Foods & cuts · Soya bean
Tempeh
Fermented whole soya beans bound into a firm cake. Denser and drier than tofu, and it holds together where tofu breaks.
What it is
- Form
- Cut pieces
- Typical weight
- 150–300 g
- Typical thickness
- 8–15 mm
- Cut
- Not a cut of anything
Why it behaves as it does
Tempeh and tofu are made from the same bean and are not interchangeable on a grill. Tempeh is whole beans bound by fermentation, so it is dense, dry and structurally sound — it takes marinade poorly for the same reason it holds together well. Tofu is a curd: wetter, blander, more absorbent and far more fragile. Substituting one for the other changes the handling completely, which is why BBQHQ models them separately rather than as a single plant-protein entry.
When is it done?
Food-safety endpoint
BBQHQ holds no food-safety rule for this food. We are not showing you another jurisdiction’s figure in its place — check your national food-safety authority.
When it goes wrong
- It stuck to the grate
- Tofu stuck, crumbled or never browned — 3 distinguishable causes.
- It fell apart
- Tofu stuck, crumbled or never browned — 3 distinguishable causes.
- It never browned
- Tofu stuck, crumbled or never browned — 3 distinguishable causes.
Also relevant to tempeh
Afterwards
Cooling, keeping and reheating what is left is general guidance for barbecue leftovers. Neither UK authority publishes anything specific to tempeh, and BBQHQ does not invent a distinction they do not make.