Cashew Tempeh Stir-Fry

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This scrumptious tempeh stir-fry is made with juicy bell peppers, cashews, and a sweet and savory maple hoisin sauce. It’s loaded with flavor and cooks up lightning fast!

Stir-fries are where it’s at when it comes to quick and easy vegan dinners. While I’m a big fan of the classic tofu stir-fry, I have another favorite that’s actually simpler to make: tempeh stir-fry!

Why Tempeh?

Tempeh is not only a great way to switch things up if you’re in the habit of cooking with tofu all the time, but it’s actually easier to work with than tofu!

Whereas tofu generally requires pressing and can be a little tricky to cook up, tempeh can go right from the package and into your skillet. There’s very little prep work required!

If tempeh is a new ingredient to you, you can learn about it in this guide to tempeh that I put together. Once you’re ready to start cooking, come back here and make some stir-fry!

What You’ll Need

• Hoisin sauce. Look for this in the international foods section of your supermarket.
• Rice vinegar.
• Maple syrup. Feel free to substitute another liquid sweetener, such as agave.
• Soy sauce. Tamari or liquid aminos can be subbed for this.
• Water. Make sure it’s cold!
• Cornstarch.
• Garlic.
• Fresh ginger.
• White pepper. This is optional, but adds a nice flavor.
• Peanut oil. Or use whatever high-heat oil you have on hand.
• Tempeh.
• Scallions.
• Bell pepper. Orange or red can be used.
• Roasted cashews.
• Cooked rice. I like this dish with coconut jasmine rice, but pretty much any variety works!
• Toasted sesame seeds. For topping!

How to Make Tempeh Stir-Fry

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make tempeh stir-fry. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!

• Whisk your sauce ingredients together in a bowl: hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, soy sauce, water, cornstarch, garlic, ginger, and white pepper.

• Heat up some oil in a skillet. Once it’s hot, add diced tempeh.
• Cook the tempeh for a few minutes, flip it, and cook it for a few more minutes, until it’s lightly browned on each side.
• Remove the tempeh from the skillet and transfer it to a plate.

• Add some more oil to the skillet and raise the heat to high — it’s time to stir-fry! Add a diced bell pepper and just the white parts of your scallions (finely chopped). Stir-fry everything until the peppers start to become tender.
• Return the tempeh to the skillet, then add the sauce mixture and cashews.
• Flip everything a few times and bring the sauce to a simmer.
• Let the sauce continue simmering until it thickens up a bit and forms a nice coating on your tempeh and peppers.

• Take the skillet off of the burner and top your stir-fry with chopped up scallion greens and toasted sesame seeds.

• Serve your stir-fry with rice and enjoy!

Tempeh Stir-Fry Tips & FAQ

• Can this dish be made gluten-free? Yup! Just use gluten-free hoisin sauce and gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce.
• Shelf life & storage: Leftovers will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Not a fan of tempeh? Try subbing tofu! Check out this guide on how to pan-fry it perfectly for this dish.
• If you generally find tempeh to be too bitter for you, try steaming it before incorporating it into this recipe. My guide to tempeh includes detailed instructions on how to do this!
• Looking for more tempeh main dishes? Try my tempeh chili, tempeh ribs, and tempeh tacos!