Tempeh substitute

Best substitute

Extra-firm tofu, pressed

Use the same amount by weight as the tempeh you are replacing

Best for stir-fries

Taste and texture differ

Extra-firm tofu, pressed hard and cut into thick slabs, is the best all-round swap at 1:1 by weight, though it is much blander and softer, so season it more aggressively. Seitan is the closest match for tempeh's chew if gluten is not an issue. For crumbled tempeh in a sambal, taco filling or bolognese, cooked chickpeas smashed with a fork at 1:1 by volume work well. Note that tempeh's job in a recipe is structure and savoury bite, not sauce flavour, so what you are really replacing is a protein block that holds its shape and browns.

Other tempeh substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Seitan
Different taste
Use the same amount by weight
The best match for tempeh's chew, though it is wheat gluten rather than soy so it is not gluten-free.
What changes
Best for
stir-fries, skewers and satay, sandwich fillings, stews where you want something meaty
Chewier and springier than tempeh rather than crumbly, and it pulls into strands when you tear it instead of breaking into pebbles. The flavour is savoury and bready rather than nutty and fermented. Because seitan is usually already seasoned in its cooking broth, taste before you add extra salt or soy. It browns very well and holds up to long simmering, so it is a good pick for anything Indonesian that fries the protein first and then braises it.
3Cooked chickpeas, roughly smashed
Taste and texture differ
Use the same amount by volume, for crumbled or diced tempeh only
Genuinely good for anywhere tempeh is chopped small, and hopeless anywhere it needs to stay in a slab.
What changes
Best for
tempeh crumbles in sambal goreng, taco and burrito filling, vegetarian bolognese, salads and grain bowls
Chickpeas share tempeh's nutty, faintly earthy, starchy quality more closely than tofu does, which surprises people. Drain them very well, smash about half of them so the mixture holds together, and brown them hard in oil until the edges go crisp and golden, which takes longer than you expect. They will not slice and they will not hold a cube shape, so do not attempt this for satay skewers or a marinated slab. Add a squeeze of lime at the end to keep them from tasting flat.
4Cremini or portobello mushrooms
Taste and texture differ
About 1.5:1 by weight, because they shrink a great deal
The right answer when you want savoury depth rather than protein.
What changes
Best for
stir-fries, stews and braises, mushroom and tempeh style ragu
Mushrooms bring the same dark savoury undertone tempeh has, and if anything they are more umami-rich. What you lose is real: almost all of the protein, and the firm bite. They also release a lot of water, so cook them in a wide pan in a single layer without stirring until the liquid has gone and they start to brown, otherwise the dish turns soupy. Chop them chunky rather than sliced thin so there is still something to chew.
5Soy curls or rehydrated textured vegetable protein
Taste and texture differ
1 cup dry to replace about 8 oz tempeh, once rehydrated
A dry-store option for crumbled and shredded uses.
What changes
Best for
tempeh crumbles, shredded fillings, chilli and curry
Rehydrate in warm salted stock rather than plain water, then squeeze out the excess or they will steam instead of frying. The texture is chewy in a slightly spongy, uniform way, quite unlike tempeh's dense grain, and there is no ferment tang whatsoever. Because they are essentially flavour sponges, they take marinade far better than tempeh does, so lean into that with soy sauce, garlic and a little sugar.
6Halloumi or paneer
Different taste
Use the same amount by weight
For the specific case where you need a firm block that browns and keeps its shape, and dairy is fine.
What changes
Best for
grilled or pan-fried slabs, skewers, curries added at the end
This is not a flavour substitute at all. Halloumi is markedly salty and squeaky and paneer is milky and mild, and both read as dairy, not soy. What they do share with tempeh is the ability to be cut into cubes or slabs, browned in a hot pan, and dropped into a sauce without disintegrating. If you use halloumi, cut the salt elsewhere in the recipe. Neither is vegan, so this is no help if tempeh was there for that reason.

What is Tempeh?

Tempeh is a firm block of whole soybeans bound into a solid cake by an edible white mould during fermentation, sometimes spelled tempe, and it is used as a dense, chewy, nutty protein that holds its shape and browns rather than as a soft one.

Cooking tips

If you have tempeh and it tastes bitter or too strong, steam it for 10 minutes before marinating. This mellows it and opens the cake up so marinade actually gets inside, and it is the single step most people skip. Tofu does not need this, but it does need pressing instead.
Tempeh browns beautifully because it is a dry block. Any wet substitute, especially tofu or mushrooms, needs a hotter pan, more oil, and space around each piece, or it will steam and go pale.
In Indonesian cooking such as tempe goreng, sambal goreng tempe or kering tempe, the tempeh is nearly always fried until golden first and only then tossed or simmered in the sauce. Do the same with whatever you substitute, or the finished dish will taste washed out.
Grey or black patches and a faint ammonia edge on a fresh block of tempeh are normal mould sporulation, not spoilage. Sliminess, pink or orange colouring, or a sour rotten smell mean throw it out.
Slice thin for crisp chips and thick for a meaty bite. A quarter-inch slab goes crunchy all the way through; a three-quarter-inch slab stays soft in the middle. Match your substitute's thickness to whichever you wanted.

Frequently asked questions

Is tempeh the same as tofu?

No. Both are made from soybeans, but tofu is curdled soy milk pressed into a soft, smooth block, while tempeh is whole cooked beans knitted together by fermentation, so you can see the individual beans. That means tempeh is firmer, drier, nuttier, higher in protein and fibre, and it holds a chunky shape where tofu tends to crumble or squash. Extra-firm tofu is the closest tofu gets, and it still needs pressing and extra seasoning.

Can I just leave the tempeh out?

It depends what it was doing. In a mixed stir-fry, curry or soup that already has other substance in it, yes, and you will just have a lighter dish. In anything where tempeh is the main event, such as tempe goreng, satay skewers or a tempeh sandwich, no, because the tempeh is the dish rather than a seasoning in it. In that case swap in pressed extra-firm tofu or seitan rather than omitting.

What tastes closest to tempeh?

There is no perfect match, because nothing else combines that nutty bean flavour with a light fermented tang and a crumbly, dense bite. The closest you can get from ordinary ingredients is pressed extra-firm tofu mashed with half a teaspoon of white miso and a little toasted sesame oil before cooking. The miso supplies the fermented note that tofu completely lacks.

Is tempeh gluten-free?

Plain soybean tempeh is naturally gluten-free, but plenty of commercial tempeh is made with added barley, wheat or a multigrain mix, so read the label. This matters if you are swapping in the other direction too, because seitan, the closest match for tempeh's chew, is pure wheat gluten and therefore not an option on a gluten-free diet.

Can I use tempeh in place of ground meat?

Yes, and it is one of the better swaps for it. Crumble or grate the block, then brown it in oil before adding any liquid so it develops flavour. Use it 1:1 by weight for ground beef, pork or turkey, and expect a nuttier, slightly firmer result with a drier crumb, so add a splash more stock or tomato than the recipe says.

Related substitutes

More meat & protein substitutes

Tempeh substitute

Other tempeh substitutes

2Seitan

3Cooked chickpeas, roughly smashed

4Cremini or portobello mushrooms

5Soy curls or rehydrated textured vegetable protein

6Halloumi or paneer