How to Cook Tempeh in Air Fryer

Tired of the usual chicken and meats? Well, you should give a try to the tempeh. Sounds weird? Well, that’s something you might not know about. Tempeh, sometimes also referred to as Tempe, is a traditional food made of fermented soybeans that originated from Java. It is prepared through a natural procedure and some other ingredients are also used for its fragmentation. Check out how to cook tempeh in air fryer.

There are several ways to cook the tempeh. You can cook it on the stovetop or the oven. However, the air fryer will allow you to cook the tempeh in the easiest way. In this article, we will let you know the step by step guide on cooking tempeh in the air fryer. Keep reading to know the cooking procedure, cooking time, temperature, and other related information.

How Healthy is Tempeh?

If you are preparing the tempeh for the first time, you might want to know about its nutritional value. Well, you will be glad to know that Tempeh is a soy-based food and you can make use of it as an alternative to the meat. This makes a perfect dish for the vegan who craves something like meat. It also equips vitamin B12 and is filled with protein, which is mostly available in meats.

The tempeh includes all the nine essential amino acids required for the healthy development of the bones and muscles of our body. Per 3 ounces of the tempeh include 15 grams of protein, 140 calories, 10 grams of carb, and 5 grams of fat. It includes 28% of your daily fiber requirement along with 6% of the daily calcium and 10% of the daily iron requirement. Like other soy foods, it has isoflavones, a chemical that can fight cancer.

Tempeh can also be a great way to improve your cholesterol and protect the heart from diseases. It can lower your blood pressure, enhance insulin resistance, relieve hot flashes, improve bone health, etc. There are much more benefits of the unique food.

How to Cook Tempeh in Your Air Fryer

It is bizarrely easy to prepare the tempeh in the air fryer. Like the air oven or the stovetop, you don’t require cooking for a long time to make them ready. What’s more interesting is you also don’t need to put much effort into making them in the air fryer. Overall, an air fryer is the best way to cook the tempeh easily and efficiently. Let’s see how to cook tempeh in an air fryer:

Step 1: Preheat the Air Fryer

For most of the recipes, it is recommended to preheat the Air Fryer for the best outcome. Well, you can continue without preheating but this will allow the air fryer to provide you better and quicker cooking. Begin with connecting the air fryer with an electric outlet and turn it on. After that, make use of the preheat option if there is any.

If there is no preheat option in the preset, you will require setting preheat time and temp manually. Simply put the appliance at 390 degrees F. Employ the temperature control button/dial to change the temperature. Then set the duration to 2 to 5 minutes. Use the time control knob for adjusting the duration.

Step 2: Add the Tempeh sticks in Air Fryer

Now take out the air fryer basket from the machine. Also, bring out the Tempeh. They should be sliced into smaller pieces. You can then add the other ingredients and toss them to add an even coating. Then add the Tempeh to the air fryer basket in a single layer for perfectly even cooking. Don’t add a lot of them at once to avoid inconsistent cooking by hampering the air circulation.

If you want to cook a lot of tempeh at once, then consider preparing in smaller batches. This may take some extra time but assure the best outcome. If your air fryer arrives with a rack, you can make use of it to stack them inside the machine without hampering air circulation.

Step 3: Set the Cooking Time and Temp

Typically, the Tempeh requires around 12 to 15 minutes. Note that the cooking duration may vary based on some factors including the air fryer model and variation of the ingredient. Utilize the time control knob to set the cooking duration. You don’t need to change the cooking temperature as it will be the same as preheating temp.

Now let them cook. Make sure to pause the cooking in halftime and flip or shake the ingredients. This will assure even cooking on every side. Put back the air fryer basket after doing that and resume the cooking. Once you are close to the cooking duration, begin checking the food frequently. Take them out if they are done. Or let them cook for more if you feel they are not cooked yet.

Step 4: Complete the Cooking

Once you feel the cooking is perfectly done, stop the air fryer. Then take out the air fryer basket carefully by holding the basket from its handle. Don’t dare to touch the Tempeh instantly nor the basket. Put the basket on a heat-resistant surface for cooling down. It would be better if you wait few minutes to allow the cooked Tempeh to cool down. After that, you can move the Tempeh to the serving plate by using tongs.

Make sure to use non-metal tongs as the metal one can damage the air fryer basket’s nonstickiness. That’s it; your tempeh is perfectly cooked. Now you can serve them as you want. You can serve them just like meats with favorite side dishes. The side dishes may consist of salad, sauce, veggies, or anything else you prefer.

Conclusion

If tempeh is something you never tried yet, you should try it now. Especially, if you have an air fryer, you can utilize the above steps to cook unique foods. You must be impressed with the outcome. We hope that you will find the article helpful for cooking the tempeh easily.