Easy Hi-Protein Vegan Lunch Meat: Korean BBQ Sandwich.

Vegan lunch meat…?

Wait, is “meat back on the table”?

Whether you’re an orc from Middle Earth or an herbivorous human who’s not afraid to admit she sometimes hankers for a deli sandwich every now and again, this is a great recipe for vegan lunch meat, Korean BBQ style, that’s easy to make, utilizes only a handful of ingredients, and tastes delicious.

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links for products I use and love. If you make a purchase after clicking one of those links, I may earn a small affiliate commission, perhaps enough to buy some extra gochujang or gochugaru 🙂

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Why Vegan Lunch Meat?

I’ve been livin’ the vegan lifestyle for a while now and as such, I’ve experimented with all sorts of vegan meat substitutes. While I feel like there are new products coming out everyday, our favorites include Field Roast Italian Sausages (for our bolognese) and Plantspired Korean BBQ Steak. Other than that, we really don’t eat a lot of “meat substitutes” or plant-based meats in our house. We are also not fans of seitan and wheat protein. We prefer relying on different preparations of tofu for our protein (that said, I’ve recently discovered Prime Roots and had my mind totally blown!!).

Of all the things I miss since going vegan, meat isn’t actually one of them. But sandwiches are. Despite having done this for as long as I have, the simple truth is I still get a little stymied when I have to come up with something to put between two slabs of bread. Cuz, I’m not one of those persons who is satisfied with avocado and sprouts. Avocado and sprouts are what you add to a sandwich, they do not make the sandwich.

I want something that could serve as good deli “meat,” but I also don’t want to put too much work into making it. Get my drift? Having watched several videos and done some research on plant-based deli meat recipes that use vital wheat gluten or seitan dough or wheat flour to make “meat,” I’ve determined I want something a lot simpler than that.

This recipe for vegan lunch meat is exactly that–easy, simple, and delicious. No unusual ingredients that you’ll have trouble finding at the grocery stores.

Why You’ll LOVE This Vegan Lunch Meat Recipe.

You are going to LOVE this easy bread salad recipe because it’s:

• EASY. This recipe is literally one of the easiest recipes in my playbook. There’s no complicated mixing, knotting, or even waiting. If you have a shredder and an oven, you can make this recipe in no time.
• NUTRITIOUS. This recipe for vegan lunch meat is made out of super firm tofu, packing 35 grams of protein per sandwich. You’ll also get 5 grams of fiber (from just the vegan lunch meat alone–you’ll obviously get more if you add lots of veggies in your sando!) and 0 trans fats or cholesterol!
• CUSTOMIZABLE. I make this vegan lunch meat using Korean BBQ sauce but you can, of course, mix it up and use chipotle chili sauce, mesquite bbq sauce, or a fantastic spice rub.
• DELICIOUS. This sandwich was absolutely mouthwateringly good. Between the texture, the outrageous flavor, and the indisputable heartiness of 35 whopping grams of plant protein, it’ll be hard to find a better vegan lunch meat recipe out there!

Key Ingredients and Notes on Substitutions for Vegan Lunch Meat Recipe.

As I mentioned, this recipe is composed of simple ingredients that you should be able to find at any local grocery store or online. Let’s go through each of them and talk about potential substitutions:

Super Firm Tofu.

This recipe calls for super firm tofu. This is not the same thing as extra-firm tofu, which contains quite a bit more water and quite a bit less protein. I’ve seen super firm tofu available in dozens of non-Korean grocery stores, so, hopefully, you should have no problem finding it. However, if all you can find is extra-firm tofu, you can make this recipe, using two blocks of extra-firm tofu that is pressed for at least 20 minutes.

Korean BBQ Sauce.

If you want a good Korean BBQ Sauce recipe, you can find one here! But otherwise, you can also just use store-bought Korean BBQ Sauce. There are plenty of good store-bought options out there and you know that I’m not a believer in shaming people for using store-bought help! Also, as I said before, if you don’t want to use Korean BBQ Sauce, you can always substitute with your favorite traditional (tomato-based) BBQ Sauce.

Seasoning.

The tofu will be seasoned with a blend of smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, black pepper, and a little msg (if you dare). If you don’t want to use msg, you can substitute with nutritional yeast!

Cooking Spray.

I really wanted to keep this vegan lunch meat recipe as low-fat as possible, so that I could turn to it anytime I wanted (and not just for special occasions or indulgences). Luckily, you don’t need much oil in this recipe. I just give the baking sheet as well as the tofu shreds a quick spritz of cooking spray and then blast it in the oven until it gets nice and crisp!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Vegan Lunch Meat.

As I’ve mentioned, this vegan lunch meat is a very easy recipe and comes together quite quickly. So, let’s get to it!

Step 1.

First, preheat your oven to 450° F. While your oven is preheating, shred your super firm tofu using a shredder / grater. If you don’t have a shredder, you can, of course, use a knife to cut the tofu up into shredded pieces, but that will obviously take more work! I highly recommend that you purchase a shredder; however, when you use it, make sure to be very careful not to get your fingers caught in the blades! Can you use a food processor? You will not achieve the same texture as if you were to use a shredder–the tofu will come out far finer than what is ideal. For the best result, I would get a shredder.

Step 2.

After you’ve shredded your tofu, place the tofu in a large bowl. Add your paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, black pepper, and msg. Next, add your Korean BBQ sauce and black pepper and make sure that all the pieces are well and evenly coated.

Step 3.

Spray your baking sheet with a little spray. You can also use parchment paper, though this will make it a little harder to achieve the crispier texture. Spread your saucy shredded tofu in one layer across the baking sheet. Spray with a little more cooking spray and place it in the oven. Cook for about 25 to 30 minutes, until the tofu is nice and crispy. If you prefer your deli meat on the softer side, you can always keep it in the oven for only 20 to 25 minutes. If you like them to be downright crunchy, then keep it for five minutes longer!

And that’s it! Delicious Korean BBQ vegan lunch meat!

I like to use half the amount in this recipe for one sandwich. How do I make said sandwich? First, I add more Korean BBQ sauce to the cooked vegan lunch meat. I then add some toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil, and green onions. I mix that altogether to get a lovely, flavorful mixture.

I add the mixture to the bottom hamburger bun, top it with a little red and green cabbage, then a bit more of the vegan lunch meat mixture, and then top it all with a hamburger bun slathered in more Korean BBQ sauce or vegan mayo. Done!!

Want More Sandwich Recipes?

Frequently Asked Questions.

Can you make this vegan lunch meat gluten-free?

Yes! You’ll need to make your own Korean BBQ Sauce (don’t worry–I have a recipe for that!) using gluten-free soy sauce and this recipe will be entirely gluten-free.

How do I store my vegan lunch meat?

Simply place it in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. Your vegan lunch meat should be good for up to 5 days.

Recipe Card.

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Comments & Questions.