Ready in 25 minutes, this crispy air fryer tempeh with spicy-sticky gochujang glaze and snow peas is an extra flavorful, fast, and satisfying vegan dinner. It’s perfect for a busy weeknight with simple ingredients like fresh snow peas, gochujang, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and some cooked rice for serving. Using the high heat and spicy/sweet glaze makes this hearty tempeh recipe taste so good!
Gochujang is the ticket to fast flavor when you’re cooking on a weeknight. This paste is a popular ingredient in Korean cuisine. The spicy paste is made of fermented soybeans, glutinous rice, gochugaru chili flakes, and more. I find myself chucking a spoonful into so many things.
I make a glaze with the Gochujang and a handful of other ingredients to boost the flavor of this air fried tempeh. The earthy flavor of tempeh that can be challenging for some folks. Even though I’ve been plant-based for years, I’m still admittedly fussy about it! I love this air fryer preparation because it’s heavy on flavorful sauce and you get little crunchy-crispy edges. It reminds me of this air fryer tofu that I turn to in my kitchen constantly.
The best thing about this recipe: you get a delicious main and vegetable pretty quickly with minimal ingredients! I love the slightly sweet blistered snow peas with the spicy tempeh. I recommend serving both over some hot and fluffy rice. Sliced green onions on top and extra drizzles of the gochujang glaze make it even better.
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Crispy Air Fryer Tempeh with Gochujang Glaze & Snow Peas
Ingredients
Gochujang Glaze
- 3 tablespoons gochujang
- 1 tablespoon Tamari
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
Air Fryer Tempeh & Snow Peas
- 250 grams tempeh
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 170 grams (about 2 cups) snow peas, ends trimmed
- cooked rice, for serving
- sliced green onions, for serving
- sesame seeds, for serving
Equipment
Notes
- Green beans or snap peas should sub in fine for the snow peas! You’ll get a similarly mild and slightly sweet flavour.
- My air fryer basket is quite large, so it can handle this volume of food. If yours is on the small side, you may have to do the cooking in batches.
Instructions
- Make the gochujang glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the gochujang, Tamari, maple syrup, toasted sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Set aside.
- Preheat the air fryer to 390 F and set the timer for 10 minutes.
- Tear the tempeh into 1-inch pieces with your hands and place them in a medium bowl. To the tempeh, add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Toss to coat.
- Place the tempeh in a single layer on one side of the air fryer basket and cook for 3 minutes.
- Place the snow peas in the bowl that the tempeh was in, and toss with the remaining tablespoon of avocado oil, salt, and pepper.
- At the 3 minute mark, give the basket a shake to move the tempeh around. Add the snow peas to the basket and push it back in. You still want the tempeh and snow peas in their own sections of the basket. You should have 7 minutes left on the timer.
- After 3 more minutes have passed, give the air fryer basket a light shake/stir up the snow peas with a spatula. Drizzle the tempeh with 2 tablespoons of the gochujang glaze. Stir the tempeh pieces up a little bit to distribute the glaze. Push the basket back in for the remaining 4 minutes.
- Once the tempeh is slightly crisped and caramelized and the snow peas have blistered spots, you’re good to go! Serve the air fryer tempeh and snow peas with rice and green onions, and drizzle with the remaining gochujang glaze. Garnish with sesame seeds.
We loved this! So easy and delicious! I had ordered fresh tempeh from Bostempeh and was eager to try it! My husband loved it! Thank you for such a delicious recipe!
Delicious – it really worked!
My husband said, “This is the second best way to make tempeh!” I said, “I definitely know, but what’s the first best?” (It’s https://bright-life.today/2020/05/27/sticky-ginger-tempeh-recipe-coconut-rice/%3C/a%3E !) I got to tell him this is also your recipe, and we’re happy to have another delicious one in the rotation : )
I bet it would be amazing with the peas, but I skipped them because the store was out and I couldn’t wait to make this. I multiplied the recipe for 4 packs of tempeh and fit it all in my air fryer at once – just needed to increase the time to about 20 minutes, tossing every 5. We enjoyed it with rice, stir-fried bok choy, and cucumber.
Thanks, Laura!
I made this but with so many substitutions I don’t think you’ll recognize your work. However, it was a big hit for dinner with my husband – I figured you’d like to hear that! He especially loved the gochujang glaze.
I don’t have an air fryer so I used a sheet pan (covered in parchment) in a 400 degree oven. I roasted for 5-10 minutes at a time, flipping and checking and returning to the oven.
I used tofu that had been frozen, squeezed hard and torn into chunks. And instead of snow peas, I used fresh beans from the farmer’s market. The tofu was in the oven for maybe 30 minutes altogether, the green beans for about 20. It worked beautifully! Thank you!
I was curious how I would make this if I don’t have an airfryer yet. Thank you!
This was so delicious!! We doubled the sauce and added more greens. Held back some on the gochujang, tho :o) Absolutely loved how healthy, crisp and tasty this recipe is! Thank you!!
So glad that you liked it, Liesel! I really appreciate this review too :)
-L
Easy and delicious, perfect weeknight dinner. I doubled the recipe, except for gochujang paste, and 3 adults had to refrain from eating all to save a lunch portion. Yes, it’s that good!
I love that! Thanks for this comment and for leaving a review! So glad that you enjoyed :)
-L
I was wondering what to make for dinner when this popped into in my inbox. Delicious and easy. I don’t have an air fryer so I used my oven. I put it at 350 F and baked the tempeh for 7 minutes, added the snow peas and baked that for another 5 and then drizzled the sauce over the tempeh and put the pan back in the oven for another 7. It worked well. Love the Gochujang drizzle!
Hi Louise!
So glad that you enjoyed this, and I really appreciate your notes on making it in the oven. I know that your comment will help a lot of folks looking at this recipe in the future! :)
-L