There’s a restaurant in my neighborhood that has a vegetarian Nashville Hot “Chicken” Sandwich made with tempeh that is sooo good even though it hurts sooo bad. Spicy food lovers, you know what I’m talking about, right? Well, I wanted to make something similar at home, but I decided to go the buffalo sauce route instead. Fresh avocado and a super simple ranch slaw offer just the right amount of creaminess to dampen the flames of the homemade buffalo sauce, plus they give a much needed dose of vegetables to keep things fresh. Heat seekers, you’re going to love this one!!
This Buffalo Tempeh Sandwich would pair really well with Cumin Lime Sweet Potatoes!
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What is Tempeh?
Tempeh is an awesome vegetarian protein source made from fermented soy beans, or sometimes other beans and grains. It has an awesome texture that is firm, but kind of soft, and offers a lot more in the way of mouthfeel than tofu. Tempeh takes on the flavor of whatever you add to it, which makes it incredibly versatile. You’ll find tempeh in the refrigerated area of the grocery store, near the tofu and other meat substitutes. You can scroll down to the step by step photos to see what it looks like uncooked. :)
To Substitute or Not to Substitute…
Please do not substitute or leave out the avocado or ranch slaw. 🙏 These two things in combination with the buffalo sauce create perfect balance. Take away any one of the three and these buffalo tempeh sandwiches just won’t have the same magic.
If you’re not into sandwiches, you can serve this as a wrap, or even over a bed of greens or rice as a bowl meal!
Not into tempeh? You can totally do this with chicken, too. Either cook up pieces of chicken breast or thighs in a skillet like I did with the tempeh, then drench it in the sauce, or use pulled meat from a rotisserie chicken.
What Hot Sauce Should I Use?
During the testing phase of this recipe I made the buffalo sauce with both Tabasco and the Louisiana Hot Sauce shown in the photos below. The Louisiana sauce was head and shoulders better than the Tabasco, IMHO. I hear Franks Hot Sauce is also pretty good, but I didn’t get a chance to try that one. The flavor of your hot sauce will greatly determine the flavor of your buffalo sauce, so make sure you have one that you like! :)
Buffalo Tempeh Sandwiches
Servings 2 to 4 sandwichesIngredients
Buffalo Sauce
- 2 Tbsp melted butter ($0.26)
- 3 Tbsp hot sauce ($0.36)
- 1/8 tsp smoked paprika ($0.02)
- 1/16 tsp garlic powder ($0.01)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)
Fried Tempeh
- 8 oz. tempeh ($3.19)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
Ranch Slaw
- 8 oz. coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrot) ($0.60)
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing ($0.31)
Sandwiches
- 2 large hoagie rolls* ($1.15)
- 1 avocado ($0.99)
Instructions
- Whisk together the melted butter, hot sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Set the buffalo sauce aside. The sauce may thicken as the butter cools, but it can be heated through again just before use to smooth it out.
- Add the coleslaw mix to a large bowl, then pour the ranch dressing over top. Stir until the shredded cabbage and carrots are coated in dressing, then refrigerate until you’re ready to build the sandwiches.
- Slice the tempeh into 1/4-inch thick slices. Heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a large skillet over medium. Once the skillet and oil are hot, swirl to coat the surface of the skillet in oil, then add the tempeh slices. Fry the slices until golden brown on the bottom, then flip and cook on the second side. Add an additional tablespoon of oil for the second side, if needed (tempeh tends to absorb the oil).
- Place the fried tempeh slices in a bowl. Reheat the buffalo sauce and stir until smooth (microwave 15 seconds), then pour it over the tempeh. Stir the tempeh until it is coated in buffalo sauce.
- To build the sandwiches, lay down a thick layer of the ranch slaw on a roll, then top with the buffalo tempah and sliced avocado. Enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Buffalo Tempeh Sandwiches – Step by Step Photos
To make the buffalo sauce, combine 2 Tbsp melted butter, 3 Tbsp hot sauce, 1/8 tsp smoked paprika, 1/16th tsp garlic powder, and 1/8 tsp salt. Stir until smooth, then set the sauce aside. The sauce will thicken as the butter begins to cool, so you may need to reheat it briefly later just before you coat the tempeh.
I know there are a lot of strong opinions about hot sauce out there, LOL. This is the one I used. I have also made this buffalo sauce with Tabasco and found it very inferior to this brand, so just so you know the hot sauce does make a difference.
To make the ranch slaw, place 8 oz. coleslaw mix (that’s the bagged shredded cabbage and carrots that you can buy in the produce department) in a large bowl and add 1/4 cup ranch dressing. Stir until the slaw is coated in ranch, then refrigerate until you’re ready to build your sandwiches. I do suggest buying a good thick and rich ranch for this. I used Ken’s Steakhouse brand.
Now on to the tempeh! This is what it looks like. It comes in a sort of “brick” and you can actually see the soy beans, unlike tofu. Slice the tempeh into 1/4-inch thick slices.
Heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a large skillet over medium. Once hot, swirl to coat the surface of the skillet, then add the tempeh slices. Fry the slices until they are golden brown on the bottom, then flip and cook on the second side. You may need to add an additional tablespoon of oil for the second side, since the tempeh tends to absorb the oil.
Once the tempeh slices are golden and crispy, transfer them to a large bowl. Microwave the buffalo sauce for about 15 seconds to heat it up and smooth it out again, then pour it over the tempeh slices. Stir until the tempeh is coated in buffalo sauce.
Now it’s time to build the sandwiches! Pile a generous amount of the ranch slaw onto a roll (either two large hoagie rolls or four smaller round hamburger-sized rolls), then top with the buffalo tempeh slices, and sliced avocado.
And that’s it! Your spicy-creamy-tangy Buffalo Tempeh Sandwich is ready to eat! (funny story: I thought I was buying bbq chips, but accidentally bought Nashville Hot Chicken flavored chips. Talk about a SPICY meal! )
Would tofu work instead of tempeh?
I think that would be great!
Modified this into a “bowl” format to cut out the bread and save some calories. SO. FLIPPING. GOOD.
Yum! I didn’t make your recipe exactly because I had Lifelight Tempeh that came pre seasoned in Buffalo sauce and I added a slice of Vevan cheddar, but oh man this sandwich was so good! Spicy, Creamy and full of flavor
Am I reading the caloric count correctly? Over 1K calories?
Nutrition facts calculated using an ingredient database this way are always going to be a rough estimate at best. It will vary a lot depending on the actual ingredients you use. For this recipe, it probably calculated so high because of the large hoagie rolls, avocado, and tempeh.
Holy smokes! The flavor combination in these sandwiches is the bomb-dot-com. It’s officially my new favorite sandwich (hubby is obsessed too!). Even after eating this for lunch for 4 days in a row, I STILL cannot get enough.
Also, it’s totally worth making your own vegan ranch for the ‘slaw from scratch. I’ve never really been able to find a store bought vegan option that I liked, and turns out you only need a few simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand. It’s a game changer, trust me.
Would give 10 stars if possible. And normally I do not like coleslaw. Do yourself a favor and make this magnificent sandwich. Right. Now.
This recipe turned out great! Though I wouldn’t call it a $6.90 meal. Here in California a single Avocado alone is at least half the proposed price.
Accidentally bought seitan instead of tempeh, is it usable here or not so much?
I’m an Australian vegetarian, so I’ve never tried buffalo anything until now. I saved a bunch of recipes on this site last week and this is the second one I’ve attempted. It’s amazing! The only substitute I made were the rolls. Hoagies (subs??) aren’t a thing here so I used sourdough ones and they worked just fine. This recipe was super easy to make and I think it’ll go into high rotation. Thank you for the intro to something new and delicious!
I read a few comments and saw a few suggestions for BBQ instead of spicy sauce, but… what if you can’t do spicy and also hate BBQ? I really want to try this but don’t know what to use instead. Any ideas? I could maybe try and mix some ranch in to dilute the hot sauce, I could maybe handle that. I like tomatey sauces or creamy sauces… any suggestions? If not, I’ll give the recipe a go as is and see how I go lol. not your responsibility to find me a substitute but just figured i’d ask :) love your recipes!
Hmm, I think BBQ or Buffalo are the only two sauce ideas that come to mind for me, unfortunately. I would think ranch would be too much creamy in addition to the coleslaw. The nice thing about the buffalo or BBQ sauces is that they offer a nice contrast to the creamy slaw.
I think a teriyaki sauce could work!
“White BBQ Sauce”
1 cup vegan mayo
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp hot sauce (optional)
salt, pepper to taste
-OR just season the tempeh with stuff you like
Beth, this was excellent! We’ve been trying to stick to plant-based meals lately, so tempeh has been a staple in the house. I was skeptical initially about the ranch slaw (I’m from Buffalo and blue cheese is usually standard), but I used your homemade ranch recipe and the flavors were perfect.
I made one modification: I didn’t have any bread on hand, so I used corn tortillas. Turns out that this recipe makes great tacos too!
Thank you so much for all of your recipes! I do nearly all of the cooking and meal planning at my house, and your website has been an amazing resource over the last several years. The step-by-step photos are such a helpful addition! Thank you for making our lives a bit easier.
Please keep the new recipes coming! Any veggie-friendly (especially tempeh-based) stuff is definitely welcome!
Great idea to make into tacos!
We just had these for dinner and they were FANTASTIC. OMG I love this recipe!
Yum! I’ve been trying desperately for a way to recreate Nashville Hot Tempeh as well! I’ve had this recipe and love it but wondering if you will ever try again for Nashville Hot? It seems to be more of a dry rub, but I’m trying to figure out how to coat the tempeh with a dry rub, make it stick, AND recreate that “crunch” you usually get from the skin.
Would love if you tried it out, as I’m sure you’d be much more successful in finding the trick than an :)
Thanks for your recipes! They make such a good impact on my ability to be veg and still make yummy dinners I can afford.
I don’t think there is any way to recreate that crunch without breading and frying the tempeh, unfortunately. :) Frying is just really unique that way!
I think this is the best way I’ve ever had tempeh! So good!
Wow! I made these last week and I’m still thinking about them! These sandwiches are HUGE and very messy; a napkin is recommended. I’ve made them both with tempeh and chicken. Trader Joe’s has tempeh for $1.99 so if you have one in your area, check it out! I’ll definitly be making it again.
What could be used as a non spicy substitute? My partner cant eat spicy food. Would bbq sauce work???
Yes, BBQ sauce would be awesome. :)
These are so good! I use vegan ranch, butter etc and make them vegan!
I veganized it as well. OMG, it was delicious! The creamy slaw and “butter” make a HUGE difference.
Hello,
I’m currently making them right now for my work lunches! are these freezable, i realized i might’ve made too much for a short work week haha
This one probably won’t freeze so well, unfortunately.
Honestly one of my absolute FAVORITE vegetarian recipes that I’ve come across. It’s so simple, so cheap, the tempeh and avocado are a harmoniously nutritious touch, and it’s delicious! I use chipotle Cholula as my hot sauce. Thank you so much for this recipe and this website.
I don’t like ranch dressing; could I use blue cheese dressing instead?
Blue cheese would be awesome! :)
So good! I used Crystal hot sauce- I just can’t help it :)
I baked up some quick rolls today and made these for dinner — they were wonderful, thank you for the recipe! I’m almost sad that we ate it all, because I bet the tempeh would only get tastier as it sits in the fridge in its buffalo sauce…oh well! I happened to have Frank’s on hand for the sauce, it was pretty standard flavor but I wouldn’t mind trying it with a different brand as well.
Made this for lunch today. Delish! Easy to pull together, too.
I just made these tonight and they are soooo good! I made them vegan by using vegan ranch and vegan butter. So delicious. I will definitely be making these again.
This was seriously good. Makes a great introduction to Tempeh. If you like your sandwich saucy, up the sauce amounts by 50% or so. The tempeh really absorbs the sauce and can go a bit dry.
Beth, Buffalo sauce has to be made with Frank’s. Anything else will not do: it’s Frank’s and butter, 50/50.
Recipe gets three stars with tempeh, four and a half with chicken. The slaw is a nice touch.
yes to more tempeh recipes!
Franks. It’s gotta be Franks. The original buffalo sauce from Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY was Frank’s and butter. It’s also the sauce that you’ll get at 99% of restaurants that don’t make their sauce.
I’m definitely going to try this one out though, thank you!
Buffalonians (like me) would insist that only Frank’s Red Hot is acceptable as the hot sauce, so if you find the flavor doesn’t ring the wing bell, try Frank’s. It’s what all Buffalo-style chicken wings recipes use.
Buffalonian here, Franks is overrated (and while i’m at it, so are chicken wings.)
In a sandwhich this non-traditional, try any hot sauce you like. Franks is the most generic, traditional, soft-ball over the middle of the plate hot sauce there is. It’s identifiable, iconic even, but boring and bland. There’s a world of hot sauce out there, and it’s not even that hard to make your own.
For the recipe’s part, thank you for making me remember I had some tempeh that needed using. Made this with some Hoff Sauce Original and it was great.
This looks so good ! I’m in Nashville too, where did you find vegetarian hot chicken? I’ve been on the hunt to no avail!
It’s a sandwich at Graze in East Nashville. It’s totally to die for! I pay for it with incredible heart burn every time, but it is SO GOOD.
Southern V in Nashville also has vegan hot chik’n and chik’n fried chik’n.
That restaurant has been on my list forever! I can’t wait to try theirs!
Any ideas for other sauces to use on tempeh, for those of us who can’t do spicy foods? I guess what I’m saying is I’d love to see more recipes with tempeh in the future … thanks!
Use your favourite BBQ sauce!
I vote for BBQ sauce as well. :) BBQ will go great with that slaw and the avocado, so you won’t need to change anything else.
Hi Beth- this thank you is long overdue. I’ve been using your recipes for years and can honestly say I’ve never cooked one that I didn’t like! I’ve reduced my meat consumption, but don’t want to go completely vegetarian, so recipes like Buffalo tempeh sandwiches are appealing to me now. The amazing thing to me is how your site (meal prep, photos, layout) and recipes just keep getting better and better! I subscribe to many sites, but yours is the only one that I always take a look at! Kudos to you and many thanks for the scrumptious, healthy, and budget friendly recipes I always find here!
Thank you, Chris! ❤️❤️❤️ That really means so much to me!
OMG!! Thank you Beth as usual! This looks amazing.
These look amazing! This is a great use of tempeh!
That looks so good. I have some tempeh in my fridge and I’ve been trying to think of something to do with it, and this is so perfect! All of your recipes that I’ve made have been amazing! :)