Crockpot Vegan BBQ

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This sweet and tangy Crockpot Vegan BBQ is out-of-this-world! Perfect for summer outdoor gatherings or any time of the year. Serve with slaw, corn on the cob, or air-fried potato wedges. 

bbq tempeh on whole wheat bun with onion and lettuce

We absolutely LOVE barbecue, and I remember the first July 4th holiday, after we went plant-based, was when I found this crockpot vegan bbq recipe in a book by Dr. Neal Barnard, president of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Vegan BBQ is so good because it’s…

  • smokey
  • tangy
  • hearty
  • perfect for July 4th
  • great summer picnic food
  • simple & delicious
vegan bbq on green leaves with bbq sauch and bbq sandwich in background

Every year, on July 4th, the small North Carolina town I live in has a festival with rides for kids, music, crafts, and fireworks. The volunteer fire department makes barbecue and sells it, and we always used to go eat lots of barbecue sandwiches. 

That was a problem after we went plant-based because our newfound knowledge told us that animal products are loaded with artery-clogging saturated fat and cholesterol. And, that’s when I ran across this recipe and decided to give it a try.

We absolutely love it and make it all year round–no special holiday needed! You’ll be amazed at how good it tastes, and it’s not difficult to make either. 

black crockpot full of vegan bbq with tin cup of bbq sauce beside

How to make vegan bbq

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

The first step in making this recipe is cooking the seitan, and I know some of you have never even heard of it before.

Seitan is becoming more and more popular in vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based communities as a meat substitute. It has a look and texture amazingly similar to cooked meat.

Making seitan

I sometimes make my own seitan, because it’s quite easy to make. Check out this article I wrote called Seitan How to Cook it and Recipes. It can also be purchased already cooked at Whole Foods and other health food stores.

sliced seitan on wood cutting board with knife

It’s quite simple and fun to make a batch yourself. It’s made with vital wheat gluten and just needs water and spices to prepare.

Assemble the dry ingredients of wheat gluten powder, spices, and herbs. Combine in a large bowl and whisk together.

stainless steel bowl with flour and baking ingredients with whisk

In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients of water, tamari, “oyster” sauce, and tahini.

Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture. It will thicken very quickly. Begin to knead everything together for approximately 3 minutes.

Set to the side and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Then knead another 2-3 minutes. The longer you knead, the chewier the seitan will be after baked.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and press seitan into the pan. Bake at 325°F for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven, cut in half, and place in a crockpot with barbecue sauce. Allow to cook on low for 1 hour. By allowing the seitan to cook slowly in the barbecue sauce for at least an hour, it achieves a tender, pulled texture.

vegan barbeque sandwich on cutting board with bbq sauce in background

BBQ sauce

The barbecue sauce in the recipe card below is simple and delicious. However, if you’re short on time or just don’t want to make your own bbq sauce, a good store-bought sauce is Bone Suckin’ Sauce available on Amazon by clicking the link.

Remove the seitan from the crockpot. Use a couple of forks to pull and shred the seitan apart. This can be shredded in a food processor, but I like mine chunkier and do it by hand. Then place back into the crockpot with barbecue sauce and cook 6-8 hours on low.

overhead of crockpot full of vegan bbq with white spoon

Serve warm on whole grain buns. We added fresh spinach leaves and sliced onion to ours. Delish!

overhead shot of bbq sandwich, bbq sauce, and corn on cob

Note: These sandwiches can also be made with Soy Curls instead of seitan if preferred for those that are gluten-free.

*Originally published May 2015.

Tips for making vegan bbq

  • At first glance, I know this recipe seems a bit labor-intensive, but believe me when I say it will be well worth the effort.
  • After you’ve learned to make seitan for this barbecue, you’ll feel more comfortable making it for other recipes like recipes that use seitan.
  • If you decide to purchase precooked seitan and bottled bbq sauce, this dinner can come together in about 10-minutes flat. Simply combine the cooked seitan with the bbq sauce and heat and eat.

Other great burger recipes

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!

vegan barbeque sandwich on cutting board with bbq sauce in background
4.69 from 19 votes

Crockpot Vegan BBQ

This sweet and tangy crockpot vegan bbq is out-of-this-world! Perfect for summer outdoor gatherings or any time of the year. Serve with slaw, corn on the cob, or air fried potato wedges. 
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients 

Baked Seitan

  • 2 cups vital wheat gluten
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1.5 cups water
  • 1/4 cup tamari
  • 2 tablespoons vegetarian "oyster" sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tahini

Barbecue Sauce

  • 1 cup yellow onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic diced
  • 2 cups fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard not ground mustard, but liquid
  • 2 tablespoons black strap molasses
  • 2 tablespoons agave or maple syrup
  • juice from one lemon
  • 2 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke optional

Instructions

Baked Seitan

  • Vital wheat gluten can be found in the baking section of most grocery stores.
  • Assemble the dry ingredients of wheat gluten powder, spices, and herbs. Combine in a large bowl and whisk together.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients of water, tamari, "oyster" sauce, and tahini.
  • Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture. It will thicken very quickly. Begin to knead everything together for approximately 3 minutes.
  • Set to the side and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Then knead another 2-3 minutes. The longer you knead, the chewier the seitan will be after baked.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and press seitan into the pan. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes.
  • Remove from oven, cut in half, and place in a crockpot with barbecue sauce. Allow to cook on low for 1 hour. By allowing the seitan to cook slowly in the barbecue sauce for at least an hour, it achieves a tender, pulled texture.
  • Remove from the crockpot. Use a couple of forks to pull and shred the seitan apart. This can be shredded in a food processor, but I like mine chunkier and did it by hand. Then place back into the crockpot with barbecue sauce and cook 6-8 hours on low.
  • Serve warm on whole grain buns. We added fresh spinach leaves and sliced onion to ours. Delish!

Barbecue Sauce

  • Over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic in 3 Tbsp of veggie broth until it softens. I cook a little longer to caramelize.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients, simmering for another 5 minutes.
  • Pour mixture into a blender and puree until smooth. Add to crockpot with seitan.

Video

Notes

Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.
Tips for making vegan bbq
  • At first glance, I know this recipe seems a bit labor-intensive, but believe me when I say it will be well worth the effort.
  • After you’ve learned to make seitan for this barbecue, you’ll feel more comfortable making it for other recipes like recipes that use seitan.
  • If you decide to purchase precooked seitan and bottled bbq sauce, this dinner can come together in about 10 minutes flat. Simply combine the cooked seitan with the bbq sauce and heat and eat.

Nutrition

Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.1g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 3.5g | Fiber: 1.9g

Disclaimer

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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About Terri Edwards

Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy.  I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…

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21 Comments

  1. Hi Terri: I found your blog from your postings on Dr. McD’s discussion board. I can’t wait to spend more time checking out your recipes. Reading about this bbq recipe reminded me of one Mary McDougall had in the McDougall May 2010 newsletter. I don’t know if you’ve seen it but it is based on a vegan bbq sandwich from a restaurant that Mary’s sister has had. I’ve never made the recipe but I have had the sandwich from the actual restaurant where Mary’s sister had it. It is amazing. Here is the link to the McDougall recipe section where the recipe appeared.
    https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2010nl/may/recipes.htm

    1. I’ve never even heard of jackfruit. How interesting! Sounds delicious! Thank you for the link! Hope you enjoy the recipes in my blog, and I love to hear feedback when you try one. 🙂

    1. Kim, I think soy sauce in equal amounts would do a good job of replacing the vegetarian ‘oyster’ sauce. Hope you enjoy!

    1. Laura, I haven’t tried it before but think that medium might be a little safer though for 4-6 hours. I think it should work just fine.

  2. So happy to find your blog, your story is an inspiration and the food all looks beautiful. I love, love, love how you present the step by step guide to each recipe, it seems so do-able! At 52 with all kinds of aches and pains, it’s time to do what is best for my body. Been sampling a few plant based recipes here and there, but now, ready to jump in. Thank you!!

    1. Liz, welcome to your new journey back to health! I hope you find lots of encouragement and help along the way. You’re right that it is very doable, and you are certainly worth every effort. 😀

  3. I am making this tonight for dinner! I have enjoyed exploring your recipes. And we live in North Carolina too! Yay!

    1. That’s terrific to hear! What part of North Carolina are you in? So glad that you enjoyed the barbecue sandwiches.

  4. I just put this in my intant pot on slow-cook for 6 hours after breaking it up in my food processor because trying to pull it apart with 2 forks wasn’t really working. It wound up looking like ground meat that one might use in sloppy joes; is that what it is supposed to look like?

    1. Hi Amelia- I haven’t made this in my Instant Pot before, so I’m not sure about the setting and time. However, it shouldn’t be difficult to pull apart and should have the texture shown in the pictures shown in the article.

  5. Several of my family members have a gluten intolerance so do you think it’s possible to just use soy curls and the bbq sauce instead of the seitan?

    1. Terry- I usually suggest using buckwheat, steel cut oats, farro, brown rice, or some other grain as a substitute for the bulgur. Soy curls would taste great I’m sure, but the texture for chili would be a little different.

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