This Buffalo Tempeh Wings recipe is by far our favorite tempeh appetizer. It has a satisfying crunch even though it's baked not fried. And it doesn't have to be an appetizer! Cut the tempeh differently and you can make a buffalo tempeh sandwich or a buffalo tempeh wrap.
What's in this Buffalo Tempeh Wings recipe?
The ingredients for this buffalo tempeh aren't too weird. Fresh tempeh will be the hardest thing to find! If you can only find pasteurized tempeh, there are some additional steps to take in the notes of the recipe to make it taste good.
- tempeh - I used our Sun Rise chickpea tempeh
- plant milk - unsweetened and unflavored but otherwise use what you've got
- flour - I used unbleached all-purpose flour but use gluten-free if you need it
- salt
- thyme
- paprika
- black pepper
- garlic powder
- panko - can also use dried bread crumbs or gluten-free panko
- vegan butter
- hot sauce - I stuck with the original and used Frank's Red Hot
- ketchup
- agave - can also use maple syrup
Yes! Let me know when you start shipping tempeh!
How do you make this recipe?
This recipe isn't hard but it does use a lot of dishes. I didn't take many process photos but will describe it below.
First step, cut up the tempeh. I like it in triangles. If you don't have unpasteurized tempeh, I recommend simmering the cut pieces in a pot of water for about 15 minutes to remove the bitterness. Drain and cool before proceeding.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and set up your assembly line. Gather three bowls and a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicon mat. Put the milk in the first bowl, the flour and spices in the second, and the panko in the third. Next have your baking sheet ready.
Dip a piece of the tempeh in the milk then toss it in the flour. Dip in the milk again and then coat it in the panko and set it on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the tempeh.
Spray tops of tempeh with oil and then bake at 400ºF for 20 minutes turning them over halfway through.
While the tempeh is baking, heat up the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan until warmed and well combined. Leave on the stove until tempeh is done baking.
This last step should be done right before serving. You want the tempeh and the sauce to both be warm. Reheat if necessary. Then coat each piece of tempeh in the buffalo sauce and put directly on serving plate. You should have a little extra sauce for dipping if desired.
How do you eat buffalo tempeh wings?
Buffalo Tempeh Wings are the perfect party food. Serve them up at your next gathering! And because these are baked buffalo tempeh wings instead of fried they have less fat and calories.
But this recipe isn't only an appetizer. If you cut the tempeh differently, you can make an amazing buffalo tempeh sandwich or wrap.
If you want the wings to remain crispy, don't add the sauce until right before serving.
Buffalo Tempeh Wings
A delicious, crowd-pleasing appetizer that's perfect for movie night, watching the big game, or any gathering,
Ingredients
Tempeh
- 1 8 oz package of Luv Tempeh
- 1⁄3 cup unsweetened unflavored plant milk
- 1⁄3 cup flour
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2⁄3 cup panko
Sauce
- 4 Tablespoons vegan butter melted
- 2 1⁄2 Tablespoons hot sauce
- 4 Tablespoons ketchup
- 2 Tablespoons agave nectar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º F.
- Cut the tempeh into quarters. Cut each quarter in half width wise. Cut each of those in half diagonally into two triangles. You will end up with 16 triangles.
- Set up an assembly line for the wings. Gather three bowls and a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicon mat. Put the milk in the first bowl, the flour and spices whisked together in the second, and the panko in the third. Next have your baking sheet ready. In my kitchen, the three bowls are in front and the baking sheet is set-up behind.
- Dip a tempeh triangle in the milk then toss it in the flour. Dip in the milk again and then coat it in the panko and set it on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the tempeh.
- Spray the tops of the wings lightly with cooking spray and bake at 400ºF for ten minutes. Take out, flip, and bake ten more minutes.
- While the tempeh wings are baking, combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat until melted and combined. Keep ready on the stove.
- When the wings are about to come out of the oven, warm the sauce back up.
- Coat the wings in the warmed sauce and serve immediately.
Notes
If you want to prep these in advance, don't sauce the wings. Warm each and toss together and serve immediately. Otherwise the wings will get soggy.
These can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free flour and gluten-free panko or bread crumbs.
To make buffalo tempeh sandwiches, cut tempeh into slabs or planks instead of triangles. Serve on a bun with mayo and additional sauce.
If you don't have access to unpasteurized tempeh, you may want to boil it to remove bitterness. After you cut it into triangles, put the tempeh in a pot of boiling water and and simmer uncovered for about fifteen minutes. Let cool before you proceed to coating the tempeh.