These Vegan BBQ Tempeh Ribs are the perfect plant-based alternative to meat ribs. They’re a go-to summer BBQ recipe for us! It’s a win-win folks. Tempeh is so hearty and satisfying, try it! Serve these with Healthy Vegan Potato Salad (no-mayo!), Homemade Nature’s Gatorade, and Mango Pineapple Ice Cream for the perfect meal!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Plant Based: You don’t need animal products or meat to enjoy craveworthy barbecue. These “ribs” are made from tempeh!
- Protein Packed: One serving of Vegan BBQ Tempeh Ribs has about 20 grams of protein!
- Quick: Ready in just 30 minutes! No grilling necessary for this.
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Notes on Ingredients
- Tempeh: You’ll need one full block of tempeh as the base for this recipe.
- Ketchup: Look for an organic, no sugar added ketchup.
- Coconut Sugar: Just two tablespoons are needed to sweeten the homemade BBQ sauce.
- Maple Syrup: Also naturally sweetens the homemade BBQ sauce. You can substitute the maple with honey or agave.
Please take note that this is important information about the ingredients used in this recipe and the FULL recipe with measurements and details can be found DOWN BELOW in the recipe card.
How do you make Vegan BBQ Tempeh Ribs?
- Make the homemade BBQ in a sauce pan and set aside.
- Cut the tempeh into strips.
- Grill or saute tempeh ribs on each side for a few minutes.
- Turn heat on low and pour ¾ cup BBQ sauce into the pan (or brush onto ribs directly). Toss and make sure they are evenly coated.
- Once done cooking, remove from the heat and brush on more BBQ sauce before serving. Enjoy!
- Step 1: First, make the homemade BBQ sauce in a saucepan.
- Step 2: Then, cut the tempeh into slices similar to the size of ribs.
- Step 3: Grill or sauté the ribs for a few minutes on each side and then spread on BBQ sauce.
- Step 4: Finally, top with more BBQ sauce (optional), serve, and enjoy!
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Commonly Asked Questions
You can either grill the ribs for a firmer, crispier texture or if you like them to be softer and more tender, you can sauté them. Specific instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
I like to serve my classic Mayo-Free Potato Salad and a side of Corn Salad with Guacamole. To drink, fruity DIY Nature’s Gatorade is the perfect refreshing beverage and for dessert, Healthier Sugar Cookie Bars.
No, you can easily use store-bought but it’s difficult to find a healthy barbecue sauce that isn’t loaded with sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Making your own is super easy.
“Delicious, easy tempeh recipe perfect for summer. The homemade BBQ sauce is so good!”
– Jordan
Extra Helpful Tips
- If you don’t want to make your own BBQ sauce, you can just use store-bought. It’s tricky to find one that has clean ingredients, so I like to make my own.
- Feel free to swap the tempeh with extra firm tofu if you prefer it.
- This recipe makes extra BBQ sauce. Use as much or as little as you’d like and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 week. Leftovers are great with BBQ Pulled “Pork” Sandwiches.
If you tried these Vegan BBQ Tempeh Ribs or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 5-star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Vegan BBQ Tempeh Ribs (oil-free)
Equipment
- 1 sauce pan
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
- 1 block tempeh organic if possible
Homemade BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup ketchup no sugar added
- 6 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅔ cup water
Instructions
Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Add all of the BBQ Sauce ingredients to a small or medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and let cook until thick, stirring occasionally. Should take 20-30 minutes or until it thickens.
- Store the extra BBQ sauce in a jar in the fridge.
Tempeh Ribs
- Cut the tempeh into strips about ¾ inch thick.
- For firm ribs: Grill/saute them on medium heat in a non-stick pan until golden brown on each side. For more tender ribs: Saute them in 2-3 tablespoon water for about 4 minutes on each side.
- Turn heat on low and pour in ¾ cup bbq sauce. Toss and make sure they are evenly coated.
- Brush on more bbq sauce for serving.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- You can also just use store-bought BBQ sauce, but it’s tricky to find one that has clean ingredients so I like to make my own.
- Feel free to swap the tempeh with extra firm tofu if you prefer it.
- This recipe makes extra BBQ sauce. Use as much or as little as you’d like and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Jordan Stacy says
Delicious, easy tempeh recipe perfect for summer. The homemade bbq sauce is so good!