Grilling could not get any simpler with Filipino barbecue sauce. With just four ingredients (three when grilling outdoors), you’ll have yourself a flavorful barbecue dish with very little effort. All the ingredients could be found at major supermarkets, if they’re not already in your pantry.
The version of Filipino barbecue sauce I’m referring to is the street food kind. The one that uses ketchup, brown sugar, and oil to get the job done. I remember growing up, street vendors would generously brush this humble yet flavorful concoction on their skewered products. Unfortunately, I don’t recall seeing any vegan option on the grill. But that didn’t stop me from creating a vegan one. If anything, it only challenged me to create one.
When applying the sauce, the Filipino vendors would use a brush cleverly made of barbecue stick and cut banana leaves. Please feel free to recreate one if you’re so inclined. Otherwise, a simple brush, even your fork, would work just fine.
You could smother the sauce on to your choice of vegan protein -tofu, tempeh, mushroom, seitan, etc. and serve with your favorite starch and salad for a well-balanced meal.
I’ve tried it on oyster mushrooms before and my family loved every bite. From there, I thought of other ingredients I could use the sauce with, like tempeh.
For those not familiar with tempeh, it’s a soybean cake that’s heartier and less processed than tofu. Tempeh is widely used in Indonesian cuisine and has found its way to other cuisines as well (I suspect because of veganism). Vegans love tempeh because it’s a wonderful alternative to meat. Just make sure to steam the tempeh before cooking so it will taste less beany and more nutty.
- 1 block tempeh, cut into triangles or any desired shape
For the Filipino barbecue sauce:- ¼ cup tomato ketchup
- ¼ cup - ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (if grilling indoors)
- Steam tempeh on steamer basket or colander, with boiling water underneath, for 15 minutes.
- In wide shallow glass container, whisk ketchup and sugar. Pour oil and gently mix.
- Arrange tempeh in sauce and flip to coat both sides. Cover and marinate for an hour or overnight.
- Plug-in indoor grill (or prepare outdoor grill at medium heat). Grill tempeh until browned. Brush in more sauce. Flip to grill other side.
- Transfer to a plate and serve.
For a healthier version, use stevia instead of brown sugar and omit the oil.
In the US, regular brown sugar is not vegan. I suggest going with organic brown sugar, which is vegan.
If you're in a rush, you could skip the marinating and brush sauce all over tempeh when grilling. However, just take note that the tempeh will not absorb as much flavor as leaving it to marinate.
You might have noticed that I instructed to gently mix in the oil instead of rigorously whisking it with ketchup. Based from experience, I've learned that the tempeh tastes more flavorful if the fat is somewhat separated from the ketchup.
Tempeh is a soy bean cake with a mild nutty flavor. You could buy it at Asian grocery stores and health food stores such as Rainbow Grocery, Sprouts, Whole Foods, etc.
Now it’s your turn. You could either prepare the night before and cook the next day. I would usually prepare it before my errands and come back to it ready to be cooked then devoured.
As you could see in the photos, I served my grilled tempeh with red rice, greens salad, and minced vegetables. To make the greens salad, I mixed kale, radish, garbanzo beans, pears, avocado and drizzled with lemon juice and sprinkled with sea salt. I also minced tomatoes, red onions, avocado, and scallions. I did not measure the portions because there’s no science behind them; I just filled all kinds of vegetables to my heart’s content. Feel free to do the same and use your favorite dressing.
I hope you have fun with this highly versatile barbecue sauce. You could enjoy it as is or in salads, sandwiches, pastas, and more. I’ve used this sauce for many applications and my delighted guests could never guess the simple ingredients behind it. But now you do, thanks to the Filipino street vendors who have originated the recipe and have given me the idea and inspiration to veganize it. Kain na, let’s eat!