With its slightly fermented flavor and unique texture, tempeh is an ideal ingredient for homemade sausage patties. To make this well-seasoned tempeh vegan breakfast sausage recipe, everything just gets tossed into the food processor. Then, you have the option of either baking, or sautéing in a lightly oiled skillet.
Serve these tasty vegan sausage patties as a protein-boosting side for a pancake or French toast breakfast — they’re quite flavorful even without any embellishment. There’s no reason you can’t serve them for dinner as a companion to pasta or grain dishes, or to add a warm element to salads.
This recipe makes 8 small patties — not quite burger-size; it’s easy to double the recipe and freeze a portion. Freeze in an airtight container and bring to room temperature before reheating in a lightly oiled skillet or in the oven.
Turn these into a Breakfast Sandwich
Simply layer one of these patties onto an English muffin that’s been spread with vegan butter or mayo. Add a slice of vegan cheese — and optionally, a slice of tomato and/or avocado — and you’ve got a high-protein breakfast.
Recipe adapted from Plant-Powered Protein: 125 Recipes for Using Today’s Amazing Meat Alternatives © 2020 by Nava Atlas. Reprinted by permission. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky, BittersweetBlog.com.
Learn more in our Guide to Tempeh and explore lots more tasty, easy vegan tempeh recipes.
Tempeh Vegan Breakfast Sausage Patties
To make this well-seasoned tempeh vegan breakfast sausage recipe, everything just gets tossed into the food processor. Then, you have the option of either baking, or sautéing in a lightly oiled skillet.
Ingredients
- 8-ounce package tempeh, any variety
- 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats (oatmeal)
- 2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- 1/4 cup good-quality ketchup
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave
- 1 tablespoon barbecue seasoning
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sriracha or other hot sauce, optional
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- High-heat oil for frying, optional
Instructions
Break the tempeh into several pieces and combine in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Pulse on and off until the tempeh is finely and evenly chopped; don’t puree!
To fry: First, form the batter into patties with a 1/4 cup measure, not too tightly packed. Spray the inside of the measuring cup for easier release. To release, tap the cup onto a flat surface. Flatten to 1/2 inch with the back of a spatula.
Heat just enough oil to coat the bottom of a nonstick skillet. Arrange the patties in the pan in a single layer (in batches if need be) and fry over medium-low heat on both sides until golden and crisp. Place on paper towel-lined plates to absorb extra oil, if desired.
To bake: Preheat the oven to 350º F. Drop the tempeh mixture in 1/4 cups full onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten gently with the back of the cup. Spray with cooking oil spray to achieve a crispier result, if you’d like. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for 15 minutes longer, or until both sides are golden brown.
If you like this tempeh-based meat alternative, you might also enjoy …
Easy Vegan Mushroom and Tempeh Chorizo
Here are more tofu & tempeh recipes.
This recipe sounds awesome! I can’t wait to try it out. I don’t keep quick oats in my pantry, though. What adjustments would I need to make to use rolled oats instead?
Hi Janet — I would almost venture to say that you could just use the rolled oats, but to be on the safe side, if you have a food processor, you can put the rolled oats in its container fitted with the metal blade and pulse on and off a few times until they’re finely chopped (but not powdered). I hope you enjoy the recipe!