Step 1

Prepare the tempeh by cutting it into cubes, triangles, or thin slices. See photo above for reference.*

Step 2

Make the marinade by whisking together the soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, liquid smoke, olive oil, and maple syrup in a shallow bowl. Toss in the tempeh and let marinate for 30 minutes or even a few hours.

Step 3

When ready to cook, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.

Step 4

Line the tempeh pieces on one side of the baking sheet and pour about 1/2 teaspoon of the marinade on each piece of the tempeh. As desired, you can reserve the marinade and use it to make a sauce at the end which is what I did. Directions below.

Step 5

Bake tempeh for 15 minutes*, flipping halfway through.

Step 6

Optional sauce: whisk together 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water. Mix the remaining marinade and the cornstarch slurry in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. It’ll go from liquid to a thick sauce all of a sudden so make sure to watch it!

Step 7

Top the tempeh with the sauce and ENJOY!