Just like the McRib probably doesn’t actually have meat in it, this recipe doesn’t either! Tempeh continues to be weird but slathered in BBQ sauce on a bun with caramelized onions? Less weird!

As always, if you dig this recipe, tag me at @draggedthroughthegarden on instagram and we can talk about barbecue sauce.

BBQ Tempeh Sandwich. Hope you have a towel.

BBQ TEMPEH SANDWICH

prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 35 minutes

You may have to unhinge your jaw for this one.

This recipe requires you to dry rub your tempeh, bake it and then sear it. Then you make a coleslaw and caramelize some onions and throw it all on a French roll with pickles!

To start, you’re going to prep your tempeh.

What you’ll need:

tempeh
salt
pepper
garlic powder
nutmeg
smoked paprika
brown sugar
clove
olive oil

Preheat your oven to 300°. Open your tempeh up and put it on a plate. Add a little bit of olive oil to it and rub it all up and down that thang. This will ensure that your seasonings actually stick. In a bowl, mix a tablespoon of all the aforementioned seasonings except brown sugar. For the brown sugar, add three tablespoons. Once you have a spice mixture that’s mostly brown sugar, add all of it to the tempeh and rub it on there as evenly as possible.

Should end up looking something like this. Maybe less messy though.

On a baking sheet, add a little bit of olive oil so when you bake the tempeh, it doesn’t rib the crust off. Put the tempeh in the oven for 20 minutes. While the tempeh is cooking you can get the other components of the sandwich together. Caramelized onions and coleslaw.

What you’ll need:

shredded cabbage (or some kind of dry coleslaw mix)
vegan mayo
apple cider vinegar
white onion
olive oil
liquid aminos
vegan butter

First, we’ll knock out the coleslaw. Add one part cabbage/slaw to one part mayo. Add a splash of vinegar. That’s it.

Now in a pan, add some oil and bring it up to a medium flame and dice up half an onion. Or more if you want. Once your pan is of temp, add the onions and let them do their thing for a while. Stir only occasionally to ensure they brown nicely. Just don’t burn them. When you stir, add a little knob of vegan butter and then a few dashes of liquid aminos. Or soy sauce. Whatever.

Still some time left on these but you get the idea.

Next, remove the onions from the pan when they’re finished cooking and set aside for now. Pop the tempeh out of the oven because now it’s time to apply barbecue sauce and sear the living shit out of it. Keep the oven on for a minute though.

What you’ll need:

the baked tempeh
olive oil
barbecue sauce of your choosing
liquid smoke (optional)
pickles (for later)

Coat the tempeh with barbecue sauce and heat up olive oil in the same pan from earlier. You don’t need to wipe it, but bring the flame up to medium-high so you can sear the tempeh appropriately. Throw the tempeh in there and you will hear an immediate sizzle. Also, move quickly for this part!

Threw a small piece of onion in there to test the water.

Let the tempeh cook for a little on the one side without moving it. This will develop a crust and if you move it, you will lose it. Continue to apply barbecue sauce as needed and maybe a little liquid smoke if you have it. When you see that the bottom is browning nicely, flip it carefully and repeat the process. If you lose a little bit of crust, don’t fret - it will be okay.

Continue to be generous with your sauce and by the time that thing looks don’t, pop it out onto a cutting board or something to cool on.

Next, while your tempeh cools off, get out a French roll and apply a little bit of olive oil to the inside of it. Assuming your oven is still on, place the roll face down right on the grates of the oven for about five minutes. It’s at a low heat still, it’s cool.

When your bread is cooked, pop it out and add pickles and your coleslaw mix.

I left the carrots and stuff in there because whatever. This will serve as a lovely bedding for your saucy slab.

You may have to chop a piece off the end of the tempeh to ensure it fits on the roll properly, so when you do — brush a little bit of sauce on the bare side. Good as new! Add the saucy slab and then a bunch of those caramelized onions. Now unhinge your jaw completely and eat this thing.