Crispy Coconut Tempeh

By Ali Slagle

Updated Oct. 18, 2021

Crispy Coconut Tempeh
Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(421)
Comments
Read comments

This plant-based spin on coconut shrimp uses crumbled tempeh instead of shrimp. A mixture of coconut milk, sambal oelek, cornstarch and honey (substitute agave nectar to make it vegan) helps shredded coconut and panko stick to the tempeh, then the little nuggets fry up light, crispy and coconut-y through and through. A dusting of lime salt gives these a little spark (like the salted rim on a cocktail), and of course there’s a dipping sauce. Coconut shrimp is typically served with sweet chile sauce, but here, just use more of the sweet, spicy coconut milk. To make these tempeh nuggets a meal, serve with grains, sautéed greens like kale or spinach, or rice noodles.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1½cups shredded unsweetened coconut
  • ½cup panko bread crumbs
  • Kosher salt
  • 1teaspoon lime zest (from 1 lime)
  • 1(14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
  • 2tablespoons sambal oelek or Sriracha
  • 1tablespoon honey or agave nectar
  • ½cup cornstarch
  • 2teaspoons lime juice (from 1 lime)
  • Neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed (about 1 cup), plus more as needed
  • 2(8-ounce) packages tempeh, crumbled into ½- to 1-inch pieces
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

1209 calories; 109 grams fat; 44 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 40 grams monounsaturated fat; 21 grams polyunsaturated fat; 43 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 28 grams protein; 786 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium bowl, stir together the shredded coconut and the panko. Season with salt. In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons salt and the lime zest. Rub the mixture together with your fingers until you smell lime.

  2. Step 2

    In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, add the coconut milk, sambal oelek and honey, and stir with a fork to combine. Season to taste with salt. Transfer ½ cup of the coconut milk mixture (about a third) to a medium bowl. Add the cornstarch and stir with a fork to combine. To the remaining coconut milk in the small bowl, add the lime juice. This is your dipping sauce; set aside until ready to serve.

  3. Step 3

    Heat ¼ inch oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium. Working in batches, coat the tempeh in the cornstarch-coconut milk mixture, then coat all sides in the coconut-panko mixture, pressing firmly to adhere. Drop a pinch of coconut-panko in the skillet; if it sizzles and browns, the oil’s ready. Add the tempeh and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately sprinkle with the lime salt. Repeat with the remaining tempeh.

  4. Step 4

    Eat right away with the coconut milk-lime dipping sauce.

Ratings

4 out of 5
421 user ratings
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Comments

Ezra

"Crumbled" is misleading, I think they really meant "broken." You would break into large pieces rather than cut to give more crags and surface area for the breading to stick, and because having irregular shapes will be more visually interesting since it's standing in for shrimp. Tofu would work just fine (also try breaking it!)

Suzanne

Underwhelmed. The coconut dipping sauce (which also acts as the binder for the coconut/ crumb coating) is so bland. I love tempeh and will try some version of this again but I will be attempting to really amp up the flavor. As is the tempeh was tasteless. The lime salt is good but can't make up for the lack of flavor inside. Maybe some garlic paste?..liquid aminos? Anyone else agree? How would you doctor the sauce?

MMC

Honey is an interesting ingredient in a recipe claiming to be vegan: Many vegans do not eat honey. While agave syrup is often a good substitute, it is not as sticky as honey, so that substitution might not work here.

Jessica

For the sauce, I ditched the sweet syrups and added about a tablespoon of sugar and plenty of salt. The sauce then had the right punch to accentuate the coconut for the whole dish. My 3 year old loved it! The honey was a pain to stir into the base, so I’d probably just stick with straight sugar.

Shifrah

This was ok… Surprisingly, there isn’t a strong coconut flavor, but maybe that’s because I fried the tempeh too long. The lime salt is amazing, but that’s pretty much it. The tempeh is pretty bland, but was super elevated when I paired it with a homemade peanut-ginger sauce!

Tasty Coconut Tempeh

The second time around making this dish turned out better, thanks to the awesome comments here. I added extra salt, 2tlbs hotsauce,coconut cream, smidge fish sauce and extra lime zest. Added extra coconut mixture on top of frying tempeh. Sautéed vegis and leftover rice on the side.. boom

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