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Murielle Banackissa
Overhead of Apricot Glazed Tempeh in bowl with rice and bok choy.

Apricot Glazed Tempeh

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GF NF
1 hour Prep: 5 mins Cook: 25 mins Marinating Time: 30 mins
Serves 2

Made with only 8 ingredients this dish is sweet, tangy, spicy, and bright in flavor. It is also a wonderful way to incorporate satisfying plant based protein into any weeknight dinner.

Ingredients Recipe Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Common Questions & Swaps

Ingredients

  • 1 8oz package of Tempeh (I used Lightlife Original Tempeh)
  • ¼ cup + 1 tbsp apricot jam
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • ½ fresh red chili , finely minced
  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • Sesame seeds , for garnish

Recipe

  1. Step 1

    Cut the tempeh into ½ inch cubes. 

  2. Step 2

    Set a steamer basket or a foldable steamer in a medium saucepan filled with 2 inches of water. Arrange the tempeh into an even layer in the steamer basket. Cover the saucepan with a lid and steam the tempeh on medium-high heat for 15 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Prepare the glaze: In a bowl or a glass container, mix together the apricot jam, lime juice, tamari, ginger, and red chili using a silicone spatula. 

  4. Step 4

    If steaming the tempeh, remove it from the steamer basket and drop the tempeh into the apricot glaze mixture. Toss the tempeh until coated. 

  5. Step 5

    Cover the bowl with a plate. If using a glass container, put the lid on. Let the tempeh marinate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. If you choose to marinate your tempeh for more than 30 minutes, place it in the refrigerator. 

  6. Step 6

    After your desired marinating time has passed, heat canola oil in a medium or large sauté pan on medium heat. Once hot, drop the tempeh along with the apricot glaze into the pan and cook for 10 minutes or until there is no more sauce in the pan and your tempeh is golden-brown in color and charred in some places. Stir regularly through the cooking time using a silicone spatula. 

  7. Step 7

    Serve immediately with rice and your favorite vegetables, and garnish with sesame seeds.

Common Questions & Swaps

  • Can I use tofu instead of the tempeh in this recipe? Without removing a few steps and modifying the recipe quite a bit, no.

  • Can I opt for another jam instead of apricot jam? Yes, you could opt for a peach jam or even an orange jam would be great here.

  • Can I replace the tamari with another liquid seasoning? I find that tamari has a deeper umami flavor than soy sauce that is why it is my personal go-to in the kitchen. However, if you have low sodium soy sauce, use 1 tablespoon of it in this recipe or 2 teaspoons of regular sodium soy sauce. I have not played with coconut aminos enough to know what proportion of it would work in this recipe.

  • Can I use lemon juice instead of lime juice? I personally find that lime juice complements better the other ingredients in this recipe, but if you have all other ingredients on hand except lime juice, lemon juice should do.

  • Can I change the amount of chili in this recipe? Totally! If you like more heat to your apricot glazed tempeh, go ahead and use the entire chili. If you like less heat, use a quarter of it or none at all.

Overhead of Apricot Glazed Tempeh in bowl with rice and bok choy.
Overhead of Apricot Glazed Tempeh in bowl with rice and bok choy.
Bowl of apricot glazed tempeh served with rice and bok choy ready to eat
Closeup of Apricot Glazed Tempeh Texture