Published: · Modified: by Denise Perrault · 3 Comments
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Satisfy your morning protein craving with a vegan tempeh breakfast sausage patties recipe that's sure to tickle your taste buds with a sweet, spicy flavor and meaty texture.
This tasty recipe starts with flavorful tempeh crumbles - the same method I use for making delicious tempeh burgers, spicy tempeh tacos, and veggie tempeh stew. It's the best way to prep tempeh I’ve tried.
This post contains helpful tips and tricks to ensure success on your first attempt. Below, you'll find a handy table of contents with links. But if you're in a rush, please use the link at the top to jump to the recipe card at the end!
Table of Contents
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients, Notes, and Substitutions
- Recipe Variations
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Pro Tips
- Cooking Options
- Serving Suggestions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Recipes
- 👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Meaty texture. Vegan breakfast sausage combines simmered tempeh crumbles, vital wheat gluten, and mushrooms for plant-based meaty bites.
- Healthy vegan protein. Tempeh and vital wheat gluten are tremendous vegan protein sources. Together, they are a powerhouse to start the morning.
- Bake, pan-fry, or air fry. Patties cook up in minutes using a variety of methods.
Ingredients, Notes, and Substitutions
Tempeh.Tempeh, made from cooked and fermented soybeans, is a versatile vegan meat substitute because it can be crumbled and turned into a ground meat substitute or sliced and marinated. It can be found in blocks near the tofu at the grocery store or health food stores.
Mushrooms. When blended with simmered tempeh and soy sauce, mushrooms produce a meaty flavor and texture. Use 4 regular button mushrooms, which is about ½ a cup. ¼ a cup of dried mushrooms is a good substitute.
Vital wheat gluten.Vital wheat gluten (seitan) is moistened wheat flour that's dried so that only the gluten remains. It's used for making vegan meats because of its chewy texture when combined with other ingredients.
Soy sauce.Soy sauce or tamari adds a meaty umami flavor than salt alone. You can also use liquid amino acids to replace soy sauce.
Vegan Worcestershire sauce.It can be tricky finding vegan Worcestershire without oil. For a quick substitute, use 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar, plus ½ a teaspoon of garlic powder and onion powder, respectively.
Smoked paprika.If you use hot smoked paprika, you may want to reduce the amount of red pepper flakes you use. If you want a smokier flavor, consider adding ½ a teaspoon of liquid smoke.
Red chili flakes.Red chili or red pepper flakes give feisty bits of spice. How spicy you want your sausage is your personal preference. You can also use cayenne pepper or hot paprika.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Recipe Variations
I know this recipe is all about tempeh sausages; however, you can substitute it with textured vegetable protein or vegan mince such as Beyond Beef.
Modify the spices by adding a few pinches of garlic powder or onion powder. Crushed or whole fennel seeds add more of an Italian sausage flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cut the tempeh block into small cubes or crumble it. Add the tempeh, soy sauce, and vegetable broth to a medium pot and simmer it for 20 minutes. Drain and press the tofu against the side of the colander to dry it.
- Mix the vital wheat gluten and spices in a small bowl. Add the tempeh and the rest of the ingredients to a food processor and blend a few pulses. Break the ingredients down, but leave a little texture.
- Add the dry ingredients and pulse 3-4 times. Check that you can form a ball or patty with the sausage mixture.
- Make patties about ¼ an inch thick: Pan-fry, bake, or air fry.
Pro Tips
Why simmer tempeh?
When you open a package of tempeh, you'll notice it's harder and denser than tofu. It's chewier and less pliable. For this reason, flavors won't seep into tempeh.
Simmering tempeh, especially when making tempeh crumbles or blending it, softens it and creates a texture like ground beef that gives flavors a place to cling to. They make a great alternative to tofu in vegan sausage crumbles.
Another reason to simmer tempeh is to reduce the strong flavor naturally inherent to tempeh. That strong flavor can be off-putting to some individuals (like me). The process of simmering and draining alleviates this annoyance.
How to test the sausage mixture
The ideal mixture holds together and stays in whatever form you put it in. So, let’s talk about the ball test.
Grab about ½ a cup of the sausage mixture and form a ball. If the ball crumbles, then the mixture is too dry. Start by adding a tablespoon of broth or water and mix well until you form a ball that doesn't fall apart.
The mixture is too wet if your sausage ball either won't form or quickly melts into a puddle. Add a little vital wheat gluten, mix well, and continue testing.
Cooking Options
- Pan Fry. Preheat a non-stick skillet or heavy-bottomed fry pan over medium heat. Add the sausage patties in a single layer. Cook on one side for about 5 minutes until the bottom is browned, and then flip and cook until the patties are brown on all sides and firm in the middle.
- Bake. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the sausage patties on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake the patties for 10 minutes or until they start to brown. Flip them and continue baking for another 5-10 minutes.
- Air fry. Preheat the air fryer to 375 F (190 C). Place the patties in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Fry for 5 minutes. Flip the patties and fry for another 3-4 minutes until they are browned and firm.
Serving Suggestions
Breakfast sausage patties make delicious breakfast sandwiches when stuffed between 2 slices of homemade plant-based bread or your favorite English muffin.
They are a natural accompaniment for a veggie-packed tofu scramble and a side of hashbrowns. And finally, they are a perfect addition to vegan biscuits and savory lentil gravy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a substitute for vital wheat gluten?
The best substitute for vital wheat gluten (seitan) is high-gluten flour, like wheat flour. Start with the same amount of flour and add more if necessary. The texture will still be meaty if you use simmered tempeh as one of the ingredients. You can also use chickpea or oat flour to make gluten-free vegan sausages.
Can you turn sausage patties into sausage links?
Quickly turn this sausage mixture into link sausages by adding more vital wheat gluten until you form links that keep their shape. Pan-fry, bake, or air fry them. Move the links a few times as they cook.
Can you make the sausage mixture ahead?
Tempeh crumbles can be 2 days ahead or frozen for 3 months. If you make the sausage mixture ahead, wait to add the vital wheat gluten until you are ready to cook the sausages. In my experience, when vital wheat gluten (seitan) is mixed with moist ingredients and stored overnight, it expands and gets quite chewy.
How long do tempeh sausage patties last?
Store cooked sausage patties in an airtight container wrapped in plastic or foil. Keep them in the refrigerator for 4 days. You can also freeze them for 3 months.
What's the best way to reheat tempeh sausage?
The best way to reheat sausage patties is either in the microwave or foil-wrapped in the oven. You can also steam foil-wrapped sausages.
What is the difference between vital wheat gluten and seitan?
Vital wheat gluten and seitan are often used interchangeably. But they are two different things. Vital wheat gluten is a dry, flour-like ingredient that is made from processed wheat flour. Basic seitan is the meat alternative made by mixing vital wheat gluten with water or another liquid. This mixture is then cooked.
Do you have a question or recipe request or need a cooking tip? Leave a comment below or contact Denise. I’m here to help! If you want more healthy vegan recipes, please subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on Facebook or Pinterest for the latest updates.
If you make this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It’s much appreciated!
👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Vegan Tempeh Breakfast Sausage Patties
This vegan tempeh breakfast sausage patties recipe is made with meaty tempeh crumbles, and vital wheat gluten can be pan-fried, baked, or air fried.
Author: Denise Perrault
Rate this Recipe:
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Diet Vegan
Servings 4
Calories 238 kcal
Ingredients
- 10-12 ounces tempeh
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce - or Tamari
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- ½ small yellow onion - diced
- 4 cloves garlic - minced, about 2 tablespoons
- 4 medium button mushrooms - chopped, ½ a cup
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce - or Tamari
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup vital wheat gluten - seitan
- 1 ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon marjoram
- 2 teaspoons rosemary
- 1 ½ teaspoons sage
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
Cut the tempeh into small cubes or crumble it with your hands. Add the tempeh, vegetable broth, and soy sauce to a medium pot. Bring the broth to a slow simmer, cover the cooking pot, and simmer the tempeh for 20 minutes.
Prep the dry ingredients while the tempeh simmers. Add the vital wheat gluten (seitan), thyme, marjoram, rosemary, sage, nutmeg, smoked paprika, black pepper, and red chili flakes to a medium bowl.
Once the tempeh is done, drain it over a colander. Use the back of a spoon to press excess moisture from the tempeh.
Add the tempeh, onion, garlic, mushrooms, maple syrup, soy sauce, and vegan Worcestershire sauce to a food processor or blender. Blend until the tempeh and other ingredients are broken down. You don't want a smooth paste.
Add the tempeh mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix with a spoon until the ingredients are moist and blended.
Use your hand to form a ball of sausage mixture. If the ball crumbles, the sausage mixture is too dry. Add a little water. If the ball melts into your hand, it is too moist. Add a little vital wheat gluten (seitan).
Separate the sausage mixture into small balls and form about ¼ an inch thick. If you are going to pan-fry them, keep them on the thin side so they thoroughly cook in the middle. The number of sausage patties depends on how big you make them. I ended up with 9.
How to Pan-fry tempeh sausage patties
Heat a non-stick pan or large skillet and add the sausage patties. Cook them for about 5 minutes until they brown on the bottom. Flip the patties until they are firm and golden brown on both sides.
How to bake tempeh sausage patties
Preheat the oven to 400 F. and place the sausage patties on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake the patties for 10 minutes or until they start to brown. Flip them and continue baking for another 5-10 minutes.
How to air fry tempeh sausage patties
Preheat the air fryer to 375 F (190 C). Place the patties in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Fry for 5 minutes. Flip the patties and fry for another 3-4 minutes until they are browned and firm.
Notes
- The best substitute for vital wheat gluten (seitan) is high-gluten flour, such as wheat flour. Start with the same amount of flour and add more if necessary. You can also use gluten-free chickpea or oat flour to make vegan sausages.
- Tempeh crumbles can be 2 days ahead or frozen for 3 months. If you make the sausage mixture ahead, wait to add the vital wheat gluten until you are ready to cook the sausages. In my experience, when vital wheat gluten (seitan) is mixed with moist ingredients and stored overnight, it expands and gets quite chewy.
- Store cooked sausage patties in an airtight container wrapped in plastic or foil. Keep them in the refrigerator for 4 days. You can also freeze them for 3 months.
- The best way to reheat sausage patties is either in the microwave or foil-wrapped in the oven. You can also steam foil-wrapped sausages.
- Vital wheat gluten and seitan are often used interchangeably. But they are two different things. Vital wheat gluten is a dry, flour-like ingredient made from processed wheat flour. Basic seitan is a vegan meat alternative made by mixing vital wheat gluten with water or another liquid. This mixture is then cooked.
Nutrition
Calories: 238kcal (12%)Carbohydrates: 19g (6%)Protein: 26g (52%)Fat: 8g (12%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 1638mg (71%)Potassium: 486mg (14%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 994IU (20%)Vitamin C: 4mg (5%)Calcium: 133mg (13%)Iron: 4mg (22%)
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Deb
For the ingredient ½ cup (64 gm) seitan – vital wheat gluten, do you mean the vital wheat gluten flakes or the seitan cakes?Reply
Denise
Hi Deb, I usually get seitan (vital wheat gluten) ground, so it looks like flour. I'd go for the vital wheat gluten flakes since their purpose is to bind with them tempeh and allow you to make yummy sausage patties. I hope you enjoy!
Reply
Deanna
I can’t find vital wheat gluten around me, I was wondering if whole wheat flour would work?
Reply
