These tempeh meatballs are coated in a sweet and savory teriyaki glaze. Serve them up with veggies and rice for a hearty vegan main dish, or alone as a scrumptious party appetizer!
Oh, hey there! It's been a while! Well, it's been a while in my world. I don't think there's been an occasion in the last three years or so where I went a whole five days without sharing a recipe. Actually, if you look closely at my last post, you'll even see that it's a rerun (but with snazzy new photos and and some updates). So it's actually been a week since I shared something totally new.
I attribute the lull to a combination of being busy with holiday stuff, being busy with other stuff, and just needing some good old time off like everybody else. I probably won't have much else in the way of new material between now and the end of the year, but I promise, come January, I'll be back with lots of new dishes to share.
For now, I'm just dropping in for a moment to share some tempeh meatballs. Tempeh is hearty, grainy, and full of protein, so it's a great main ingredient for a batch of vegan meatballs.
If you're planning a New Year's celebration, these little guys make fantastic appetizers -- just skewer them up and let everyone snack away. If, on the other hand, you're looking for a hearty winter dinner, serve them up with rice, veggies, or like I did: on a sandwich.
📖 Recipe
Teriyaki Tempeh Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Tempeh Meatballs
- 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 8 ounce package tempeh, broken into 1 to 2 inch chunks
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons unflavored soy or almond milk
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
For the Teriyaki Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sake, optinal, but very nice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- dash white pepper
- 6 tablespoons cold water, divided
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For Serving
- 2 scallions, chopped
- toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Make the Tempeh Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400° and lightly oil a baking sheet.
- Place all ingredients into a food processor bowl and pulse, just until ingredients are chopped and well mixed. Don't overdo it.
- Roll the mixture into 1 inch balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the meatballs begin to brown, flipping once or twice during baking.
Make the Teriyaki Sauce
- While the meatballs bake, place soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sake, garlic, ginger, white pepper, and 2 tablespoons of water into a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir a few times to mix the ingredients and bring the mixture to a simmer. Lower heat and allow to simmer for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the sauce simmers, place the remaining 4 tablespoons of water into a small bowl. Stir in the cornstarch until fully dissolved.
- Add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce and allow to simmer until it thickens up, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Finish and Serve
- When the meatballs are done baking, add them to the saucepan and gently stir to coat with the sauce. Serve with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and scallions.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
I was a bit wary of what to expect from the tempeh. Though it likely needs some getting used to, I was positively surprised. I would make it again.
Glad you liked them! Thanks Daniel!
Do you need to boil the tempeh in water before chopping in the processor?
You can do that if you don't like the bitterness of tempeh. One shortcut I've found is to just steam it in the microwave - wrap the tempeh in a wet paper towel, stick it on a plate, and microwave for 4-5 minutes. :)
How many meatballs consist of a serving?
About 6 or 7.
How do these taste served cold, or at room temp.?
They're definitely best hot, but I don't think they'd be too bad at room temperature.
I just made these for dinner. I can't tell you how good they were! Amazing! Make sure you don't pulse too much, to keep the chewier texture. So quick and simple, and I already had all of the ingredients!
Awesome!! I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Thansk Dianne!
Would they hold up if I put them in spaghetti sauce.
Unfortunately, they probably won't. I've found that the only veggie balls that hold together in sauce contain vital wheat gluten. Here's a recipe you could try: https://thestingyvegan.com/vegan-meatballs/
These are seriously delicious and I LOVE them. Made tonight & served on a bed of spinach with cauliflower rice & steamed broccoli and so happy I have leftovers. The teriyaki sauce is the best I've made. Thank you so much!!! :)
That sounds like a delicious way to serve them! Glad you enjoyed them. :)
Ann, that sounds so good. I love the idea of spinach and cauliflower rice but I'm going to add a little regular rice or quinoa to mine. Can't wait to make it!! I love Tempe!
That looks delicious. I've only recently started eating tempeh after my nutritionist recommended integrating whole soy more than processed soy. I'm excited to see new recipes!