Plan for a barbecue and you may be gearing up for some meat-and-sauce-heavy fare. Think ribs, pulled pork, chicken breasts, and more. You can lighten things up, still enjoy the same familiar barbecue flavors, and add some more nutrition — all without the meat.
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What Are the Health Benefits of Replacing Meat in Recipes?
These plant-based alternatives, like bean or mushroom burgers, pulled jackfruit, and grilled tofu, deliver health perks. Compared with meat-based fare, “some plant-based alternatives can be high in fiber and lower in calories and saturated fats,” says the Plant-Powered Dietitian, Sharon Palmer, RDN, who’s based in Duarte, California. Eating less red meat is also an environmentally friendly habit that reduces your carbon and water footprint, she says.
Even if you’re a meat-eater, you can still appreciate these recipes and their health benefits for you and the planet. Simply reducing meat, rather than eliminating it altogether (sometimes called a flexitarian diet) can be a big step in improving sustainability measures, as well as contributing to a reduction in the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers, according to a study published in May 2020 in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
Ideally your meal should include a good source of plant-based protein, like beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, or tofu, she says. Use familiar flavors and spices to make it the barbecue experience you know and love. Here are 10 recipes to get you started.
6-Ingredient Pulled Jackfruit
Jackfruit is … a fruit! After cooking, it takes on the texture of pulled meat. When combined with barbecue sauce, you’ll hardly notice the difference. This recipe from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken recommends buying young green jackfruit that’s packed in brine or water, not syrup. Jackfruit isn’t high in protein. One cup contains less than 3 grams of protein, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). But it does offer 2.48 grams (g) of fiber, or about 9 percent of your daily value (DV). Fiber is a nutrient imperative for healthy digestion, and it can help support a healthy weight, according to the Mayo Clinic. Turns out, most Americans don’t get enough (which would be at least 20 to 30 g per day), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health points out — yet this recipe can help you get your fix. What’s more, a typical pulled-pork sandwich can set you back about 440 calories, according to the USDA. This slimmed-down version contains only 262 calories!
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Grilled Spicy Asian Tofu
If you’re not a tofu convert yet, this flavorful recipe (that’s also vegan and gluten-free) will win you over. Tofu is marinated in a bath of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and spices, and then grilled until golden brown. “Tofu makes a nice stand-in for meat, as it takes on a meaty texture and you can serve it with other flavorful summer dishes on the side,” says Palmer, who developed this popular recipe. Still not persuaded? The USDA notes that a 3-ounce (oz) serving — about one-fifth of a typical block of tofu — provides 8 g of protein and only 5 g of fat. Plus, you’ll get 100 milligrams (mg) of calcium for 8 percent of the DV and 1.44 mg of iron for 8 percent of the DV. These are key nutrients that support healthy bones and blood, respectively, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The recipe makes four servings, and each serving has 193 calories, 13 g fat, 6 g carbohydrates, and 17 g protein.
Smoky Grilled Eggplant
Compared with the 176 calories in a 3.5-oz grilled, skinless chicken breast (which is very lean to begin with), the same amount of eggplant contains just 20 calories, according to the USDA. If you’re new to the veggie, try this recipe from Minimalist Baker. Eggplant is sliced, covered in a variety of spices (including smoked paprika, which gives it that smoky flavor akin to bacon) and grilled. You can adjust the number of servings to suit your needs. One serving has 94 calories, 4 g fat, 14 g carbs, and 2 g protein. Thanks to the eggplant, you also get fiber. One cup of cubed eggplant offers 5.4 g of fiber, covering about 19 percent of the DV. Each serving of the recipe supplies about the same amount.
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Easy Baked Barbecue Tempeh
If you're familiar with and versed in cooking tofu, give tempeh a whirl. Tempeh is made with fermented soybeans that have been molded into a firm shape. It’s easy to bake or toss on the grill as you would a chicken breast. Try this Easy Baked Barbecue Tempeh from Yummy Mummy. It is free of saturated fat — which in excess may contribute to high cholesterol, per the American Heart Association. Plus, it contains a moderate amount of carbs (15 g in this recipe), making it great if you’re on a low-carb diet, along with 10 g of protein and 151 calories per serving. (There are four servings total.)
Grilled Halloumi Kebabs With Mint Yogurt Sauce
Don’t underestimate cheese when you’re looking for a hearty vegetarian barbecue idea. Specifically, you’ll want a type of cheese called halloumi, which often comes in block form and can be sliced and — you guessed it — grilled without making a mess. Making Thyme for Health has a great idea: Grilled Halloumi Kebabs With Mint Yogurt Sauce. It combines halloumi with summer vegetables like zucchini and cherry tomatoes with a yummy sauce made from protein-packed plain Greek yogurt (one cup provides a whopping 21 g, per the USDA!) and refreshing mint. Best of all, this plant-based dish is fun to eat, with all the fixings served on wooden kebabs!
Barbecue Portobello Mushroom Sliders
Mushrooms FTW again! Portobello mushrooms in particular are often used as a meat replacement because, well, they deliver a similar texture and the satisfaction factor of meat. What’s more, mushrooms are known to support your immune system, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Try these Barbecue Portobello Mushroom Sliders from Love & Lemons. They're slathered with a homemade tangy barbecue sauce and then stacked on buns. Add all the burger fixings you already love. The sky’s the limit here, from arugula and avocado to jalapeños and smoked Gouda cheese.
Spicy Sorghum Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers
“If your goal is to replace meat on your plate, include a rich source of protein like tofu, tempeh, or a bean burger,” says Palmer. She says that all you need to make a great veggie burger is this formula: beans/lentils, grains, a binder (bread crumbs/oats), veggies, herbs, and spices. You can then batch cook them to add to salads or wraps for the week, or serve them at your next barbecue. Start off with Palmer’s Spicy Sorghum Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers, which have a sweet potato and black bean base and are vegan and gluten-free. In addition to the fiber from the black beans, sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A. A ½ cup serving of mashed sweet potatoes provides 1,140 micrograms (mcg), covering more than 100 percent of the DV, notes the USDA. Healthier vision, immunity, and organ function are among the reasons vitamin A is an essential nutrient, points out the NIH. Each burger has 146 calories, 4 g fat, 23 g carbs, 6 g protein, and 4 g fiber (covering about 14 percent of the DV).
One-Pot Barbecue Baked Beans
Much fanfare surrounds grilled cauliflower steaks or eggplant slices, but the thing to remember about these is that they are vegetables, and vegetables have very little protein, says Palmer. Meaning: This type of meal may not keep hunger at bay for long — unless you add something like beans for protein. One-Pot Barbecue Baked Beans from Minimalist Baker are ideal for your next backyard get-together. These feature dry pinto beans, bell pepper, and onion, and a whole pantry's worth of spices for big flavor. One tip: Definitely cook these from dry beans as instructed, which will produce out-of-this world creaminess. Per cup, cooked pinto beans (what the recipe calls for) offer 15.4 g of protein, notes the USDA. You can adjust the number of servings however you like. Per serving you get 259 calories, 2 g fat, 47 g carbs, and 13 g of protein, along with 10 g of fiber (for 36 percent of the DV).
Vegan Seitan Steak
Seitan is a wheat gluten product, but the way it’s pressed and formed, it has a mouthfeel similar to meat. (Stay away from it if you’re gluten-free.) According to the USDA, a 3.5-ounce serving supplies a whopping 19 g of protein and 2 g of iron, which is 11 percent of the DV — making it a good source of the mineral. Iron helps move oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body, according to the NIH. This recipe for vegan seitan steak takes you through the steps of using wheat gluten, lentils, and seasonings to create a richly flavored dish. The recipe makes four servings, and one serving provides 295 calories, 4 g fat, 22 g carbs, and 42 g protein.
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Try Sheet Cooking for a Grill-Like Result
Here's another twist on barbecue tempeh, and you don’t need a grill for it, either. This recipe from Making Thyme for Health pairs the soy food with summer vegetables like corn, mushrooms, and bell peppers for a complete plant-based meal. Toss tempeh cubes in your favorite sauce (go the extra mile and make Sarah Cook's linked vegan barbecue sauce) and pop it in the oven all on the same tray. You can also put everything on a grill tray for outdoor cooking. Each 100 g serving of tempeh has 20 g of filling protein, per the USDA.
Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES
Medical Reviewer
Lynn Grieger is a registered dietitian-nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, certified personal trainer, and certified health and wellness coach. She completed requirements to become a registered dietitian at Valparaiso University in 1987 and completed a dietetic internship at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois, in 1988.
Lynn brings her expertise in nutrition, exercise, and behavior change to her work in helping people reach their individual health and fitness goals. In addition to writing for Everyday Health, she has also written for websites and publications like Food and Health Communications, Today's Dietitian, iVillage.com, and Rodale Press. She has a passion for healthy, nutrient-dense, great-tasting food and for being outdoors as much as possible — she can often be found running or hiking, and has completed a marathon in every state.
Jessica Migala
Author
Jessica Migala is a freelance writer with over 15 years of experience, specializing in health, nutrition, fitness, and beauty. She has written extensively about vision care, diabetes, dermatology, gastrointestinal health, cardiovascular health, cancer, pregnancy, and gynecology. She was previously an assistant editor at Prevention where she wrote monthly science-based beauty news items and feature stories.
She has contributed to more than 40 print and digital publications, including Cosmopolitan, O:The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Woman’s Day, Women’s Health, Fitness, Family Circle, Health, Prevention, Self, VICE, and more. Migala lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, two young boys, rescue beagle, and 15 fish. When not reporting, she likes running, bike rides, and a glass of wine (in moderation, of course).