Jamaican Jerk Tempeh

16Jun Tempeh and Seitan 24 comments

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Jamaican Jerk Tempeh

Prepared roasted or baked tempeh and tofu can be quite expensive. This recipe is not just way cheaper, it’s so easy to make and the flavor is fresh, spicy, and delicious. You can control the heat by cutting back on the spices if you desire. I use a good quality jarred Jamaican Jerk sauce like Walkerswood Traditional Style Jerk Seasoning , but there are many tasty and inexpensive varieties and, frankly, I find it much more convenient than mixing my own from scratch. Another essential pantry item is chipotle pepper powder.

Ingredients:
2 packages tempeh (any style)
½ c. shoyu soy sauce
½ c. organic cider vinegar
1/3 c. maple syrup
1-2 t. Jamaican Jerk Sauce or spice blend seasoning
2 t. ground cumin
1 t. chipotle powder
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. vegetable oil

To Prepare:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have on stand by a baking dish (at least 13 x 9) large enough to contain the tempeh pieces laid in a single layer side by side.

Slice the tempeh in half horizontally and then in half again into quarters. Now cut each quarter in half through the center to make 16 thin slices. If you like the tempeh thicker, for example to use as a burger, simply leave the tempeh in quarters. Place the tempeh in the baking dish.

Whisk all the ingredients except the oils in a bowl, then once everything is blended, slowly add the oil while whisking to emulsify. Pour the sauce over the tempeh and cover the pan with foil. Bake 45 minutes to an hour. When the marinade is absorbed by half – about 30-40 minutes in – remove the foil cover and continue cooking, but try not to let it dry out completely.

Serve hot or store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

This spicy tempeh is delicious accompanied by my Rice-A-Toni and a cool cabbage salad. It’s also great as a simple sandwich with fruit on the side.

About the author

Written by

Toni Fiore was raised by an Italian-American father and a German mother who instilled in her a sociable nature and the love of travel and of good food. She has lived in Italy and Germany and now resides in southern Maine. She is the author of: Totally Vegetarian: Easy, Fast, Comforting Cooking for Every Kind of Vegetarian

24 Responses

  1. I am dying to try Tempeh but I can’t find it in my neighborhood–Brooklyn NY 11214–can anyone help!!

  2. Hi Terry!

    There is a Whole Foods Market coming to Brooklyn, perhaps it’s already there, however in the meanwhile I’d check into any health food store or one of the many asian markets nearby. Tempeh is usually sold next to tofu. When and if you find it let us know where! Thanks for watching and writing.

  3. I found some jerk sauces but they all contained
    anchovies. We are vegan. Can I make my own vegan jerk sauce? If, yes, can I have the recipe, please?

  4. Hi Pam, I have yet to make my own because the one I buy is so good and inexpensive! I buy Walkerswood brand jerk sauce from Jamaica, locally, which is vegan. I know Wild Oats and Whole Food sells a vegan variety. I will however, find a recipe for you.
    Let me know if you are able to get these where you are. Thanks for writing. Toni

  5. I shopped Whole Foods in Edgewater, NJ and found 2 vegan Jerk sauces at about 4.00 each. Marinade Bay which is mild and Busha Browne which is off the charts. I will try the recipe twice using each. Now, another vegan challenge. I wanted to make your wontons but wonton wrappers contain eggs. What can I substitute?

  6. Hi Pam, There is a brand of wrapper available in Asian markets called WEI-CHUAN that is egg free. They can easily be frozen so you can stock up. Substitutes for wontons are Empanada wrappers(thicker) , Gyoza (thicker)or fresh pasta sheets(can be equally thin). I am in the midst of writing/publishing a cookbook and I’m currently working on an egg free pasta dough that can be rolled thin, very thin, in a pasta press, and that would be the next best thing. I hope this helps! let me know. Toni

  7. Me again! Another brand I just found at Hannafords in the Asain freezer section is TWIN MARQUIS. Since they are stocked in the system you should be able to order them if they don’t already carry them through the market. These are wonderful and the brand I use most often. I didn’t have any on hand when I first responded to you, so I wanted to be sure before I named them. Toni

  8. I couldnt find tempeh in my grocery store. Can I use extrafirm tofu instead?

  9. Absolutely! This is delicious made with tofu. Drain and press your tofu so it’s fairly dry, then use it just as you would the tempeh. Let us know if you liked it!

  10. The recipe use tofu very firm

  11. I’m not sure if this is a questions, but yes, you can use firm or extra firm tofu, well drained and blotted dry.

  12. I never made tempeh before. This was AWESOME!!!.
    My husband is a meat and potatoes guy and he liked it too.

  13. I’d like to make my own vegan jerk sauce. Do you have a recipe?

    PS: Just saw your Carribean show on PBS. LOVED IT!

  14. Hi CJ, I don’t have a recipe yet, but I’m working on one. It’s hard because I really do like the Walkerswood brand. If you find one that you like please feel free to share it here. T

  15. This recipe was great!! Trader Joe’s sells Tempeh if you are having a hard time finding it.

  16. TERRY, BACK TO THE LAND IN PARK SLOPE SHOULD HAVE TEMPEH. I BELIEVE IT IS ON 7TH AVENUE. THERE IS ALSO TRADER JOES ON ATLANTIC AVENUE NEAR COURT STREET.

  17. so i just tried this recipe out, with a lot of substitutions since i didn’t want to spend money buying special ingredients that i’d use for just one dish. i don’t know how close i was to the original, but i really like how it’s turned out.

    my substitutions:

    1. i used the recipe for the jamaican jerk seasoning from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Jerk-Seasoning/Detail.aspx . only, now that i look at it, i realize that i missed the dried onion. i left out the salt too, since i find soy sauce way too salty. also, i didn’t have cayenne pepper, so i used regular red chilis (indian red chilis, pretty hot stuff). i may cut down on the cinnamon the next time, to allow the other dry roasted spices to bloom some more.

    2. bragg’s liquid aminos instead of shoyu soy sauce

    3. balsamic vinegar, instead of cider vinegar; i probably should have used white instead, but only read up about substitutes after i put it in the over.

    4. minced pickled jalapenos instead of chipotle powder…. i had no idea what flavor i needed here, so…. is there any other potential substitute? regular chili powder?

    5. and this i think was what i was most excited about: i used 1 block of tempeh, and a cup of _soya nuggets_!! (the regular, unbelievably cheap, dry indian soya nuggets that you boil and rinse and squeeze out and use…) i love the texture, unlike tofu (which i really dislike), and it absorbed the sauce and flavors divinely.

    all in all, i used only stuff i already had at home to make this dish, except the tempeh (which was $2.50). since i’m trying to spend as little as possible given my dire finances, next time, i will make this with the Nutrela soya nuggets alone. i’m really please at how it’s turned out, and how cheap and healthy a meal with this will be!

  18. ps. i just discovered that the soya nuggets don’t break as easily as tempeh, so i really really recommend their use….

  19. My kitchen smells sooooo good! I used one extra firm block of tofu (drained in a dish towel) and one package of tempeh. I only used 2-3 T of olive oil. I’m going to put these in spring rolls and take to work for lunch. Then I can eat these all week. I’ll try and post pictures.

  20. This was awesome! It smelled wonderful cooking. I did eliminate the canola oil, with good results.

  21. Jamaican Jerk Tempeh

    Ingredients:
    2 packages tempeh (any style)
    120 mL shoyu soy sauce
    120 mL organic cider vinegar
    80 mL maple syrup
    15-30 mL Jamaican Jerk Sauce or spice blend seasoning
    30 mL ground cumin
    15 mL chipotle powder
    60 mL olive oil
    60 mL vegetable oil

    To Prepare:
    Preheat the oven to 180°C. Have on stand by a baking dish (at least 33 x 23 cm) large enough to contain the tempeh pieces laid in a single layer side by side.

  22. This is a superb recipe! Very inexpensive indeed. I tried making this following everything you have written. I can’t wait to make a new one with my own variations. Thank you for this!

  23. I had never tried tempeh before making this recipe but afterwards I made tempeh a regular part of my vegan diet.

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