A method for the low-cost production of sheet-like thermocouples comprises the following steps: - providing an electrically and thermally conductive substrate having at least one clearance, which subdivides the substrate into substrate regions, - fitting thermolegs onto the substrate, wherein each thermoleg is connected to a region of the substrate on a hot side and on a cold side, - applying an encapsulation, so that at least each thermoleg is enclosed and the encapsulation enters into a material bond with the regions of the substrate, - separating parts of the substrate in such a way as to prevent a flow of electric current between the regions of the substrate through the at least one clearance. The invention also relates to a substrate that is suitable for carrying out the method and to a thermocouple that can be produced by the method.