Grilled Tempeh with Sesame-Lime Marinade

This delicious grilled tempeh is a winning recipe and an excellent meat-free option for your next barbecue. Featuring lime juice, sesame oil, and various spices, the mouth-watering marinade takes this popular plant-based ingredient and sends it into the stratosphere.

When it comes to vegan barbecuing, I enjoy shop-bought burgers and sausages as much as the next person. But creating something yourself that'll put a smile on faces without any of the food-industry additives? That's always worth giving a go.

Looking for more top-notch vegan barbecue recipes this summer? Check out these grilled tofu skewers and this teriyaki grilled aubergine.

Why you'll love this grilled tempeh

• The marinade is mouth-watering
• The lime juice takes it to another level
• Tempeh is an excellent source of plant-based protein
• It makes for a great vegan meat substitute at barbecues without always relying on burgers and sausages (although there's nothing wrong with those)

Can you grill tempeh?

You certainly can! You'll just want to make sure the pieces are large enough to sit across the grill bars and you've used a good marinade to add plenty of flavour.

I usually cook with fresh tempeh found in the refrigerated section of stores or supermarkets, i.e. not frozen or jarred (which are also available).

Fancy trying out more vegan tempeh recipes? Take a look at these: 👇

Recipe testing notes

• Microwaving: Tempeh isn't always bitter, and so it's not always necessary to try and soften the taste. If you do want to, however, microwaving the tempeh in a little water is a great trick to use instead of steaming (as it essentially does the same thing).
• Marinating time: For the best results, prepare the tempeh ahead of time and marinate for several hours or even overnight.
• Grilling: The barbecue/grill you use will have an impact on the cooking time. Feel free to adjust the heat and move the pieces around to find the best spots.
• Excess marinade: By continuing to brush this over during cooking, you'll add more flavour while preventing the tempeh from drying out too much.
• Pan-frying: The first time I tested the flavours in this new recipe, I fried the tempeh in a pan and also got great results.

What you'll need

To make this top-drawer barbecued tempeh, you'll need:

• Fresh tempeh as the star of the show
• Spices in the form of cumin, coriander, garlic, smoked paprika, and chilli
• Tamari and sesame oil for classic Asian-inspired flavours
• Agave syrup for sweetness
• Lime juice to help marinate the tempeh and bring it to life

How to make delicious grilled tempeh

Cut the tempeh into 6-8 even slices, roughly ½ inch thick. You want them to be large enough to sit across grill bars and a consistent size to ensure even cooking.

Optional step: To help remove any bitterness, add the pieces to a wide microwaveable bowl with a small amount of water and microwave for a couple of minutes.

Remove and set aside.

Discard any water from the bowl, then add all of the remaining ingredients to this.

Mix well to create your marinade.

Add the tempeh pieces to the marinade bowl, making gentle fork pricks in each to help absorb the flavours.

Make sure everything is well coated, then marinate in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, but ideally several hours or overnight.

Continue to coat the pieces in the marinade from time to time.

Preheat the barbecue/grill to a medium heat.

Brush the bars with a little oil, then add the tempeh pieces and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked through and starting to crisp up on the outside.

Brush with extra marinade during cooking and be careful when turning over (use tongs or oven gloves if necessary).

Once cooked, remove the grilled tempeh from the heat, brush once again with the remaining marinade, and serve.

Serving suggestions

Serve the grilled tempeh as is or top with sesame seeds, sliced spring onions, and fresh coriander. You could also drizzle with vegan raita or cashew lime crema for something a little different.

I've hand-picked a few serving suggestions below (you can also check out my full list of vegan side dishes):

Recipe FAQ

Variations and tips for grilled tempeh

• Spices: If you don't have all of the spices listed in the recipe, just work with what you have. You could also replace the spices (just over two teaspoons in total) with two teaspoons of your favourite spice blend.
• Tempeh alternatives: This marinade would also work well with tofu, mushrooms, or veg such as aubergine.

More vegan recipe ideas

If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy:

You can also check out my full list of vegan BBQ recipes.