BBQ Tempeh with Crunchy Slaw
Sliced tempeh brushed with a smoky glaze of tomato paste, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and smoked paprika, baked until sticky and caramelized, then served over brown rice with a crisp red cabbage and carrot slaw brightened with lime and scallions.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This is a hearty, weeknight-friendly dinner for anyone who wants a plant-forward plate that still eats like a full meal. The baked tempeh carries the smoky, sweet-tangy pull of barbecue, while the raw slaw keeps the plate fresh and crunchy so it never feels heavy. It works just as well for someone cooking for a family as for one person batching lunches for the week.
Glaze it twice, not once. Tempeh is dense and a little dry on its own, so painting on the tomato-paste-and-maple sauce, then reapplying it halfway, builds up a caramelized, lacquered surface as the sugars concentrate in the hot oven. The balsamic vinegar adds acidity that keeps the sweetness in check, and the smoked paprika gives that grilled-over-coals flavor without any grill. Massaging the cabbage with lime and oil softens its raw bite while keeping the crunch, so the slaw is tender enough to eat easily but still snappy against the sticky tempeh.
It carries an afternoon on the interplay of textures and the staying power of the ingredients. Tempeh is a good source of plant protein and fiber, brown rice brings slow, steady carbohydrates and more fiber, and the cabbage and carrot pile on crunch and color. Together they make a plate that fills you up and holds you for hours, with the smoky glaze and the bright lime pulling against each other the way barbecue and slaw are supposed to.
Ingredients
- 21 oz tempeh, sliced
- 6 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 cups shredded red cabbage
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
- 3 scallions, sliced
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Have the rice ready: This builds on brown rice that is already cooked, so warm it through while the tempeh bakes, since a cold bed under a hot glaze makes the whole plate lukewarm. Starting from dry instead, rinse the rice under cool water until it runs clear and simmer it until the grains are tender and the water is absorbed, about 40 to 45 minutes, then fluff it with a fork.
- Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment. Slice the tempeh into planks about a quarter inch thick. Shred the red cabbage finely, shred the carrots, and thinly slice the scallions, keeping the scallions separate, since they go on raw at the end where they stay sharp.
- Make the glaze: In a bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, the maple syrup, the balsamic vinegar, and the smoked paprika with a splash of water, adding a little more water as needed until it becomes a smooth, brushable barbecue sauce. Keep it loose enough to brush, because a thick paste sits on the tempeh in lumps instead of glazing it.
- Bake the tempeh: Arrange the tempeh slices in a single layer on the baking sheet and brush them generously with the glaze. Bake for 10 minutes, then brush again with more glaze and bake another 10 minutes, until the tempeh is deeply colored and the glaze looks sticky and set. The second coat is the one that builds the lacquer, which is what makes this taste like barbecue rather than like a sauced vegetable.
- Toss the slaw: In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage and carrot with the lime juice, the olive oil, and the salt. Massage it with your hands for a minute or two until the cabbage softens slightly and turns glossy, since raw cabbage stays tough and squeaky without it.
- Plate and serve: Spoon the brown rice onto plates, top with the baked tempeh and a generous pile of slaw, and garnish with the sliced scallions. Scrape any glaze left on the pan over the top, because that caramelized edge is the best of it.
Variations
- Extra smoky heat: Whisk a pinch of chipotle powder or a spoonful of adobo sauce into the glaze for a deeper, spicier barbecue flavor.
- Citrus-ginger slaw: Add freshly grated ginger and a little orange zest to the slaw for a brighter, more aromatic crunch.
- Grain swap: Serve the tempeh and slaw over quinoa or farro instead of brown rice for a different texture and a nuttier flavor. Farro adds gluten.
- Lettuce wraps: Skip the rice and pile the glazed tempeh and slaw into crisp romaine or butter lettuce leaves for a lighter, handheld version.
- Peanut slaw: Toss a spoonful of natural peanut butter and a splash of warm water into the slaw dressing for a creamy, savory twist. This adds nuts.
Storage & Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Keep the tempeh, rice, and slaw in separate compartments if you can, since the slaw will slowly release liquid and stay crispest on its own.
Reheat the tempeh and rice together in a covered dish in the microwave until warmed through, or crisp the tempeh in a dry skillet over medium heat to bring back some of its sticky edge. Add the slaw cold, straight from the fridge, after reheating so it keeps its crunch.
To get ahead, bake the tempeh and cook the rice up to three days in advance and keep them chilled. Shred the cabbage and carrot and store them dry, then dress the slaw with the lime, oil, and salt just before serving so it does not go limp.
Notes & Tips
- Buy tempeh that looks clean: Choose a firm block with an even, pale color and maybe a few harmless gray or black spots from the culture; avoid any with pink, blue, or fuzzy mold. Slicing it thin gives more surface area for the glaze to caramelize.
- Steam out the bitterness: If you are sensitive to tempeh's slightly bitter edge, steam the slices for about ten minutes before glazing. It mellows the flavor and helps the tempeh drink up more of the barbecue sauce.
- Thicken or loosen the glaze: The glaze should coat the back of a spoon. If it is too thick to brush, add water a little at a time; if it slides off, let it sit a minute so the tomato paste can absorb the liquid.
- Massage the slaw with your hands: Working the lime, oil, and salt into the cabbage by hand breaks down its raw stiffness faster than tossing with tongs and coaxes out just enough moisture to keep it crisp but not tough.
- Season the slaw to taste: Cabbage varies in sweetness, so taste before serving and adjust with an extra squeeze of lime for brightness or another pinch of salt to make the flavors pop.
- Double the batch for lunches: The glazed tempeh and rice reheat well all week, so bake and cook extra. Keep the cabbage and carrot shredded but undressed, and toss a fresh serving of slaw each day so it stays crunchy.
Nutrition & Mindful Eating
- Tempeh, brown rice and raw cabbage are three very different textures on one plate. The tempeh is dense and chewy, the rice is soft, and the slaw stays crisp the whole way through, so the bowl carries protein, whole grain and something fresh at once.
- Tempeh is whole soybeans held together by a culture, which is why it has that firm, nutty bite. The fermentation gives it a savory depth, and it brings complete plant protein and fiber with it.
- Brown rice keeps its bran, so the grains stay separate and chewy and taste faintly of the grain itself, and that intact bran is where the fiber lives.
- Red cabbage and carrot shredded raw are the crunch, and the cabbage holds on to its magenta color and its anthocyanins right through the meal because nothing ever hits it with heat.
- The sauce is where the smoke comes from. Tomato paste cooked down concentrates into something deep and savory, the paprika brings the barbecue note, and the balsamic and lime keep the maple in line.
- As you eat, pay attention to the way the cold slaw lands after a forkful of warm sticky tempeh, and slow down between bites enough to notice when you have had enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
My tempeh tastes bitter. How do I fix that?
Some brands have a stronger, more bitter edge. Steaming the slices for about ten minutes before glazing mellows it, and the sweet-tangy barbecue glaze plus the double bake help mask any lingering bitterness.
Can I make this on the grill instead of baking it?
Yes. Grill the glazed tempeh slices over medium heat, brushing with more glaze as they cook, until they are marked and sticky. The smoked paprika in the glaze pairs especially well with real grill char.
Why is my slaw watery?
Salt draws moisture out of cabbage over time. Dress the slaw right before serving rather than in advance, and if you are storing it, keep the shredded vegetables dry and undressed until you plate.
Can I use a different vinegar in the glaze?
Balsamic gives the glaze its dark, mellow sweetness, but apple cider vinegar works in a pinch; it is sharper, so start with a little less and add a touch more maple syrup to balance it.