Jerk Tempeh Bowls with Mango-Tahini sauce are a vegan and gluten-free option for easy weeknight dinners or make-ahead lunches. Jerk-spiced tempeh, rice, black beans, corn, and a heavenly mango-tahini sauce. 
The Best Tempeh Bowls:
If you're looking for a plant-based, yet ultra-hearty and wildly flavorful bowl to usher in summer, this is certainly the recipe for you. To start, we have marinated cubes of tempeh, which get bathed in an umami bath of tamari, agave, and bold jerk spices.
Next, a fiber-filled combo of lime-flecked rice, black beans, corn, and green onion to serve as the base for the tempeh. And lastly, a lusciously-smooth mango-tahini sauce with fruity top notes and a savory backbone.
This recipe is 100% weeknight-approved, plus will hold up well for leftovers. Therefore, dinner tonight + lunch tomorrow is conquered. 
What is Tempeh?
In short, tempeh is a plant-based protein made with fermented soybeans and a mix of grains. If you haven’t given tempeh a chance yet, this is a great gateway recipe to welcoming it into your plant-lovin’ life. In terms of texture, most would describe it as nutty, chewy, and certainly hearty.
And, because tempeh undergoes less processing than its soy-based cousin, tofu, it’s able to retain many of the nutritional properties of soybeans, including high-quality protein and fiber, as well as calcium and iron.
Tempeh is an excellent stand-in for animal protein because of its firm texture and adaptable flavor. In addition, the probiotics make it easier to digest than some other soy products, such as tofu.
How Do I Cook Tempeh?
Tempeh is extremely versatile, so it can take to many cooking techniques, such as steaming, braising, baking, or sautéing. Since the flavor can be rather bland on its own, tempeh takes well to a bold sauce or marinade (for example, BBQ sauce, jerk seasoning, or anything Asian-inspired). For this recipe, we marinate tempeh in a bold jerk spice mixture and then sear it to crisp perfection.
Where to Buy Tempeh:
Look for tempeh in the same section as the tofu and other meat alternatives in your grocery store. This is typically either near the produce section, or near the eggs and yogurt. I suggest purchasing plain tempeh for this recipe, as opposed to one with added grains or seeds. I typically buy Lightlife brand, which is usually one of the easiest to find.
How to Make Tahini Sauce with Mango:
This tahini sauce is sweet, savory, a tad spicy, and lusciously creamy. Plus, it's extremely easy: simply toss all of the ingredients in a food processor, blend until smooth, and generously spoon it over dinner tonight. The sweetness of the mango is tempered by the toasty, nuttiness of tahini, which gets an extra dose of earthy spice from turmeric. If you're spice averse (or serving to kids), you can omit the cayenne or, alternatively, scale back the amount to ⅛ tsp.
For all of my tahini sauces, I use Soom Foods tahini, which is supremely smooth and decadently rich. If you’d like to try any Soom products, you can get 10% off your order on soomfoods.com by using the code ‘dishingouthealth’ at checkout!
What to Eat with this Tahini Sauce:
In short, pretty much anything you can think of will be elevated with this sauce. For example, grilled chicken or shrimp skewers, burgers, grain bowls, or roasted vegetables. Alternatively, you can thin it out and use it as a dressing to anchor a bowl of salad greens.
If you make this recipe, be sure to share on Instagram and tag #dishingouthealth so I can see your beautiful creations!
More Easy Vegan Dinners:
Slow Cooker Lentil and Sweet Potato Tikka Masala
Vegan Slow Cooker Golden Lentil Soup
One Pot Moroccan Quinoa
Jerk Tempeh Bowls with Mango-Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 8-oz. pkg. tempeh, sliced into triangular cubes
- 3 Tbsp. lower-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1 ½ Tbsp. jerk seasoning
- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 2 tsp. lime zest plus 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, divided
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup dry white rice
- 2 cups lower-sodium vegetable broth
- ¾ cup canned black beans rinsed and drained
- ½ cup frozen and thawed corn
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onion plus more for garnish
- **Mango-Tahini Sauce**
- ¾ cup chopped fresh mango
- 3 Tbsp. tahini
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- ½- inch piece peeled ginger
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Place tempeh in a bowl with tamari, jerk seasoning, maple, 1 tsp. lime zest, 1 Tbsp. lime juice, and 1 Tbsp. oil; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, prepare Mango-Tahini Sauce by combining mango, tahini, lemon juice, ginger, salt, turmeric, and cayenne in a food processor. Blend for 1 minute, adding up to 3 Tbsp. water to thin out, until sauce is smooth. Set aside.
- Cook rice according to package instructions in vegetable broth. Once liquid is absorbed and rice can be fluffed with a fork, stir in remaining 1 tsp. lime zest, 1 Tbsp. lime juice, black beans, corn, and green onion. Keep covered until bowls are ready to be assembled.
- Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add tempeh and marinade to pan; cook until tempeh is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes.
- Divide rice mixture evenly into each of 4 bowls; top with tempeh and spoon Mango-Tahini Sauce overtop. Garnish with additional green onion, if desired.
Nutrition
Nicole
Fabulous recipe! I made it with quinoa instead of rice which I cooked in coconut milk. I also steamed the tempeh before marinating for about 8 hours. Excited to make it again!
Rachel R Rowe
So good!! My new favorite way to serve tempeh (not always my favorite)! Definitely a keeper. Thank you!!
Jamie Vespa
I'm so glad you enjoyed this one, Rachel! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Colleen
Another FIRE recipe!! My Jamaican man even loved it 😉
Jamie Vespa
Hi Colleen - I'm so glad the recipe was a hit! Thank you for leaving a review!
Angela
This is delicious! I doubled the sauce and used less of the jerk seasoning. Thank you so much for sharing this 🙂
Jamie Vespa
I'm so glad you enjoyed this one, Angela! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Ann
Made this recipe twice now! Used extra firm tofu instead of tempeh. The mango sauce and marinade is so good.
Jamie Vespa
Hi Ann--I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Jen
This recipe is amazing. The sauce is so good that I went to Costco for an enormous jar of mango and made a bulk amount to freeze - which it does so very well. I’ve used it not only on this recipe but roasted vegetables and other grain bowls. It goes really well with wild rice too.
Jamie Vespa
Yess love hearing that, Jen! I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe. Thanks so much for taking time to leave a review.
Ellis
Great recipe! Everyone loved it! Will need to double it! I did add some more veggies to the rice, and used brown rice instead of white.
dishingouthealth
Hi Ellis, I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! Thank you for taking time to leave a review!
Beth
Do you have nutritional information available?
dishingouthealth
Hi Beth- Nutrition info has been updated!
Susan Kingsbury
The sauce is heavenly!! Also love the spice of tempeh... great meal!!
dishingouthealth
So glad you enjoy it!! 🙂
Austin Kelm
The tempeh and mango tahini sauce make a beautiful pairing. The dark spiciness of the jerk seasoning compliment the citrus and mango in the sauce. However, the rice concoction just doesn't fit and steps on the tones of the other ingredients. A plain bed of rice is much more fitting and the green onion garnish could be replaced. Furthermore, the mango sauce becomes a bit too smooth and resembles mustard. Blending half the mangoes and leaving the other half whole creates a more appealing texture and look.
Alissa Karton
This was DELICIOUS! Only my 2nd time cooking with (and eating) tofu—it’s what I had and it was perfect. Fab flavor!! Highly recommend—will definitely make again! And my picky husband loved it!
dishingouthealth
I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed it, Alissa!! It's one of my favorites. Thanks for coming back and leaving a review! Cheers
Kate
This looks great and I have all the stuff to make it for meal prep lunches for this week but do you think I should leave the mango sauce off till they want to eat it? Im just think because they are going to want to heat up the dish but then the mango sauce would get heated too, do you think that okay?
dishingouthealth
Hi Kate,
I would wait to add the mango sauce until you're ready to eat if you plan on heating it up! I hope you enjoy it!
Robyn
I made this tonight using TJ frozen roasted corn and loved it! Thanks for such an easy and tasty recipe!
dishingouthealth
Hi Robyn, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! Good call on using the frozen TJ's corn!
FOOD HEAL
This dish is mouthwatering, I love the simplicity of your mango sauce too, which I will make very soon...Thank you for inspiration
dishingouthealth
I'm SO glad you enjoyed it, my friend! Thank you for coming back and leaving a review! Cheers
Josie
This was amazing. Amazing! That sauce - couldn’t stop spooning into my mouth.
dishingouthealth
Oooh I'm so thrilled to hear that, Josie! Thank you for coming back and leaving a review.