This Easy BBQ Tempeh is a very simple, finger-lickin’ dish that is fabulous on the grill, baked in oven, or even slow cooked in a crock pot. Leftovers make great sandwiches and burritos.
Tempeh is found in most grocery stores in the produce section. It’s a traditional soy product from Indonesia.
It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form and has a nutty, mushroom, meaty flavor.
What is tempeh?
Tempeh is a traditional soy product originating from Indonesia. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process. Then it is formed into a firm patty or block.
While tempeh is traditionally made with soybeans, it can also be made with any type of bean, like black beans, black-eyed peas, and chickpeas. Some kinds of tempeh also include grains, like brown rice, barley or millet, or seeds.
High in Protein
Add tempeh to your diet to boost your protein intake. Each 1-cup serving of tempeh contains 31 grams of protein, which is 55 percent of the recommended daily intake for men and 67 percent for women, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Tempeh contains high-quality complete protein and provides all the amino acids you must obtain from your diet. Its protein content helps you maintain muscle tissue, and also make enzymes your cells need to function. —LiveStrong
I like to make my own barbecue sauce, because it only takes about 5 minutes. However, you can always use your favorite bottled sauce.
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Homemade Barbecue Sauce Recipe Ingredients
Making your own healthy oil-free bbq sauce is very simple and only requires 8-ingredients.
- ketchup or tomato sauce
- maple syrup
- Worcestershire sauce (without anchovies)
- apple cider vinegar
- liquid smoke
- garlic powder
- onion powder
Checkout this video showing how easy this sauce is to make!
If you are looking for a premade barbecue sauce, we love this oil-free Bone Suckin’ Sauce.
This bbq tempeh recipe also does very well in a slow cooker or crock pot, and eliminates the need for marinating for an hour in the refrigerator before cooking. Simply turn to low heat and cook for approximately 3 hours. Nice and easy for taking to potluck dinners.
We usually serve Barbecued Tempeh over brown rice or quinoa. Great side item ideas would be a garden salad, baked white or sweet potato, and/or corn on the cob.
To adjust the serving sizes of any of my recipes, simply go to the ‘Servings’ listed in the recipe card right above the ingredients list. Hover over the number of servings, and a sliding bar will appear. Slide to the number of servings you would like, and the ingredients will automatically adjust the amounts.
Other Great Tempeh Recipes
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- 16 oz tempeh
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 cups barbecue sauce your favorite brand or make mine
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup (or date syrup)
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (without anchovies)
- 4 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 pinch salt for taste (optional)
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If making my barbecue sauce, simply mix all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and whisk together well. Then set to the side.
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Cut tempeh into 1" strips and place in baking dish.
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Pour barbecue sauce over and top with sliced onions. Marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour or more. A healthy prepackaged oil-free barbecue sauce option is Bone Suckin' Sauce, available through amazon link below.
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Heat oven to 350 degrees or light grill. This recipe can also be made in a crock pot or slow cooker on low heat for 3 hours. If preparing in a crock pot, marinating before cooking is not necessary.
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Cook until browned and heated through. Baste frequently with barbecue sauce. If cooking in oven, bake for 30 minutes.
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Serve warm with rice and veggies or on sandwiches.
Looks wonderful Terri!
Thanks Valerie!
Great for potlucks. I cook these in a slow cooker.
How do you cook it in a slow cooker? Any way that it can be done in an Instant Pot?
This recipe also does very well in a slow cooker or crock pot, and eliminates the need for marinating for an hour in the refrigerator before cooking. Simply turn to low heat and cook for approximately 3 hours. Nice and easy for taking to potluck dinners. I haven’t made it in an InstantPot.