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.
Garlic Teriyaki Tempeh and Broccoli
Ingredients
- â…› 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.
Hi,
Thank you for the recipe. This was my first time using tempeh.
Could you please give some guidelines on how long to saute the tempeh before adding the teriyaki sauce. What texture should the tempeh be? Should it have a crust?
Also, do you mix in the nutritional yeast into the teriyaki sauce before adding it to the pan or add it in dry.
The sauce was delicious. Loved the flavor with the broccoli. I chose your recipe because it was nice to have a small amount of sweetner for the sauce. Thank you
Hi Deborah, great questions! For cooking the tempeh I’d aim for about 3-4 minutes per side or until the tempeh is golden brown and touch crisp. For the nutritional yeast you just add it in at the same time that you add the sauce. Hope this helps!
I love this recipe! Just wondering if you think I could freeze the sauce??
Hey Amy – So glad you love this recipe. I would imagine the sauce would freeze just fine. Let me know if you try it!
My problem was getting the broccoli to cook. I had to add some water otherwise there was little sauce. It took longer than 10 minutes I’m afraid.
Hi Judy – I am so sorry to hear that you had a problem with the broccoli cooking completely. Did you change anything about the recipe?
I did have the same problem with the broccoli not cooking and the sauce cooking out, so I added 1/4 cup of water and put a lid on for 3 minutes to let it steam a bit first, then I took the lid off and let it sauté for the remaining 7 min.
Thank you so much for sharing, Polly! Glad it worked out for you!
I am surprised this recipe doesn’t have 5 stars. I’ve made it countless times and the flavor reminds me of beef and broccoli I ate growing up. Love this recipe so much. Making it for the second night in a row. Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
WOO! This means so much to me Kendall. I am so glad you’re loving this recipe and it turned out great for you. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, I truly appreciate it!
Hello! thank you for the recipe, it looks delicious. Do I need to boil the tempeh before cooking?
Hi Mariamena – No you do not boil the tempeh, you’ll want to cook the tempeh in a pan for 3-4 minutes or until the tempeh is golden brown and touch crisp before adding the sauce. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
I’ve made this recipe 3 or 4 times now, it is so easy to put together and very tasty. The only problem is that it’s so good we never have any leftovers!! Thanks for a fantastic and simple vegan recipe.
Ah this is great, Ellie! I am so glad that this recipe is such a hit! Sound like it would be worth doubling so you can have leftovers for the next day (which are also incredible!). Thanks for your review + star rating, I so appreciate it!
I’ve recently gone plant based and have been searching for a substitute for my favorite teriyaki chicken/beef dishes. This is IT! So delicious and packed with those flavors I love. A touch heavy on the garlic for me, I think I leave out the extra added with the broccoli next time. I’m so grateful for this dish, thank you!!!
AHH this is the best, Polly! I am so excited that you are loving this recipe. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
Hi there! This sounds so yummy. It’s my first time cooking tempeh, so I’m really excited.
Is it possible to use frozen broccoli for this? Is there anything you’d do differently if so? Thank you!
Hi Jillian – Sure! You could use frozen broccoli, I would maybe recommend steaming it separately before adding it to the pan or your sauce will be too watered down. Let me know how this recipe turns out and enjoy!
this is a new staple for us!! so fast and so delicious! we have tried with broccoli only but have also added carrots and mushroom! so yummy!!! thank you for sharing this:)
YAY! This is the best, Barbara. I am so glad you are loving this recipe. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
As is this recipe did not turn out right. Next time I will try to steam the tempeh, I just googled and it is recommended. The tempeh was VERY bitter. We had to trash it all.
Oh no! I am so sorry to hear that, Darcie. What brand did you use? I have never had my tempeh come out bitter before.
Tasty but needs tweaking as others commented. Low-sodium tamari isn’t enough as the sauce reduces so the saltiness increases. I added 1 tbsp dark brown sugar but it wasn’t enough. The sauce quantity should be doubled or tripled but that’s my preference. Next time I’ll steam the tempeh first as others shared it was missing because I think it’s why mine tasted bitter too.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Cece. What type of tempeh did you use? Curious because I haven’t had this issue before.