Teriyaki Tempeh and Broccoli
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Published Jun 01, 2021, Updated Feb 27, 2024
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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.
We made this recipe tonight and loved it. It was the first time trying tempeh and it was excellent as well. Yum!
Yay!! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit, Jackie! Thanks for making it and coming back to leave a review. It means the world to me!
I really liked this recipe but I found that when I added the sauce to the pan it dried out very quickly. Is there any way to keep that from happening?
You could try adding a splash of water to the pan to help it from drying and sticking! Also, how high did you have the temp of the pan? That could have been the reason for it drying out quickly.
One of my favorites! A weeknight staple. Don’t try to cut corners and use store bought teriyaki sauce, too salty! The recipe’s sauce is PERFECT, quick & easy. Substituted bok choy for broccoli tonight and it was just as tasty.
So glad you’re loving this recipe, Emily. Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
I enjoyed this recipe however I felt there needed to have more sauce so the broccoli could soften more. I had to add a little vegetable broth.. Loved the taste however and served with quinoa.
Thank you for this recipe! This was my first time making tempeh. It was so easy and delicious! Thank you also for the heads up on the saltines. I reduced the Liquid Aminos a little and replaced that part with a little water and it was still very flavorful. After I had it plated with brown rice, I used Sambal Oelek as a condiment.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this dish! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it. 🙂
hi!! i made this for my whole (meat eating) family to try to convince them how good veggie food can be & they LOVED it! thank you so much for sharing such a nice recipe:))
p.s. i used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and it was the perfect amount of salty
Ahh yay!! That makes me so happy to hear. I’m glad this dish was a hit. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it. 🙂
I love your recipes except for one thing! They include completely unnecessary carbs. You don’t need a piece of toast with eggs or add a side of rice with every meal.
If it’s part of the dish’s flavoring and texture, definitely add the grain! But if it’s not part of the mixture, there is absolutely no reason to add a grain “on the side” or “serve over rice.”
Even though you can clearly omit t the extra grains from your recipes, it’s still disheartening to see a health food blogger perpetuate the idea that you need to randomly add grains to every meal even when it’s not in the recipe.
It can really mislead people and be the reason they aren’t losing weight on your recipes.
I would love to see more dishes that DON”T include the extra starchy rice or toast in the pictures. Even if they are labeled as “optional,” it’s healthier and more helpful to not suggest it all together, and show people that the dish on its own is perfectly edible.
If people add extra sugar or add a side of rice, that’s on them. But I feel uneasy about suggesting it on your blog. It’s almost sickly sweet to look at as a truly healthy, whole food person.
It’s like making a perfectly healthy smoothie and then dumping a bunch of sugar in it! It’s just way too much sugar for a perfectly flavorful and delicious recipe. The practice of sweetening everything and dogmatically adding a complex carb to every meal really misleads people and isn’t a healthy practice.
Hey Kristen – In a lot of my recipes I give people options on how to turn them into full meals with sides because I feel it is helpful to show how I like to serve my recipes so they can get ideas. My recipes are not meant to promote weight loss, but instead to promote a well balanced approach to food and healthy eating. The sides are always optional and people can make the recipes their own to fit their diet, but sometimes the sides I feature include rice or carbs because I eat carbs in my daily life. I also do mention cauliflower rice a lot (like in this recipe), which is a low-carb option for rice.
I for one appreciate that you include complex healthy carbs in your recipes. I aim for 50 % of my calories from carbs. I made this tempeh dish with sprouted red rice and it was delicious and nutritious. Populations who live the longest eat plenty of healthy carbs.
Pls keep posting ur carbs. I eat carbs n i enjoy how u combine the meal. If people dont eat carbs they can eliminate them. Ur doing a great job. Keep creating.
Thanks, Val! Glad you’re enjoying the recipes 🙂
You need to double the sauce. There is not enough sauce.
I’ve never had tempeh before, but wanted to try it and found your recipe. It was delicious and I’ll definitely be making it again and checking out some of your other recipes too! I crushed my garlic and added chili flakes.
Ahh yay!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Brooke. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
A little to salty. I poured off the soy sauce liquid and added a can of full fat coconut milk! Tasty!