I hate tofu but love tempeh and this sandwich is tangy and tasty. My boyfriend and I eat this all the time. It's great because it's vegan for him and I still like it (even though I'm not a vegetarian).
I want to share an important note on preparing tempeh (which I used to *hate* because of the bitter taste but now I love!). Remove the tempeh from the package, cut it in half & put it into a small pot of simmering vegetable broth - bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 mins. (I use vegetarian/vegan bouillon cubes, about $2.50 or so for a package of 8 cubes (each cube makes 2 cups - delicious & cost effective for this purpose, soups, sauce base, whatever). Rapunzel is a great organic brand, but Knorr also makes a decent "mainstream" version. I made this recipe, using olive oil instead of vegetable - and added a clove of garlic to the sauteed veggies. I used the recommendation for a "smoky" barbecue sauce, and this sandwich rocked! I've also made it by pan-frying the crumbled tempeh to brown it (after it comes out of the broth), and adding a small splash of tamari to the pan right at the end, stirring to mix - then continuing with the rest of the recipe. Simple and yummy! Thanks for this easy recipe :O)
Read MoreWell...I hate to be the sour grape in this bunch, but I just finished eating this for dinner and it was aweful. My husband took one bite and began to scream about the aweful aftertaste. He refused to eat this for dinner and went to get sushi. I didn't taste the aftertaste - for me it was the during taste. Now, there is a reason I gave this two stars instead of one. First, I think I chose a bad BBQ sauce. It is one of our absolute favorites, but was too sweet for this recipe. I highly reccommend going for a smokey sauce for this recipe. Second, we have never had tempeh before and frankly, won't ever again, but if you already know you like tempeh, this may work for you. I really wish I could offer more on how to repair this one, but it was that bad. There have been lots of vegan recipes that I have loved - try Vegan Casserole I, Black Bean Soup, or Vegan Split Pea soup (all from All Recipes and all fabulous).
Read More I want to share an important note on preparing tempeh (which I used to *hate* because of the bitter taste but now I love!). Remove the tempeh from the package, cut it in half & put it into a small pot of simmering vegetable broth - bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 mins. (I use vegetarian/vegan bouillon cubes, about $2.50 or so for a package of 8 cubes (each cube makes 2 cups - delicious & cost effective for this purpose, soups, sauce base, whatever). Rapunzel is a great organic brand, but Knorr also makes a decent "mainstream" version. I made this recipe, using olive oil instead of vegetable - and added a clove of garlic to the sauteed veggies. I used the recommendation for a "smoky" barbecue sauce, and this sandwich rocked! I've also made it by pan-frying the crumbled tempeh to brown it (after it comes out of the broth), and adding a small splash of tamari to the pan right at the end, stirring to mix - then continuing with the rest of the recipe. Simple and yummy! Thanks for this easy recipe :O)
This is really good but I can see how this recipe could fail if you use bad ingredients. The sauce is what will make or break this one. I added garlic and a splash of hot sauce to mine. I used the organic 3 grain tempeh which I like better than straight soy. This is a good start for people who have never had tempeh before. All in all very good. I will be making this regularly.
I have had a craving for barbeque something for a while, but I don't eat meat or fake meat products made out of soy so I didn't know what to make. This totally satisfied me! What a great recipe. I found this recipe a half hour ago and have already enjoyed a delicious sandwich. I like this because it is easy to cut down the recipe for just one person. I used hamburger buns instead of kaiser rolls. This makes four small sandwiches. Thanks for the great recipe.
The best comment I can hear at dinner is "make this again!" My 9 year old son, who is skeptical about our new vegetarian lifestyle, really loved these and asked for seconds. I grew up in the South, so I added coleslaw as a side or to top the sandwich with and this was fantastic. Re: an earlier comment about boiling the tempeh prior: I researched this on other websites and it is not necessary. You can rinse with water and it was fine, no bitterness detected. I used a five grain tempeh and the texture was terrific. I'll be looking for a healthier barbeque sauce, most are loaded with high fructose corn syrup. Thanks for this great recipe.
Well...I hate to be the sour grape in this bunch, but I just finished eating this for dinner and it was aweful. My husband took one bite and began to scream about the aweful aftertaste. He refused to eat this for dinner and went to get sushi. I didn't taste the aftertaste - for me it was the during taste. Now, there is a reason I gave this two stars instead of one. First, I think I chose a bad BBQ sauce. It is one of our absolute favorites, but was too sweet for this recipe. I highly reccommend going for a smokey sauce for this recipe. Second, we have never had tempeh before and frankly, won't ever again, but if you already know you like tempeh, this may work for you. I really wish I could offer more on how to repair this one, but it was that bad. There have been lots of vegan recipes that I have loved - try Vegan Casserole I, Black Bean Soup, or Vegan Split Pea soup (all from All Recipes and all fabulous).
Do yourself a favor and make your own red or yellow barbeque sauce. Add an extra cup of water or vegetable broth (I use homemade pastes) and simmer in a slow cooker until the water evaporates. The vinegar does something to break down the firm and sometimes rubbery texture of the tempeh. This comes out much like a shredded/pulled pork barbeque sandwich.
I tried this recipe when my sister and her family were visiting - her oldest daughter is a vegetarian, and her husband is a meat-and-potatoes guy. The only thing I changed was adding a couple of cloves of minced garlic to the vegetables and used 2 green peppers instead of 1 green, 1 red... and EVERYONE, my brother-in-law included, ate this right up and wanted more! What a terrific, easy recipe and it turned out to be such a crowd pleaser! This is one of those good ol' standby recipes for me now, I make it as often as possible. It's pretty handy, too, for a single person because the sandwich filling keeps very well in the refrigerator and reheats very well too. Thanks for a terrific, quick, easy meal!
I love tempeh and my homemake bbq sauce, so this recipe was great! Only one other reviewer mentioned cooking the tempeh first- it is a must! Tempeh in an uncooked food and heating it up in bbq sauce is not sufficiently cooking it. It must be simmered first or it is hard to digest.
Used wild rice tempeh and homemade BBQ sauce. Excellent. Used a very good Italian Roll for the bun. Note to those who don't like tempeh. Not all Tempeh is created equal. I don't like Soy Tempeh but love multi grain [3 grain, 7 grain, 12 grain] tempeh and Wild Rice Tempeh. However there are even more flavors available. Brands also differ. If you don't like one, you might like another.
This is a great alternative to using meat. I never had tempeh before and like another reviewer I purchased the organic 3 grain. You can use whatever your favorite BBQ sauce is. I sauteed green pepper, red pepper, onion, and chopped carrot. I served this with baked sweet potato chips. Will definately make this again.
Very good sandwich, really more like a sloppy joe. All the sauce covers the taste of the tempeh somewhat so it's a good way to introduce this food to non-vegans. As noted, please cook tempeh first. I sauted and crumbled it first, then drained on paper towels while sautéing veggies (along with garlic). Will make again--I have all that barbecue sauce left!
You MUST brown the tempeh by frying with olive oil before adding to the other ingredients. It is so much better that way. Otherwise, nicem quick hearty recipe. Thanks!
My meat-eating husband and I (a vegetarian) both really like this sandwich. It's fast, easy, tastes good and has a nice texture. My only complaint is that it has too much pepper and onion (and I love peppers and onions). We used half of what the recipe calls for and will still reduce the amount when we make it again.
I could eat this for days!! Seriously amazing. My first endeavor with tempeh and what a great one. Used Stubbs BBQ sauce.
Haven't made this yet, but read some reviews. I think a lot of the people who gave bad reviews didn't know to steam the tempeh for 20 mins. in a steamer or simmer for 20 mins in veg. broth before using in ANY recipe. It removes the bitter taste, after which, the tempeh will rock and so will the recipe! I can't wait to try it!
This was SO easy, and so delicious!!!! I put coleslaw in my bun. I wanted to eat just one sandwich, but when I finished it, I had to have another. One of the best vegetarian recipes ever! I will make this again and again!
Yum! This is so good. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I had no idea how to prepare tempeh. This was perfect!
This was a hit everyone liked it, even the kids! I did simmer the tempeh in vegetable broth for about 30 min. before marinating it in the barbeque sauce. (I used a recipe from this site called 'A very popular BBQ sauce') I followed the recipe except I added minced garlic to the peppers and onions. After I mixed everything together I let it simmer on the stovetop for 30 min or so. Served it on potato rolls with corn pudding. Thanks for sharing, we will be making this again!
Looking for a new recipe that is ready in minutes? This simple vegetarian meal uses common grocery store ingredients. Don't be intimidated by the tempeh if it's your first time cooking/eating it. It is a great meat substitute that is equally dense & satisfying. I would be really picky with my choice of BBQ sauce because it is definitely the deal breaker. The one I used was too sweet for my taste. If I had known how much sugar was in the Annie's variety, I would've picked something else. It was still a good tasting burger that got me full fast. But it lacked all the classic ingredients of a real American burger like the lettuce, mayo, tomato & cheese, which is why I think this burger is more like a sloppy joe. I used Trader Joe's organic grain tempeh & Annie's organic BBQ sauce (sweet & spicy) on gluten free white bread. I would definitely make this again, but with a different BBQ sauce and additional toppings.
Great idea that covers the flavor of tempeh (which I don't like, but my vegetarian boyfriend loves). I wouldn't add peppers next time.
Delicious!!! Boiled tempeh for 8 minutes, marinated in BBQ sauce for 30 minutes, fried in pan for 5 minutes until hot, then mixed with already cooked vegetables.
Great base recipe but a must in preparing tempeh is steaming beforehand to take the bitterness away. What I do is grate the tempeh instead of cutting into small pieces. The smaller the tempeh the better it can soak in the marinade. After grating the tempeh, I steam for 30 minutes and then follow the recipe as is. Believe me – steaming tempeh beforehand will greatly improve the taste!
You absolutely *have to boil tempeh before you do anything else to it. Simply boiling the tempeh in water for 5-10 minutes will remove the bitter taste. Boiling the tempeh in veggie broth for up to 30 minutes will remove the bitter taste and add more flavor to the tempeh. I would also recommend marinating tempeh for *at least* an hour, but truly, overnight is better. Two stars because the recipe would be okay if the tempeh is at least boiled beforehand.
First time I ever tried tempeh. This was really good. If you did not know there was no meat you would think this was a sloppy joe sandwich. I used Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet and Spicy BBQ sauce. I will be making this again!
No reason not to like this one. A good introduction to tempeh and one the whole family can enjoy especially those who may not be on board with being vegan/vegetarian. I steamed for 20 minutes the organic tempeh, added 4 chopped baby bella mushrooms I had on hand and used Sweet Baby Rays Original barbeque sauce. I used Earth Balance spread on kaiser roll and toasted on top of stove. Will definitely make this one again...
I followed the recommendations and used a smokey bbq sauce. Then I added some white button mushrooms and garlic to the saute. Very easy and tasty recipe. I will definately make this again.
My daughter made this as written and did not like it. I took the advice of another reviewer and slow cooked as he instructed and we both loved it. My husband also loved it. Next time I will steam it first as a few bites did have a slight bitter aftertaste.
I did cook the tempeh in vegetable broth for 1/2 hour as suggested. I used the multi-grain tempeh. Use a barbecue sauce you really like and it is absolutely wonderful!
Last night was the first time I had tempeh and it was amazing in this recipe. My husband is a vegan and I am not but I am willing to try different things. I'm not sure it could have tasted better! Will definitely be making this again!!
I may make this again. For a tempeh recipe it's very easy and simple, which is nice. I'd use a little less bbq sauce. My kids didn't like it, but I figured they wouldn't with the peppers and onions.
I really liked this. It resembles a Sloppy Joe, and tastes like it, too. I loved the bell peppers; next time I'll chop them a little bigger so the flavor and texture are more pronounced.
the 3 grain tempeh is definately tastier. I also like to marinate the tempeh (I cube it instead of crumble) in some soy sauce and garlic powder (add a bit of pepper, cayenne a splash of vinegar whatever your bbq sauce and or family needs/likes) before I go full force with the BBQ suace. This is a good vegan "but could add cheese" could feed to non adventurous type of sandwich serve with fries/ chips and a salad etc...
I'm a vegetarian, and I love the flavor of bbq food. This was a pretty good substitute for a bbq pulled pork sandwich.
Absolutely delicious! The only thing I did differently: I added some of my homemade jerk seasoning rub to the tempeh and barbecue sauce and let it marinate for over an hour. I also drained the veggies after sauteeing, before spooning it into the marinated Tempeh. My first time eating and cooking with Tempeh and have to say it was a wonderful experience!
Texture takes some getting used to if you are haven't tried tempeh, but the flavor was great.
So delicious! The first time I tried it, I hated the taste of tempeh. After researching a bit, I found out that I should boil the tempeh for at least 10 minutes to get rid of the bitter/pungent taste. I boiled the frozen 7 grain tempeh I had for 10 minutes, in water enough to cover, and it worked! I used hickory BBQ sauce for mine.
not really edible. this may have been due to me not soaking the tempeh at the beginning.
Easy recipe, not much pizzaz.
delicious, my first time making something with tempeh! obviously choice of tempeh and barbecue sauce makes or breaks this recipe. i used trader joe's 3 grain tempeh and loved it. will experiment with different bbq sauces!
This was one of my first vegan cooking efforts and it turned out pretty great. I added two cloves of garlic & black beans, then seasoned with salt, pepper & a bit of paprika. Served on thin whole wheat buns with lettuce and avocado. Will make again for a quick weeknight recipe! Thanks.
It calls for too much BBQ sauce. Drowns out all other flavor. Next time I'll use 1/2 cup. I'll make it again due to simplicity but will probably doctor it up a bit
This is phenomenal! I followed the suggestions to rinse the tempeh in cold water and to add garlic and hot sauce to the BBQ sauce. This is something I will definitely be making often!
This is so good! I used Irene's BBQ Sauce (which is a recipe on here, and awesome), and didn't change anything else except I added the sauce and tempeh before the peppers were tender and let the whole thing simmer for a while. Definitely enjoy this recipe!
I prepared the tempeh like an other reviewer mentioned. I boiled it for about 20 minutes in vegetable broth and used a mesquite BBQ sauce. The texture takes a little getting used to if you think you are about to bite into a sloppy joe like sandwich. Overall a good recipe to use if it's your first time with tempeh. Enjoy!
I'm an omnivore, and like vegetarian-style dishes well enough, but I'd never had tempeh until I ran across this recipe. I made it exactly as written, and thought it was OK - not weird or icky, but not particularly yummy either. I did note that I thought the "4 Kaiser rolls" wasn't enough. I'd actually bought 6 of them, and still had some of this recipe left over. I guess I just don't like overfilling my sandwiches and making a mess. This is probably a nice sloppy-joes-like recipe for vegetarians, but I probably won't make this again, though I'm open to another recipe using tempeh sometime.
This was quick and simple- great idea for anyone looking for ways to eat tempeh. My steak eating husband ate two sandwiches last night and finished it up today for lunch.
~Added a little garlic and cumin to the peppers/onions. ~Substituted vegetable oil for coconut oil. ~Memphis smokey BBQ sauce. This recipe makes a LOT! But it works out because it's easy to reheat and eat again. It turned out really good, but adding a little extra spice definitely helped. This is a really good BBQ fix for vegetarians!
Great, very easy and quick recipe! First try with tempeh, and it was delicious. I only used half an onion and one green pepper.
This was awesome! I boiled the tempeh in vegetable broth for about 10 minutes and let it marinate in the bbq sauce overnight. I used Annie's organic bbq sauce, smoky maple flavor. I used about 2/3 of each pepper and about 1/2 of the onion. I'd never had tempeh before but I couldn't stop eating this and had it for lunch at work several times. As others have said, the sauce will probably make or break this recipe. So easy to make!
This is great! Even my meat-eating husband enjoyed it. Made just as instructed (with only green pepper) and believe it will be in regular rotation in our house.
One of my all time FAVORITE all vegan meals. So cheap & easy to make! I make this all the time.
This recipe deserves 5 stars! It is wonderful as is, but I have tweaked it a bit to suit our tastes. I add kidney beans because they add additional body and texture. I have always liked them in Sloppy Joes, even back when I made them with (ugh) ground beef. I also do not use quite as much bbq sauce as called for. You will find that these are enjoyed by vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. A great meal any time, but especially awesome when you have a houseful of people with an assortment of eating styles.
I really liked this even without boiling the tempeh first. I added garlic like others have said. I'm not much of a cook so love how easy it was. Will definitely make it again.
This was okay but wasn't much different than baked beans. As a time saver, I used frozen peppers that has a mix of colored peppers and onions.
This was my 2nd attempt at cooking with tempeh and I'm sure now that I do not like it. However, this recipe actually made it somewhat bearable to eat which is why I still gave it 4 stars.
Very tasty. We ate them like sloppy joes the first time and then as a dip with chips and a dallup of greek yogurt on top. It had great texture with added red kidney beans.
A great recipe! I use Manwich instead of BBQ sauce to make them more like the sloppy joes my mom used to make. A quick, easy vegan dinner.
I followed the "most helpful" review which was the first one stating to boil in broth and then lightly brown in the pan. The tempeh did not taste bad at all.. in fact, it didn't really have much of a taste at all. BBQ sauce was the only thing i could taste. Don't get wrong, i love BBQ sauce and pretty much any condiment known to man, but this was a little over the top. MIGHT make again...
Delicious! As a vegetarian with a non-vegetarian family, I am always looking for versatile recipes the whole family will eat, and this was a winner! I doubled the tempeh but reduced the veggies a bit for my pickier eaters.
This recipe was just okay for my family. I followed all the tips I found in the reviews. It was the first time we had tried tempeh, and we used the 3-grain type. Didn't care for the texture. Might try again with a different type of tempeh that doesn't have big seeds in it.
Amazing! I've been vegan for over 7 years and haven't had BBQ since, and this was like a major (cruelty-free, i might add) blast from the past! :)
This was an awesome recipe! I am a college student always looking for fast and easy vegetarian dishes and this definitely ranks near the top of satisfying and simple. Tempeh is easy to keep around and extremely versatile for any of those think about trying it out. I just happened to have these ingredients (minus the rolls) so I just sliced the tempeh and peppers into strips. It actually takes away the whole sandwich part of the recipe but was equally as delicious.
Loved this recipe! It was incredibly easy to expand on - I added Szechuan sauce, garlic, and zucchini. A great way to introduce tempeh to newcomers, these are a snap to prepare in any quantity.
Great idea! The BBQ sauce was a little overwhelming. Next time I'll use a traditional sloppy Joe recipe.
This was my first time eating and cooking tempeh. The recipe was quick, easy and delicious. I didn’t alter anything and would definitely make this bbq recipe again.
YUM! I was looking for a "healthy" alternative to BBQ. Made some whole grain garlic bread and used yellow pepper, onion, adoboe, garlic, and carrots. Put the BBQ tempeh on top of hte toasted garlic bread and topped with cheese for an open faced bbq sandwich!
Great vegetarian alternative to my meat-ful summer BBQ! As recommended in other reviews, I simmered the tempeh in stock for 30 minutes before beginning this recipe. Delish!
I used half homemade BBQ sauce and half Sweet Baby Ray's. Really good! Our first time eating tempeh and everyone liked it.
This dish was delish! The only change I made was to add about 2 cloves of garlic to the onion/pepper saute mixture. My husband and I really enjoyed it!
It was pretty good (my first tempeh ever). I made my own BBQ sauce using tomato sauce, agave and spices. Instead of putting it on a bun, I used it as a topping for a baked sweet potato. Very healthy!
FANTASTIC! One thing I cannot do is cook but this recipe was a cinch! Delicious and simple to make, I think 1 cup of canned sloppy joe mix would work great in place of the barbecue sauce also. Thanks for sharing this recipe. This is something I will make often.
I will definitely make this again! I absolutely loved it! I made my own barbecue sauce. It was a hit at my house from ages 3 to 39! The tempeh was such a great texture and flavor! Yum!
This was so good!!! I added a clove of garlic and put it in a pita pocket. Definitely fullfilled my BBQ craving and was very filling as well. I highly recommend this recipe!! yum yum
This is a great recipe to get on the table fast. I needed to add more water to thin it out while it was heating. Pick a good barbeque sauce.
I will definitely make this again. Read a few who said tempeh is better after cooked in vegetable broth. That's what I did. Didn't have any green or red peppers, so I added mushrooms and onions and a garlic clove. Crumbled hot tempeh, added to the mix and added Smoky Jon's BBQ sauce. Amazing. First time tempeh user.
I love this recipe; it's absolutely perfect. Another review recommended simmering the tempeh brick in vegetable broth before crumbling it, which is a great idea. In the past, I have marinated the tempeh in pareve (vegetarian) chicken broth before cooking it.
this recipe was great. i used a half bbq/half teriyaki sauce. i'd make it for guests!
My friend John makes the BEST BBQ sauce I have ever tasted. I was never a big BBQ fan but I love his sauce. I recently went vegan so I was a little sad when I couldn't have any of John's brisket one day, but we brought home a jar of his sauce. I had some tempeh in the fridge but wasn't sure how to prepare it til I saw this recipe. Since I was new to tempeh, I didn't want to waste the sauce in case I didn't like it, so I only made enough for one sandwich. I used just a tiny bit of red and yellow peppers (what I had on hand) and opted not to use onion as I knew the sauce already had a kick to it. I think two entire peppers and an entire onion would be way too much for four sandwiches, unless you're just a big fan of them. I didn't have kaiser rolls so I just used some thin burger buns. I wasn't sure what to expect with the tempeh. It was good, but very crunchy. I heard somewhere to steam your tempeh first for about 10 minutes so I think I'll do that next time. But overall I thought this was really good. I really do think it has a lot to do with what sauce you use. Make sure you have one that you know you love already.
Delicious. My tweeks: I added a couple of cloves of garlic to the saute mix instead of onion. When I did add the bbq sauce, I added a dash of apple cider vinegar and cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic salt, minced onions, pepper, honey and paprika to taste- I think this upped the flavor quite a bit. Thanks for this idea...it's a very delicious recipe. Oh, and I microwaved the buns for 20 seconds to steam them rather than toasting- I like the texture better that way, plus it's quick.
Very easy - and super delish! I added lots of finely chopped veggies and served on whole wheat deli thins with sweet potato fries and salad! SUPER YUM!
Sorry, but this was pretty mediocre by our taste. Perhaps the kind of barbecue sauce that we use for meat dishes wasn't the right flavor to mix with the tempeh.
The whole family loved these and my hubby and 7 year old had seconds. My 4 year old and I were extremely full, so good. We will be making this again. *The secret is defiantly the BBQ Sauce, I bought Bull's-Eye Kansas City Style* (no high fructose corn syrup!
This was my first time eating tempeh. I'm still confused about if you're supposed to cook the tempeh beforehand or not. I opted for a bbq sauce without high fructose corn syrup. First bite...my thoughts were "bitter!!" I added agave nectar to cut the bitter flavor which worked very well. It took a few bites to adjust but by the end of the sandwich the bitter flavor actually started to grow on me.
I'm a baby vegan and this is the first vegan dish I have ever made. I was a bit apprehensive at first but it came out delicious. I didn't use the red pepper because the one I bought seemed like it turned but aside from that I followed the recipe exactly
hey, tastes like bbq sauce, but crunchier! made it just like the recipe and it was good. Not sure about the comment of tempeh being bitter. I never had it before, so just tried it straight. Strangely enough, it just tasted like soy beans! brand was Westsoy.
First time that I cooked with tempeh and was pleasantly impressed. Unfortunately, the first time that I bought it I was intimidated as I had just started on a vegan diet and so it spoiled. i won't let that happen again. I have two other bottled sauces in the frig. Thai peanut sauce and curry sauce. Can't wait to try them.
Fast, easy, relatively healthy, and pretty delicious! My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this (and neither of us are vegetarian). They are kind of like vegetarian Sloppy Joes. We will be eating this again.
This completely satisfied the craving I've had for sloppy joes since we went vegetarian. I recently discovered tempeh and my husband had the idea to try it in a barbecue/sloppy joe fashion so I went to good ole Allrecipes and found this. I made my own bbq sauce due to a lack of any pre made in my cabinets (ketchup, sugar, worchestershire sauce, etc) and we loved it. I, too, put it with some mayo-based cole slaw and it was fantastic. So fantastic, in fact, that I was sad my husband got the leftovers for lunch the next day before I did. Oh well - better luck next time (and there will totally be a next time!)
