This sheet pan tempeh & broccoli with tamari glaze is flavorful, protein-packed, and so easy to make. It comes together with minimal effort and cleanup!

The other day, I took a little Instagram poll to figure out what sort of recipes you’d like to see more of lately.

There were lots of different requests, including pizza, lasagna, take-to-work lunches, and sandwiches.

One category stood out above the rest: “anything quick and/or easy.”

I can relate to the desire for quick, easy meals. They’re exactly what I need these days, too!

This sheet pan tempeh & broccoli is quick and easy for sure. It comes together on a single roasting sheet in the oven, which means minimal effort and cleanup.

Along with some cooked rice or noodles, it’s a perfectly satisfying dinner.

What is a sheet pan recipe?

Before I say more, you may be wondering what I mean when I talk about a “sheet pan meal.”

Basically, “sheet pan supper” is really a way of describing a process. These meals are created by piling different ingredients on sheet pans, then roasting them.

In the end, the roasted components can be assembled into a fulsome dinner or lunch.

Sheet pan meals are popular because they’re hands-off. Rather than babysitting something on a stovetop, you can let the oven do the work.

I’ll admit that I don’t have a lot of sheet pan recipes on this blog. It’s a relatively new cooking method in my home, and I’m still getting the hang of it.

But I’ve really enjoyed the low-fuss, low-stress sheet pan suppers that I’ve made for myself, and I want to make more of them.

This recipe, a favorite in my home, only makes me want to create more meals with a similar cooking style.

Preparing your tempeh

The sheet pan tempeh & broccoli begins with the process of steaming and then marinating tempeh.

Why steam tempeh?

Most store-bought tempeh in the US is already cooked—that is, the soy beans from which it’s made have been cooked already.

Additionally, most home cooks cook tempeh further before eating it, whether by sautéing it, baking it, or stir-frying it.

So, what’s the steaming for?

I think steaming serves two purposes, apart from any other cooking that takes place as you prepare tempeh.

First, it reduces tempeh’s slight natural bitterness. If you’re new to eating tempeh, then steaming might help to make it more palatable.

Second, steaming tempeh tenderizes it and helps it to absorb any marinades or seasonings that you plan to add later. I think it makes for a more flavorful protein.

Tamari marinade

Speaking of marinades and seasonings, the tamari “glaze,” or marinade, in this recipe is very important!

The marinade really serves three purposes.

First, as a marinade, it locks flavor into the tempeh before baking.

Second, the sauce becomes a glaze for both the tempeh and broccoli during roasting.

Finally, extra marinade—and the recipe is scaled to give extra—can serve as a final sauce, for finishing the dish.

How to to make sheet pan tempeh & broccoli

With all of that said, the steps for this recipe are simple.

Step 1: whisk together the marinade

This step is self explanatory, and the marinade is simple!

It consists of tamari, water or broth (use vegetable broth if you happen to have one open), maple syrup, ginger, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes.

I use powdered ginger and garlic as a shortcut in many of my recipes. For this recipe, however, I recommend using freshly minced or grated garlic and ginger.

With so few ingredients, freshness can make a big difference in flavor.

Step 2: steam and marinate the tempeh

After steaming the tempeh, transfer it to an airtight container that has a lid.

The container will be used for marinating the tempeh. I like to use rectangular, glasslock containers for this job.

Next, you’ll pour the marinade over the tempeh, cover it, shake the container to disperse the marinade, and allow it to marinade for a couple hours.

Overnight is fine, too. More marinating means more flavor, so I usually marinate tempeh and other proteins overnight.

Step 3: Transfer the tempeh and broccoli to a sheet pan

Now it’s time to let the oven work its magic.

After marinating the tempeh, you’ll preheat your oven and prepare a sheet pan for roasting.

Remove the tempeh cubes from their marinade, reserving the marinade, and arrange them onto half of a baking sheet.

Arrange broccoli florets and pieces on the other half.

Drizzle some of the remaining marinade over the broccoli before transferring the sheet to the oven.

Step 4: roast

The tempeh and broccoli will roast for about 30-35 minutes in a 400°F/200°C oven, or until both are crispy and browning.

At this point, the foundation of a nutritious, simple, protein-rich meal awaits.

Serving sheet pan tempeh & broccoli

There are many simple serving options for the tempeh & broccoli.

Most often, I scoop both components over a nice, warm bowl of rice. Jasmine rice and cooked, short-grain brown rice are my favorites.

However, I think the recipe would be nice with black rice, red rice, and long-grain brown rice, too.

The tempeh & broccoli are also great over a bowl of noodles—any noodles that you love.

Over the years, I’ve also used cooked millet and cooked quinoa as serving accompaniments.

For garnish, all of the following are fun additions:

• Chopped scallions
• Chili crunch
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Sriracha
• Scallion oil
• Chili oil
• Toasted seaweed

Meal prep & storage

The tempeh & broccoli can be a very good addition to any weekly meal prep routine.

Once roasted, the recipe can keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can store the sauce separately, in a mason jar, or another small container, for up to 1 week.

Hope this dish might bring some ease to your batch cooking or weeknight meals, just the way it has mine!

xo