Best Air fryer Tempeh Topping
Transform any dish into a flavor explosion with this 15-minute air fryer tempeh crumble! Sprinkle this protein-rich crumble over steaming bowls of ramen, noodles, salads, or chile for extra texture, flavor, and nutrition.
Craving a protein-rich and flavorful topping that takes your dishes to the next level? Look no further than this gluten-free air-fryer tempeh crumble!
This air fryer tempeh crumble is perfect if you are looking to expand your plant-based protein options beyond legumes.
This tempeh crumble is a protein powerhouse, 100 grams contains 19 grams of protein. Furthermore, because tempeh is made from fermented soybeans, it’s easier to digest than tofu and contains healthy probiotics and prebiotics which nourish our gut.
The marinade consists of umami from tamari, sweetness from maple syrup, and a slight tang from rice vinegar, which gives the crumble a satisfying flavour.
Sprinkle it over steaming bowls of ramen, stir-fries, or salads for a satisfying and nutritious addition. Furthermore, you can elevate your Buddha bowls or Vietnamese spring rolls with this tempeh airfryer crumble.
Try this air-fried tempeh crumble with our stuffed courgette recipe. For more tempeh recipes see our Vegan bacon and Grilled loaded raddichio with tempeh bacon bits.
Table of Contents
What is tempeh
Tempeh is a fermented soybean cake with a firm, chewy texture, and a slightly nutty, earthy flavor. It’s incredibly versatile—great for slicing, cubing, or crumbling—and absorbs marinades and sauces beautifully. We love it in Stuffed Courgette, Buddha Bowl’s, and Vegan Creamy Ramen (With Miso).
Rich in plant-based protein, fiber, and gut-friendly prebiotics, tempeh is also packed with iron, calcium, and B vitamins. It offers numerous health benefits, from supporting digestion to improving heart and brain health. You can read more about the health benefits of tempeh here.
Though pricier than tofu, many (including me) find it tastier and more satisfying. Plus, its long shelf life makes it easy to keep on hand for quick, nutritious meals.
Ingredients
- Tempeh block, made from fermented soybeans.
- Tamari, is a gluten-free Japanese condiment, similar to soy sauce. It has a less salty and more complex flavor to soy sauce, which is why we prefer to use it here. If you are not gluten intolerant, you can replace tamari with Japanese soy cause, or Chinese light soy sauce.
- Sesame oil is a flavor powerhouse that will give the final touch to this air fryer tempeh recipe.
- Rice vinegar has less acidity compared to fruit vinegar and a less sour flavour. It will be a great counterbalance to the sesame oil and maple syrup.
- Maple syrup is a sweetener made from maple trees, that has a delightful caramel flavour. It will bring all the flavors together in this marinade.
How to make the air fryer tempeh crumble
- Crumble the tempeh, using your hands. The smaller the crumbs, the crunchier they will get when air-fried. However, it’s also nice for the crumble to have some bite to it, so we suggest crumbling the tofu in some smaller and some slightly bigger sizes.
- In a deep plate or a bowl, mix the rice vinegar, maple syrup, tamari, and sesame oil. This is the marinade.
- Add the crumbled tempeh to the marinade bowl and mix well.
- Place the marinated tempeh crumbs in the air fryer at 180 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 10 – 12 minutes.
- To get an even roast, open the air fryer and shake the tempeh around, to get the less fried bits on top. For best results do this two times in the frying process.
- One minute before it’s done, you can brush one tea spoon of sesame oil on the tempeh. This will help it crisp up.
What to eat with
- Ramen – with this air fryer tempeh crumble, you’ll turn bowl of instant ramen into a delicious and filling meal in a mere 15 minutes.
- Noodles – such as cold peanut butter noodles, or veggie stir-fries.
- Chile (sin carne) – this crumble is a perfect sub for minced meat.
- Buddha bowls – our favorite is sweet potato, chickpeas / black beans, eggplant, and tempeh crumble. The crumble pairs perfectly with most peanut butter and tahini dressings.
- Salads – made from fresh and roasted veggies.
- Vietnamese spring rolls – will become more filling and delicious with this crumble.
- Avocado sandwich – mash up an avocado with salt, olive oil, black pepper and spread it on a toasted slice of bread. Top it off with the tempeh crumble and you’ve made yourself a nutritiously satisfying and delicious meal.
Recipe alterations
- Add more spices to the marinade, such as chile flakes, or grated ginger to the air fryer tempeh recipe.
- No crumble? No problem! You can slice your tempeh in different shapes. Perhaps you prefer cubes with more of a bite. If you opt for bigger tempeh chunks or slices, we’d suggest you make more marinade and soak the tempeh bits in it for 10-15 minutes.
Recipe video
More similar recipes
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Loaded grilled radicchio with vegan bacon bits
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Stuffed courgette
Air fryer tempeh crumble
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon tamari
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 200 grams tempeh
Instructions
Tempeh marinade
- Crumble the tempeh, using your hands. The smaller the crumbs, the crunchier they will get when air-fried.
- In a deep plate or a bowl, mix 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 3 tablespoon tamari, and 1 tablespoon sesame oil. This is the marinade.
- Add the crumbled tempeh and mix well with the marinade.
Air fry
- Place the marinated tempeh crumbs in the air fryer at 180 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 10 – 12 minutes.
- To get an even roast, open the air fryer and shake the tempeh around, to get the less fried bits on top. For best results do this two times in the frying process.
- One minute before it's done, you can brush one tea spoon of sesame oil on the tempeh. This will help it crisp up.
Notes
- You can keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Before adding it to dishes, pan-fry it for 3-5 minutes on medium-low, with some sesame oil. It’s also perfect as a snack right from the fridge.Â
- It’s versatile, try it in ramen, noodles, chile, Buddha bowls, Vietnamese rolls, and zucchini boats.
We make this air fryer tempeh all the time – we love it in ramen, Buddha bowls, and salads. It’s one of my go-to recipes for adding texture and protein to a recipe. I hope you try it and love it as much as we do. If you do, we’d love to hear your thoughts – please leave a comment and a star rating to let me know how it turned out! Your feedback not only makes my day but also helps other readers decide if they want to make it too. Happy cooking!