This healthy Texas Style Barbecue Tempeh is deliciously spicy, smoky and has just enough sweet tang that you will find yourself wanting to make this easy and simple recipe over and over again. Your kids will request this yummy dish all the time. A fabulous Whole Food Plant Based recipe. Vegan, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, no highly processed ingredients.
Hi! Ameera here!
Mom and I were so happy to share with you our Sweet and Smoky BBQ Sauce and Texas Style Barbecue Sauce recipe, but we weren’t finished, as now you will need something special to slather that deliciousness on. Annnnd we have just the recipe for that . . . barbecue tempeh.
If you have never tried barbecue tempeh, then you don’t know what you are missing. It is about as close to savory and sweet indulgence as it gets.
Tempeh has so many health benefits too!
- Reduces Cholesterol: Tempeh contains niacin which is considered important for helping to reduce cholesterol.
- Increases Bone Density: Tempeh has calcium needed to for the growth and maintenance of bones.
- Contains Probiotics: Tempeh contains probiotics which has many health benefits which helps shield the intestines from pathogens.
- Contains Protein: Tempeh is an excellent source of protein. Protein is used in cell reproduction and helps build muscle mass.
It’s fast if you prepare in advance
What I love about this recipe is that with a little preparation, you can pull this lovely meal together in no time. Let me tell you how we do it.
If you are looking to just make barbecue tempeh sandwiches, then make our Sweet and Smoky BBQ Sauce or Texas Style Barbecue Sauce and then marinate the tempeh overnight in the sauce.
The next day, all you have to do is bake the tempeh and serve on sandwich buns or in wraps.
Meal Prepping
Mom and I are meal preppers. Actually, Mom has been a meal prepper way before it was a “thing.” She was meal prepping way back in the day because she worked full time during the day, had kids to run around to different school activities, and then went to school part-time at night at a local community college, so she really had to plan ahead.
She spent every Sunday preparing and cooking multiple meals to serve throughout the week simply because she knew she wouldn’t have time to cook on certain days of the week.
Coleslaw, soooo good!
We love to put our Classic Vegan Coleslaw on top of our barbecue tempeh sandwiches and wraps. It is an amazingly delicious combo! The kids will flip out. It is so tasty and looks awesome on the plate.
AND . . . if you really want to kick it up a notch, toast the sandwich bun, then put some left-over Cashew Vegan Mayo on the top bun and sprinkle some sweet paprika on top of that. The creaminess of the mayo, combined with the crunchiness of the coleslaw and the sweet, spicy and tangy barbecue tempeh will knock your socks off.
Robin here!
I think Monkey covered this dish from A to Z in how amazing it is. I love it. Never in a million years did I think I would go crazy over tempeh, let alone even know what it was, or even have a desire to try it.
It’s funny how things can change over time. Going Whole Food Plant Based pretty much turned my life up-side-down, but in a good way.
Has it changed yours?
Products used:
- Baking sheet – to bake the tempeh.
Texas Style Barbecue Tempeh
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4-8 Servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This healthy Texas Style Barbecue Tempeh is deliciously spicy, smoky and has just enough sweet tang that you will find yourself wanting to make this easy and simple recipe over and over again. Your kids will request this delicious dish all the time. A fabulous Whole Food Plant Based recipe. Vegan, Oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, no highly processed ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 – [ 8 oz. packages ] of organic tempeh (we use Lightlife Original Organic Tempeh), cut at a 45-degree angle to get 1 ¼ inch slices when laid flat
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups of your favorite BBQ Sauce (We love our Sweet and Smoky BBQ Sauce or Texas Style Barbecue Sauce for this recipe)
Optional Serving Ideas:
- Buns/Wraps
- Coleslaw (We love our Classic Vegan Coleslaw)
Instructions
- Cut the tempeh at a 45-degree angle to get approximately 1 ¼ inch slices (when laid flat).
- Coat the bottom of small baking dish with some barbecue sauce, then layer the cut tempeh pieces on top of the sauce. Add more sauce on top of the tempeh, ensuring that every piece has some sauce on top. Pick up each tempeh piece and rub the sauce on all sides or simply use the back of a spoon to ensure it is coated.
- Then add the 2nd layer of tempeh on top of the first layer. Finally, place more sauce on top of that layer. Repeat the same process of ensuring that each piece of tempeh is coated with sauce. Note: The tempeh does not have to be swimming in barbecue sauce like a marinade, it just need to be coated, more like a rub. The goal is to have at least 3/4 cup of sauce remaining to use later when serving.
- Cover and refrigerate to marinate for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight.
- When ready to make the Texas Style Barbecue Tempeh, preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Remove each piece of barbecue covered tempeh pieces from the marinating dish and place them onto a baking sheet. Spread them out to give each piece a little room. Take all the sauce from the marinating dish and place some on top of each piece. (Note: This is not the 3/4 cup of reserved sauce – we will use that later).
- Cover the baking sheet tightly with foil and bake the tempeh in the oven for 10 minutes covered.
- After 10 minutes, remove the foil and return the tempeh to the oven for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, turn the oven to broil, move the oven rack to the highest rack setting, and broil the tempeh for 3 to 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, heat the 3/4 cup of served sauce in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove, drizzle each piece with some sauce before serving.
- Serve the Texas Style Barbecue tempeh in wraps or sandwiches.
Notes
*Makes: 4 to 8 servings (largely dependent upon how many slices you like in your wraps or sandwiches).
Storage: Place in glass/plastic storage and refrigerate. Use within 7 to 10 days. 
oh YUM. When I lived in asheville there was a bbq place that had bbq tempeh that was so delicious that in spite of the fact that I do eat meat, I would ONLY order the vegan option because it was so amazing. This looks kind of like that menu item, actually (well, even better!). Thanks for the memory and the delectable recipe.
Thank you so much! 🙂 We’re so glad to hear that our blog post sparked a fond memory, and we hope that you enjoy our BBQ Tempeh!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂