Made from whole fermented soybeans and sometimes a mix of grains, tempeh has a firmer, chewier texture than tofu, but it is just as good at soaking up flavor. For an easy grilled tempeh recipe, we cubed and skewered the tempeh. The tempeh cubes took on great char and stayed intact on the grill. We paired the tempeh with a tangy, molasses-y pantry sauce, which tempered its slightly bitter flavor. Firm, sweet red bell peppers and juicy, savory mushrooms turned out to be great contrasting companions. We thinneda portion of our sauce with oil and water for a simple marinade that infused the tempeh with barbecue flavor and made it pleasingly soft and moist. After we got good char on our skewers, we brushed on some sauce as they cooked for a syrupy glaze and applied another coat when they were hot off the grill. You will need eight 12-inch metal skewers for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 cups ketchup
- 6 tablespoons molasses
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup water
- 1 pound tempeh, cut into 1½-inch-thick pieces
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed
- 2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1½-inch pieces
- Whisk ketchup, molasses, vinegar, hot sauce, and liquid smoke, if using, together in bowl. Measure 1 cup sauce into second bowl, whisk in oil and water, then transfer to 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Add tempeh, mushrooms, and bell peppers to bag, press out air, seal, and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, flipping bag occasionally.
- Remove tempeh and vegetables from marinade and thread in alternating order onto eight 12-inch metal skewers. Pat dry with paper towels. For a Charcoal Grill
- Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. For a Gas Grill
- Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Place skewers on grill and cook (covered if using gas), turning as needed, until tempeh is well browned and vegetables are tender and slightly charred, 8 to 12 minutes.
- Brush skewers with ¼ cup reserved sauce, flip, and cook until sizzling and well browned, about 1 minute. Brush second side of skewers with ¼ cup sauce, flip, and cook until well browned, about 1 minute. Transfer skewers to platter and brush with ¼ cup sauce. Serve with remaining sauce.
