Crispy Coconut Tempeh Recipe (2024)

Ratings

4

out of 5

373

user ratings

Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

Ezra

"Crumbled" is misleading, I think they really meant "broken." You would break into large pieces rather than cut to give more crags and surface area for the breading to stick, and because having irregular shapes will be more visually interesting since it's standing in for shrimp. Tofu would work just fine (also try breaking it!)

Suzanne

Underwhelmed. The coconut dipping sauce (which also acts as the binder for the coconut/ crumb coating) is so bland. I love tempeh and will try some version of this again but I will be attempting to really amp up the flavor. As is the tempeh was tasteless. The lime salt is good but can't make up for the lack of flavor inside. Maybe some garlic paste?..liquid aminos? Anyone else agree? How would you doctor the sauce?

MMC

Honey is an interesting ingredient in a recipe claiming to be vegan: Many vegans do not eat honey. While agave syrup is often a good substitute, it is not as sticky as honey, so that substitution might not work here.

Use Tofu Instead

This was pretty good the first time we tried it, but we made it a second time with extra-firm tofu and it was amazing!! Would definitely recommend swapping it out for the tempeh (even though I normally like it more than tofu). I also added a little salt to the batter, which was good.

Meghan Ryan

Yes, honey may not work for vegans. But agave or maple syrup may do the trick I am going to give it a shot this week!

Denys

Fantastic! Instead of frying in oil, I just mixed all the “schinitzel” mix components with the tofu and two tbsp of oil and put them one by one in the air fryer basket. 15 min 200 degrees. Best tofu I have ever had

EM

I don't doubt that I may have done something wrong but this did not taste good or like I hoped. Just blech. I'll be having toast for dinner instead.

Kim

Didn’t have tempeh on hand so used tofu. We tried both pan frying and baking in the oven and the baking kept the coating on much better. Also we used sweetened coconut flakes. So good with the salty lime! Skipped the sauce because reviews were not great and we didn’t miss it. Delicious and easy.

LF

This was very tasty and not at all bland. The tempeh was crispy and flavorful, with the coconut nicely balancing the earthiness of the tempeh. We used the dipping sauce as a drizzle and served the tempeh over rice noodles. This is a keeper.

vanessaT

This took more like 40 minutes due to the two-step breading and then multiple batches of frying. I liked the texture combination of the crispy coconut tempeh and the rich, slightly-spicy coconut&lime dipping sauce. Considering the effort it took to fry them, I’ll try baking them next time.

Tim D

A rare NYT miss. Both the tempeh and sauce were bland. We salvaged the dish for our company by substituting and modifying to the point it wasn’t the same recipe at all, but have to give this one my first ever thumbs down.

MrsChill

This is just okay. Even after steaming the tempeh, marinating it in the batter, using coconut cream, and upping the spice it was still pretty flavorless. The lime salt does add something special though- I’ll use that for other recipes! Air fried instead of pan fried because I was feeling lazy. I did enjoy the texture of the tempeh and would like to try it made other ways.

Jessi

A big miss for me; as others have said, the tempeh is tasteless and the coconut milk did a poor job binding the coconut and breadcrumbs to the nugget.Air fried for 10 minutes @ 400 to cut back on oil.

Christine

Used flavoured tempeh (Indonesian spices) and the result was very tasty. However I must have gotten the wrong coconut milk: it was mostly translucide, so ended up adding sour cream for the dipping sauce. Also used tajin for the lime salt: excellent!

Alison

In case anyone else does not have coconut milk around or well just forgot to buy it, milk with peanut butter added to thicken was a reasonable substitute.

Monica

I forgot the cornstarch and it was still great. Next time I’ll try to remember the cornstarch and see if I can tell the difference. We loved it.

Lisa

Dipping sauce is visually unappealing and taste is just OK. Much prefer sweet chili sauce with this. Also, agree with others that recipe is better with tofu.

JayKP

After reading other notes about the bland flavor, I decided to marinate the tempeh in the mix. It makes more then enough. I also added black pepper and some garlic Chile paste to the mix for a little more punch.

Arthur

I made this with firm pressed tofu instead of tempeh and it turned out great!! A few things: i made this a little too salty, I think I put too much lime salt on - I’d use about half as much instead. Also i ended up with a lot of extra panko coconut and extra sauce/cornstarch mix. In the future I’d make about half as much to cover 16oz of tofu. Its hard to dip tofu cubes in The “dipping sauce” but its still lovely drizzled on top!

Sarah P

This was excellent. We fried in the airfryer to use less oil and subbed gluten free panko it still came out fantastic. I will say the “dipping sauce” was quite thin, but maybe it was the brand of coconut milk we used. It still tasted great spooned over rice. We will definitely make this dish again.

Private notes are only visible to you.

Crispy Coconut Tempeh Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you need to boil tempeh before frying? ›

Steaming the tempeh will remove some of the bitterness before cooking it further. This step isn't always necessary, especially if you're pairing the tempeh with a boldly-flavored sauce. You can steam tempeh using a steamer basket in a saucepan or a microwave-safe dish covered with water or vegetable broth.

When preparing a dish with tempeh What first step is recommended? ›

Don't skip this step! Steaming tempeh before baking or grilling it helps it soak up a marinade and infuse it with extra flavor. Steam the cubes for 10 minutes, and whisk together a marinade while they cook.

What is the best way to eat tempeh? ›

Tempeh works well in a variety of dishes, including soups, stews, stir-fries, sauces, kebabs and sandwiches, whether it's treated the same way as meat or not. Tempeh can be cut into strips, cubes or steaks. It can be grated or crumbled.

Does store bought tempeh need to be cooked? ›

Packaged tempeh is pre-cooked so you can easily enjoy it right from the package (on sandwiches, salads, etc), but I highly recommend cooking it so that it tastes better. A lot of people suggest steaming the tempeh before marinating or cooking to help remove any bitterness.

How long to boil tempeh before cooking? ›

Then cover the tempeh in water, and either simmer it in boiling water for 5 minutes, or microwave it for 5 minutes. This step helps to bring out the natural nuttiness of tempeh while dialing down the stronger flavors that some people find objectionable.

Can you eat tempeh straight from the package? ›

Fresh tempeh should look more or less like beans that have been pressed into a beige and white cake. It should not have any black or colorful molds on the surface. Tempeh must be cooked before it's eaten, so many recipes call for steaming the cake first, both to kill the culture and to add moisture.

Is it OK to eat raw tempeh? ›

Can You Eat Raw Tempeh? Tempeh should be cooked before being eaten and should not be eaten raw. Prior to being cooked, tempeh has almost no nutritional value and doesn't have a very pleasant taste. Before adding tempeh to anything you should cook it to ensure you get the most flavor and nutrition out of your food.

Can you eat tempeh from the package? ›

Can tempeh be eaten raw? Yes. There is nothing wrong with eating it raw. However, when raw tempeh is coated with any oily mix like mayonnaise moisture gets sealed in and air gets sealed out and this creates a favorable environment for some anaerobic bacteria which will give tempeh an unpleasant taste.

Why add vinegar to tempeh? ›

The acid from the vinegar helps to prevent the growth of unwanted bacteria. Add the tempeh starter: Sprinkle the tempeh starter over the beans and mix well to evenly distribute the starter throughout the beans.

Why do you put vinegar in tempeh? ›

vinegar (like apple cider vinegar): adding vinegar creates an acidic environment. This is important to prevent the growth of unwanted bacteria. a warm place: like an incubator or simply an oven with the light on. Temperatures of 30-37°C (85-98°F) work best to make tempeh.

How do you know when tempeh is done? ›

Eventually the mold will completely envelop the beans and you'll end up with a solid cake of mold and soybeans. Your tempeh is now done!

How do you eat tempeh as a snack? ›

Turn the slices of tempeh once. When they have a dark brown caramelised coating they are ready to serve. They can be eaten on their own as a snack, or with rice and coconut curry.

How do you get the bitter taste out of tempeh? ›

The Science of Steaming Tempeh

Simply put, gently heating it helps to reawaken the tempeh's flavours while also removing that bitter taste. It's like how spices gain a livelier flavour if they are gently warmed before being added to a dish, or how toasted sesame seeds taste more intense than raw sesame seeds.

Do you have to cook tempeh before eating? ›

Unlike other fermented foods, tempeh cannot be eaten raw. It must be cooked, which deactivates the culture, meaning it is not, technically, probiotic. However, it does contain plenty of prebiotics, like fiber, which promote gut health by feeding the good bacteria in your system.

Is it OK to boil tempeh? ›

Boiled tempeh is perfectly fine to eat directly, but it might lack some flavor on its own. It is often used in various recipes such as stir-fries, curries, salads, or sandwiches, where it can absorb the flavors of other ingredients and become a delicious and versatile protein option.

Do you steam tempeh before cooking? ›

Neither of these microbes are harmful to humans. But both of them can create bitter tastes in fermented foods. Luckily, throwing tempeh into a steam bath before cooking with it helps to purge the flavours these food-fermenting organisms can leave behind.

How do you cook tempeh without killing probiotics? ›

Doesn't cooking tempeh kill the good bacteria? Just on the outside. As long as the internal temperature doesn't get too hot the probiotic stimulators will remain alive. That's why we recommend you don't cook in the microwave.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Rev. Porsche Oberbrunner

Last Updated:

Views: 6751

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (73 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Rev. Porsche Oberbrunner

Birthday: 1994-06-25

Address: Suite 153 582 Lubowitz Walks, Port Alfredoborough, IN 72879-2838

Phone: +128413562823324

Job: IT Strategist

Hobby: Video gaming, Basketball, Web surfing, Book restoration, Jogging, Shooting, Fishing

Introduction: My name is Rev. Porsche Oberbrunner, I am a zany, graceful, talented, witty, determined, shiny, enchanting person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.