Who doesn't love BBQ? But, of course, BBQ restaurants do not generally cater to our dietary needs in the vegan world. But Paul and I love BBQ, so why not BBQ at home? Fortunately, my husband, Paul, grills like a master, so I made BBQ tempeh.
Although you can grill directly on the grill, we invested in Grill Mats a year ago, a purchase I would highly recommend if you follow a plant-based diet. You can cook anything on these mats; they are reusable, easy to clean, and require no oil or fat in cooking.
With that in mind, we BBQ often! Sometimes, people question what to BBQ if going to someone's house for a BBQ in the summer. Despite the belief that vegans only eat salad, we constantly use our grill for grilled tofu, BBQ tempeh, vegetables, and veggie burgers and dogs.
HOW TO PREPARE AND GRILL TEMPEH FOR BBQ TEMPEH
First, you need to know my best kept little secret! Tempeh, for instance, is naturally bitter and a bit tough. As a result, tempeh does not absorb the marinade and takes on a BBQ grill flavor without boiling it first.
Yes, that's what I said. For 10 minutes, boiling tempeh takes away the bitterness and absorbs marinades like a sponge.
First, remove the tempeh from the package, and cut it in half, making two equal-sized squares. Then, place the tempeh pieces in a pan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil, cook for 10 minutes, and remove the tempeh from the boiling water to marinate.
WHY BOIL TEMPEH FOR BBQ TEMPEH SANDWICHES OR ANY MARINADE?
- Boiling removes tempeh's naturally bitter taste.
- It softens the tempeh to make it easier to eat and enjoy
- And boiling allows for better saturation of marinate
I marinate my tempeh beforehand to absorb the flavors of the sauce I plan to use. Regardless of the sauce, marinating is a must. This time, I chose my homemade BBQ sauce. Although I prefer to make my condiments, a store-bought BBQ sauce works just as well. I make my healthy BBQ sauce to reduce the amount of sugar and preservatives, but you can use any bottled sauce of choice.
But, if you want to make my homemade BBQ sauce, you need to gather the following ingredients:
- 1 White onion, diced
- 2 cloves minced Garlic
- 2 Tablespoons Organic Tomato Paste
- 1 15 oz. can Organic Tomato Sauce
- 4 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
- 2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Molasses
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- 1 /2teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Since I only used ¼ of the BBQ sauce, you will have BBQ sauce leftover that will last up to a week in the refrigerator. Or, you can always freeze it. However, it doesn't last even a week in the fridge at my house.
Because BBQ sauce is quite sticky, you must cook on low heat slowly so your tempeh doesn't burn on the grill.
HOW DO I GRILL TEMPEH FOR GRILLED BBQ TEMPEH SANDWICHES?
Now, it's time to grill the BBQ tempeh. You want the grill piping hot (450 degrees) for those fabulous marks before you put the BBQ tempeh on the grill. Next, remove the tempeh from the marinade, but keep the extra marinade after grilling.
I turn the tempeh 4 times every 4 minutes to get those excellent grill marks. So, that is a total of 16 minutes of grill time.
As a result, you get to return the BBQ tempeh to the BBQ marinade after grilling. And, of course, it's all about the char and the grill marks and soaking up the marinade flavors.
I let the tempeh cool a little not to burn my fingers as a general rule. Then, I transfer grilled BBQ tempeh for the BBQ tempeh sandwiches onto a grilled vegan ciabatta bun.
HOW DO I MAKE VEGAN MAPLE DIJON SLAW TO TOP MY BBQ TEMPEH SANDWICH?
I topped the sandwiches with Maple Dijon Slaw to compliment the taste of the BBQ sauce. This recipe is simple, but it tastes fabulous on top of a sandwich, on the side, or as an entree salad topped with tofu or tempeh.
Again, the Maple Dijon Slaw compliments the BBQ tempeh recipe; it isn't required but is indeed yummy. If you are interested in making a slaw to accompany the BBQ tempeh, you will need:
SALAD
- ½ small napa cabbage, chopped
- ½ small purple cabbage, chopped
- 2 Fuji apples, sliced and then cut in half (soaked in 2 Tablespoons lemon juice to prevent browning)
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 bunch of green onions
DRESSING
- ½ cup raw cashew, soaked overnight and drained
- ¼ cup pure Maple Syrup
- ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- ¼ cup water
SUMMER IS COMING! IF YOU LOVE TO GRILL, TRY THESE FUN AND EASY VEGAN GRILL RECIPES:
- BBQ Jackfruit Recipe
- Vegan BBQ Pulled Sweet Potato Sandwiches with Pineapple Slaw
- Grilled Maple Stone Ground Mustard Tofu
- Grilled Asian Sesame Tofu with Vegetable Slaw
- Grilled Vegetable Salad
- Vegan BLT
- Beet Burger
- Tofu Satay
- Lemongrass Tofu Recipe
- Pressed Tofu for Grilling, Baking, Air-frying, or Cooking in a Skillet
- Vegan Macaroni Salad
📖 Recipe
BBQ Tempeh Sandwich with Maple Dijon Slaw
Ingredients
- 4 Vegan Ciabatta Buns sliced and toasted (You can use gluten-free bread, a wrap, or any desired bread) or skip the bread
- 2 packages Tempeh each package sliced in half
HEALTHY BBQ SAUCE
- 1 , diced White Onion
- 2 cloves minced Garlic
- 2 Tablespoons Organic Tomato Paste
- 15 ounces Organic Tomato Sauce
- 4 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
- 2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Molasses
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- 1 /2 teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Maple Dijon Slaw
- ½ small Napa cabbage chopped
- ½ small purple cabbage chopped
- 2 fuji apples or any sweet apple you like julienned and soaked to 2 Tablespoons of neon juice to prevent browning.
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 bunch green onions chopped
Slaw Dressing
- ½ cup cashews soaked overnight and drained
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 3 Tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
BBQ SAUCE
- Sauté the onions and garlic in a medium saucepan until translucent.
- Combine all other ingredients.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce to simmer.
- Pour on tempeh.
- Cook for 20 minutes on simmer.
TEMPEH
- Cut each tempeh block in half.
- Pout ⅛ cup BBQ sauce into a refrigerator safe container
- Place pieces of tempeh on top of the BBQ sauce.
- Add more BBQ sauce; repeat until the top of the tempeh is covered.
- Marinate overnight.
GRILL
- Heat the grill to low heat.
- It is all about cooking it low and slow.
- Use a grilling mat, or directly on the grill, place a single layer of marinated tempeh on the grill.
- Reserve the BBQ sauce in the container.
- Cook 8 minutes on each side, using a spatula to flip pieces
- Put tempeh back into the container for an extra coating of BBQ sauce.
SALAD
- Cut apples and place them in 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice and set aside.
- Cut all ingredients and place them in a bowl.
- Drain apples and add them to the bowl.
DRESSING
- Drain cashews
- Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender
- Blend until smooth
- Pour over the slaw ingredients and toss.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
WHY BOIL TEMPEH FOR BBQ TEMPEH SANDWICHES OR ANY MARINADE?
- Boiling removes tempeh's naturally bitter taste.
- It softens the tempeh to make it easier to eat and enjoy
- And boiling allows for better saturation of marinate
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
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