Buffalo Tempeh

Get the party started with these mouthwatering tempeh "wings" glazed with homemade vegan buffalo sauce. Smoky and spicy, they're great for dipping and perfect for sharing.

Buffalo Tempeh

Info

Nutrition per serving
NutrientAmountRDA
Net Carbs19 g6.9%
of which Sugars4.7 g5.2%
Fibers6.4 g22.9%
Fats18.5 g28.5%
of which Saturates3.7 g18.3%
of which Omega 30.3 g31.1%
Proteins21.4 g46.5%
Calcium129 mg12.9%
Vitamin A129 mcg18.5%
Vitamin C2 mg2.8%
Iron3.8 mg25.8%
Potassium591 mg16.9%
Sodium18 mg0.8%
Cholesterol0 mg0%
Kcal328 16.4%
Macro split
  • net carbs 29%
  • sugars 7%
  • fats 28%
  • saturates 6%
  • proteins 33%
  • fibers 10%
*RDA based on a 2000 kcal diet;
**Nutritional data sources: USDA, food labels.
KCAL
328 per serving
TIME
25m
HEALTH

If you're looking for an exciting way to cook tempeh and make it taste good, you've come to the right place. We have a brand-new recipe we're sure you'll love: oven-baked buffalo tempeh. It's as delicious as it sounds, and it's ready in less than 30 minutes — let's do it!

This recipe has three main ingredients: "meaty" tempeh wedges, a light and gluten-free coating made with starch, and buffalo sauce. All you have to do is roll the wedges in the coating and dip them in the sauce; then bake them and finish them off with more hot sauce. Spicy, glossy, and sticky, these vegan buffalo "wings" are a real delight.

In the steps below, we'll also show you how to make buffalo sauce from scratch. The classic buffalo glaze used for chicken wings consists of hot sauce mixed with sugar, vinegar, and melted butter. Many recipes use "Frank's Red Hot" as the base sauce, but any vinegary hot sauce will do.

In this recipe, we made the buffalo sauce without butter and only a few simple ingredients. It's vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free. We used cayenne peppers, smoked paprika, and garlic powder for spiciness, vinegar and maple syrup for a sweet and sour finish, and a little starch for thickness. Just heat the ingredients in a pot until the sauce is glossy and dense.

Tempeh is made with fermented soybeans; it's rich in probiotics and plant-based proteins. We love tempeh in our crispy vegan nuggets and sushi rolls, but glazing it with buffalo sauce is an all-new level of deliciousness!

You can serve these oven-baked tempeh "wings" as a party appetiser along with vegan tartar sauce for dipping and veggie crudités for munching. But you can also add them to stir-fries instead of tofu, use them as toppings for a healthy lunch salad, and even stuff them in vegan wraps for a high-protein meal.

Ingredients

Adjustments
Serves
Measuring System
"Wings"
Tempeh200 g
Starch (potato, corn, or arrowroot)3 tbsp
Chilli Powder1/2 tsp
Buffalo Sauce
Cayenne Pepper1 tbsp
Smoked Paprika11/2 tsp
Garlic Powder1 tsp
Apple Cider Vinegar60 mL
Vegetable Oil15 mL
Maple Syrup1/2 tsp
Starch (potato, corn, or arrowroot)1 tsp
Water45 mL

Step 1

If your tempeh is canned in water, make sure to rinse it and drain it. Then, pat it dry to remove excess water.

Next, slice the tempeh into wedges or sticks.

tempeh wedges

Step 2

You can make the buffalo sauce from scratch, following our instructions below. Alternatively, you can buy it ready-made and use 100ml (3.5 fl oz) to glaze 12 wings.

Add cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt to a pot. Stir well and tip in the vinegar, oil, and maple syrup; dissolve the starch in the given water and add the slurry to the mix.

Heat the mixture while stirring, and as soon as you see tiny bubbles, remove the pot from the hob. Keep mixing for half a minute until the sauce has thickened.

If you have any troubles, check out our full vegan buffalo sauce recipe with step-by-step pictures and extra tips.

how to make vegan buffalo sauce

Step 3

Next, prepare two bowls: in one, mix the starch with a pinch of salt and chilli powder; in the other, pour in two-thirds of the prepared buffalo sauce.

To coat the "wings", roll each tempeh piece in the starch and then dip it in the sauce until it's completely covered.

tempeh coated in starch and hot sauce

Step 4

Shake off any excess sauce and place the coated wedges onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Bake the buffalo tempeh for 15-20 minutes at 200°C (400°F)

baked buffalo tempeh

Step 5

Finally, pour the remaining buffalo sauce over the baked tempeh pieces and toss them until they're nicely coated.

Serve them warm with celery and carrots sticks, plus vegan mayo or tartar sauce for dipping.

baked tempeh with buffalo sauce

Tips

For more vegan options, you can swap tempeh with diced tofu, jackfruit chunks, or seitan pieces.