We can’t stop eating these easy, garlicky nuggets
They're not winning any beauty pageants, but we dare you to care
Heya, Bean Team! January has been bananas busy for me already, so I’m leaning heavily on time-saving appliances and techniques to keep my sustainable eating on track. A lot of folks assume that plant-based proteins aren’t as quick to get on the table as, say, browning up some ground meat in a skillet. I beg to differ.
This week I’m sharing one of my favorite 20-minute recipes for tempeh, a protein-dense cousin of tofu made of fermented soybeans. This dish is sticky, saucy, crispy, and addicting enough to sway even the biggest skeptics. Let’s get to (air) fryin’.
Sticky and delicious
When it comes to tempeh, for most of my life I’ve been a one-trick pony. This marinated version has long been my go-to for filling wraps and tomato-and-mayo sandwiches. That all changed when I finally bought an air fryer and learned how easy it was to bake up delicious soy-based nuggets. Tempeh has a tendency to turn people off because right out of the package its taste skews bitter. Marinating it mellows that out, but that also takes time (which we don’t have) and foresight (same). Instead, I throw together a quick sweet and spicy basting sauce to brush on the tempeh while it’s cooking; this technique masks the bitterness and helps the nuggets caramelize quickly in the air fryer. Unlike squidgy, porous tofu, tempeh is coarse enough to hold on to every bit of the finger-licking glaze.
This honey-garlic glaze is a riff on the boneless chicken wings I used to order on the regular from chain pizza joints. To spice it up, I’m adding one of my favorite “hot sauces” that I always keep in the pantry or freezer: the liquid from a can of chipotles in adobo. If you don’t have any on hand, you can sub with Sriracha or whatever hot sauce you like.
I like to serve these sticky morsels over rice so there’s something to soak up the sweet and spicy sauce. In fact, the air fryer and rice cooker are the only specialty cooking appliances I own. Together, these two gadgets get this meal on the table with ease: By the time my rice cooker switches to warm, the tempeh is ready. (If you don’t have one, you can of course make your rice on the stovetop, and the timing should still line up.) For an added flavor boost, I like to use coconut milk instead of water to cook the rice, as the sweetness pairs well with the garlicky sauce and adds a little extra creaminess.
Air-Fryer Honey-Garlic Tempeh
Yield: 2 servings