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Smoky, saucy, stupidly easy—this BBQ Tempeh was born to be a sandwich filling and grew up to be so much more. Three ingredients, three steps, 30 minutes, and a permanent spot in your weekly rotation (bowls, wraps, and plain-on-a-plate included).
Life is so much easier when you have reliable, delicious, and quick plant-based proteins in rotation. Here are a few of my favorites: Air Fryer Tofu, Lentil Taco Meat, Vegan Sausages, and Sofritas.
Quick Look: BBQ Tempeh
- 🔪 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽 Total Time: 35 minutes
- 👨👩👧👧 Servings: 4
- 🌱 Calories: 232
- 🫘 Protein: 11g
- 🍠 Dietary breakdown: Vegan, vegetarian, nut-free, and oil-free.
- 😋 Flavor Profile: Meaty, saucy, zesty, and sweet. Like a plant-based version of barbecue chicken.
- ✅ Difficulty: Seriously simple — just slice, simmer, and enjoy!
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Why You’ll Love This BBQ Tempeh Recipe
- Quick and simple — Three steps, less than 40 minutes. If you can use a knife, you can make this recipe!
- No steaming required — Just one dish. Simmering the tempeh in BBQ sauce and water mellows its flavor.
- Versatile — Enjoy it on its own, or pile it onto sandwiches, wraps, Buddha bowls, and vegan salads.
- Delish — Meaty tempeh comes alive with zesty, sweet BBQ sauce. This is one of my favorite ways to make it!
Tempeh is often an underrated plant protein. As much as I love tofu (in tofu tacos, tofu scramble, tofu chili, tofu stir-fry, and more!), a girl’s gotta switch it up every now and then. My preferred way? This tender, meaty, sweet-and-spicy BBQ tempeh.
I almost always keep a package of tempeh on hand for this recipe. In 35 minutes and a handful of steps, I can pull it off even on the most harried days; it’s a protein-rich, hearty, flavorful dish I can enjoy in nearly endless ways—in bowls, in a wrap, as the star of a BBQ plate, you name it.
Love tempeh? Same! Check out my Tempeh Tacos, Tempeh Tikka Masala, Maple Mustard Tempeh Bowl, and Tempeh and Kale Salad.
Key Ingredients
Tempeh: Tempeh is a fermented soybean cake with a firm, hearty bite and a mild, nutty flavor that soaks up sauce beautifully. You’ll find it in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores, usually right near the tofu and other plant proteins.
Barbecue Sauce: Since the sauce is doing most of the flavoring here, this is the place to reach for one you really love—its taste carries the whole dish. If you’re keeping things vegan, check the label and choose a sauce made without honey. My homemade Vegan BBQ Sauce is my go-to.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Recipe Variations
When it comes to BBQ tempeh variations, your options are wide open (and delicious):
- Grilled BBQ Tempeh: Instead of cooking the tempeh in the sauce, marinate it in the BBQ sauce overnight (or at least 6 hours), then grill or roast it. Grill on high heat directly on grill grates for 5 minutes each side. Or roast the marinated tempeh at 375°F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Extra spicy — Use a spicy BBQ sauce, or add a couple shakes of hot sauce or dashes of cayenne.
- Saucier — Increase the water by 2–4 tablespoons for a looser, more glaze-able sauce.
- Extra savory — Sauté some sliced onion in oil over medium heat for 5–6 minutes before stirring in the sauce and water for a savory base.
- Garlicky — Sauté a clove or two of minced garlic along with the onion for an aromatic base.
- Smoky — Add a splash of liquid smoke or a pinch of smoked paprika for deeper barbecue flavor.
- Sweet and sticky — Stir in a tablespoon of maple syrup or brown sugar for a stickier, more caramelized glaze.
How to Make BBQ Tempeh
- Prepare the tempeh. Slice the tempeh into whatever shape and thickness you’d like. The thinner, the more BBQ sauce flavor it will soak up.
- Add to the pan. Add the BBQ sauce and water to a pan, followed by the tempeh slices. Gently stir or nudge it around in the sauce until well covered.
- Simmer. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring the tempeh periodically, until tender.
- Enjoy. Serve the tempeh hot, in sandwiches or wraps, over bowls, and more!
Jenné’s Recipe Tips
- Preparing the tempeh. Cut the tempeh into evenly sized pieces so everything cooks at the same rate. Thinner strips grab more sauce and cook a little faster, so don’t be shy with the slicing.
- No need to steam first. Skip the pre-steaming step you’ll see in a lot of tempeh recipes—the long simmer mellows any bitterness for you.
- Coat before cooking. Mix the water and BBQ sauce together first, then add the slices and turn to coat.
- Watch the simmer. Bring it to a simmer, then check for doneness. If the sauce thickens up before the tempeh’s done, cover the pan to finish cooking. Stir well throughout and adjust as you go—no lid? Stir in a few tablespoons of water instead.
- Pick a good vegan BBQ sauce. Use your favorite BBQ sauce—it’s a crucial flavoring element here— just note a thicker sauce may need an extra splash of water to keep things saucy. For a fully vegan dish, pick one made without honey.
Make a BBQ Tempeh Sandwich
My favorite way to enjoy this BBQ Tempeh is in a saucy sandwich. Hot BBQ Tempeh is served between sourdough bread with a smear of vegan mayo, lettuce, and tomato. Use any bread or slider buns you’d like. For a gluten-free option, wrap the tempeh and veggies in a collard leaf (check out this BBQ tempeh wrap).
Serving Suggestions
For a full plant-based BBQ spread, serve the tempeh with Vegan Potato Salad, Vegan Sweet Potato Biscuits, Corn Ribs, Vegan Mashed Potatoes, and Mushroom Gravy. I recently featured it in a Soul Bowl (pictured above) I shared on my YouTube channel (recipe in this free PDF guide). For a lighter, everyday presentation, serve it on or with any of the following:
And if you’re looking for even more plant-based proteins, check out my roundup of Easy Tofu Recipes!
Storage Directions
- Refrigerating: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Warm in a skillet with a splash of BBQ sauce and water, or pop it in the air fryer at 350°F for 3–5 minutes, brushing with sauce in the last minute.
BBQ Tempeh FAQs
Plain soy tempeh is naturally gluten-free, but some varieties add grains like barley or are made on shared equipment. If you’re avoiding gluten, check the label for a certified gluten-free mark.
Nope! A lot of tempeh recipes call for steaming to mellow the bitterness, but here the long simmer in BBQ sauce and water does the same. Just slice and add it to the pan.
Yes, but you’ll want to marinate the tempeh in the BBQ sauce for at least 6 hours, or overnight. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper and arrange the marinated tempeh in an even layer. Cook for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until the tempeh is tender and sticky.
Yes—the base recipe doesn’t use any oil. Just be sure your BBQ sauce fits the bill, and if you try the sautéed-onion variation, water-sauté instead.
It’s endlessly flexible: pile it onto sandwiches, tuck it into wraps, or spoon it over grain bowls and salads. For a full BBQ plate, it’s right at home with potato salad, mashed potatoes, or biscuits.
More Vegan Main Dish Recipes
Recipes
Classic Vegan Fish Tacos
Main Dishes
Vegan Burrito Bowl | Better-Than-Chipotle
Main Dishes
Thai Pumpkin Curry
If you tried this BBQ Tempeh Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
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BBQ Tempeh
Ingredients
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 pkg soy tempeh, cut crosswise into 3 square pieces, then thinly sliced across to create strips
Instructions
- Add the barbecue sauce and water to a medium skillet. Stir well until combined.
- Add the sliced tempeh. Gently stir or nudge it around in the sauce until well covered.
- Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring the tempeh periodically, until tender.
- Serve the tempeh hot, in sandwiches or wraps, over bowls, and more!
Notes
- Slicing: Cut the tempeh into evenly sized pieces so it cooks evenly—thinner strips grab more sauce and cook a little faster.
- No need to steam first: Skip the pre-steaming step; the long simmer mellows any bitterness for you.
- Cooking: Stir the tempeh to coat in the sauce, then simmer, stirring throughout. If the sauce thickens before the tempeh’s done, cover the pan or stir in a few tablespoons of water.
- BBQ sauce: Use your favorite—a thicker sauce may need an extra splash of water. For a fully vegan dish, choose one made without honey.
- Storage: Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat in a skillet with a splash of BBQ sauce and water, or in the air fryer at 350°F for 3–5 minutes, brushing with BBQ sauce in the last minute.
