Forget the BBQ ribs, chicken, or pork. Tempeh is where it’s at. This meal will definitely please any meat and potatoes lover 🙂

For this recipe, I wanted to keep things quick and easy so I used Trader Joe’s bottled BBQ sauce. You could make your own from scratch, but in a pinch this worked just fine.

BBQ Tempeh with Seasoned Baked Potatoes
serves 2
Ingredients:
1 block tempeh
1/2 cup Trader Joe’s BBQ sauce (or sauce of choice)
honey
2 medium russet potatoes
salt
fresh ground black pepper
garlic powder

Directions:
1. The key to flavorful tempeh is in the prep work. I strongly recommend you steam your tempeh for 10 minutes prior to seasoning, marinating, and cooking. Steaming helps to loosen the tempeh and allows it to soak up whatever seasonings you decide to use. So, for the BBQ recipe, I decided to create thin strips. Cut tempeh in half to create two squares. Then slice each half so the squares are half as thick. Cut the thin squares into strips of desired size. Steam tempeh strips for 10 minutes. Remove from steamer pot and place into a ziplock bag with the 1/2 cup BBQ sauce. Move the tempeh around to make sure each piece is coated with the sauce. Let marinate in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 375F. Scrub potatoes and dry completely. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and, using a fork, poke holes around the potatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Massage oil and seasonings into the potatoes. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

3. When the potatoes have about 15 minutes of cooking time left, prepare the tempeh. Spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Place marinated tempeh into the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes, flip and continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes.

4. Divide tempeh onto plates and drizzle with honey. The honey adds a touch of sweetness that pairs so well with the BBQ. Serve alongside the baked potato and enjoy. I also decided to add in a serving of broccoli for added nutrients.

So simple and easy. Besides the cooking time of the potatoes, this is a easy-prep, weeknight meal!