Tempeh Bowls
More Teriyaki Favorites
Be sure to check out my guide for how to cook tempeh as well as all the full collection of tempeh recipes here on EBF.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Garlic Teriyaki Tempeh and Broccoli
Ingredients
- ⅛ cup olive or avocado oil, used as needed
- 1 8 oz package of tempeh, cut into ¼ inch strips
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- ½ pound fresh broccoli, chopped into bite-size florets
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- cooked rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice for serving
- chopped scallions and sesame seeds, for garnish
Teriyaki Sauce:
- 1 Tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- ¼ cup low sodium tamari or soy sauce, see note**
- ½ Tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated or minced
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients for the teriyaki sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add 1-2 teaspoons of oil. Once hot, add tempeh strips and brown, adding more oil, a little at a time, as necessary to keep the pan from drying out. You’ll want to cook the tempeh for about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Once tempeh is golden brown in color, add teriyaki sauce and nutritional yeast to the pan. Toss to coat the tempeh.
- Add broccoli florets and garlic into the pan. Sauté/simmer mixture for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally. If the pan seems dry, you can add a splash of water, 1 Tablespoon at a time. You can also cover the pan to help the broccoli steam.
- Remove from heat once broccoli is tender-crisp and bright green in color. Serve immediately over ½ cup brown rice with scallions and sesame seeds as a garnish.
Notes
- Salt: This dish can be a little on the salty side if you don’t use low-sodium tamari or soy sauce. If you want to cut back on the sodium, you can replace 2 Tablespoons of the tamari/soy sauce with vegetable stock.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
You know when something is soooooo tasty you don’t even want to brush your teeth? That’s how good this Garlic Teriyaki Tempeh And Broccoli recipe was.
As I’m writing this I’ve just decided I’m having it again tomorrow night.
So frickin’ delicious and so easy.
(P.S. I roasted the broccoli instead of frying it because I didn’t have a big enough skillet and mixed it with some crushed chilli. I also used powdered ginger because I forgot to buy it fresh.)
Thanks so much!!!!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear! So glad this recipe was a hit. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Great recipe! I’m always on the lookout for healthy, easy meals with high protein, and this ticks all of those boxes. I added some red chili flakes for heat and it’s a winner.
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear, Leah. I’m so glad this recipe was a hit! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I appreciate it. <3
Made this for our main meal today, served over some brown rice.
Definitely verged on a bit salty, so will make it with the veg broth substitution next time we make it — already was using low-salt tamari.
Really a nice yummy meal!
YUM! Another grand slam. Had 4 small parsnips I needed to use so I pre-cooked them in small dice in same pan on Med-high for about 6 mins, removed them, lowered heat to Med-low & proceeded with the recipe. Delicious!
One question? About How long are you cooking the tempeh to get it golden brown? Just a wondering because they broke up a bit.
It was delicious! You were right about low sodium soy sauce – I’ll remember that for next time! 😆. Thanks Brittany!!
Ahh yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Sabrina. Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it!
Lovely and quick recipe! I did 1/2 the amount of amino braggs just in case it was too salty. Perfect for a quick lunch:)
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Bridget! Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it!
This made a great Lenten supper. We added shitake mushroom caps, sliced, for extra protein. Served it all over white rice.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Pam!! Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment. I really appreciate it!
Just what we needed! I halved the amount of soy and subbed vegetable stock. Also added capsicum, carrot, mushroom and used broccolini instead of broccoli x
Yay! So glad this recipe turned out for you, Lee. Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me. <3
This recipe looked delicious, but was incredibly salty I used low sodium tamari. Any suggestions?
Oh no!! Did you add any extra salt to the recipe? You could try coconut aminos instead of the tamari next time to see if that helps.
I was looking forward to this dish..being a vegan I’m forever trying out new recipes. I’m a stickler to following recipes but unfortunately I found a real clash between the nutritional yeast and teriyaki sauce. i couldnt finish the dinner, the clash was just too overpowering. I may try this dish again without the yeast though.
Hey Cristina – So sorry to hear that you didn’t like the flavors in this dish. You can definitely leave out the nutritional yeast if you didn’t love it in this recipe.