I know what you’re thinking.
What the who is that?
It’s BBQ jackfruit – aka the ticket to reclaiming your favorite BBQ sandwich.
Hubba. Hubba.
This recipe was inspired by the talented folks at FuD – a vegan eatery in Kansas City.
When we were still Midwest dwellers I had the chance to eat at FuD several times and was most drawn to their faux meat dishes using jackfruit.
I’d seen jackfruit in Asian stores before and just thought it looked like a giant green eyesore (because that’s what it is). However, I had no idea that its texture lends itself to mocking meat and absorbing just about any flavor you throw its way.
In other words, it’s a vegan’s dream food.
This recipe is simple, requiring just 10 ingredients (give or take a spice) and 30 minutes!
The only ingredient this recipe requires that’s likely not lying around your pantry is green jackfruit, which can be found at practically any Asian market and on Amazon.
NOTE: Just be sure it’s young green jackfruit in water, not brine or syrup. This is key to achieving proper flavor and texture.
The process is so simple.
Drain and clean jackfruit.
Toss with BBQ spices.
Saute.
Add BBQ sauce.
Simmer.
Voila!
BBQ jackfruit in just 30 minutes that will fool any carnivore into thinking they’re eating pulled pork. This stuff is legit.
To add more flavor and texture to the mix, I include a quick avocado veggie slaw that’s easily prepared while the jackfruit is simmering.
And for even more healthy fats and some protein, roasted salted cashews – because who doesn’t want a giant handful of cashews on anything they’re eating? (Shush, Rhonda – just shush.)
This BBQ jackfruit sandwich is legit! It’s:
Smoky
Hearty
Tender
Big in BBQ flavor
Crunchy from the slaw
Satisfying
& Simple
Even the novice can make this sandwich. All that’s left to do is sit back and watch your friends marvel at what they’re eating. I’ll never scorn the jackfruit again, no matter now ugly and weird it is.
If you try this sandwich, let us know! Take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram! We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers!
- 2 20-ounce cans young green jackfruit in water (NOT in syrup or brine)
- 1/4 cup BBQ seasoning (2 Tbsp brown sugar + 1 tsp paprika + 1 tsp garlic powder + 1/2 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp pepper + 1/2 tsp chili powder)
- 3/4 cup BBQ sauce (ensure it’s vegan) + more for topping
- 2 cups shredded cabbage + carrots (Trader Joe’s has a great cruciferous veg mix)
- 1/2 ripe avocado
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
- 1 lemon or lime, juiced
- Salt + pepper to taste
- Water to thin
- 4-6 whole grain vegan buns (GF for gluten-free eaters)
- 1/2 cup roasted salted cashews (or roast on your own*)
- Rinse, drain, and thoroughly dry jackfruit. Chop off the center "core" portion of the fruit and discard. Place in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Mix together BBQ seasoning and add to jackfruit. Toss to coat.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 1-2 Tbsp oil of choice and seasoned jackfruit. Toss to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes to achieve some color.
- Add BBQ sauce and thin with enough water to make a sauce. Stir and reduce heat to low- medium and cook for about 20 minutes (up to 35 minutes on low for a deeper flavor).
- Remove lid and stir occasionally. TIP: For finer texture, use two forks to shred the jackfruit as it cooks down.
- In the meantime, make slaw by adding all ingredients except vegetables (avocado through salt + pepper) to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Thin with water until a thick sauce is made, then add veggies and toss to coat. Set in the refrigerator until serving.
- Once the jackfruit has been properly simmered, turn up heat to medium-high and cook for 2-3 more minutes to get a little extra color/texture (a tip I learned from Namely Marly!). Then remove from heat.
- Place generous portions of slaw on the bottom buns, top with generous serving of BBQ jackfruit, and cashews. Serve with extra BBQ sauce!
- Leftover jackfruit keeps for up to a couple days in the fridge, though best when fresh.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 5 sandwiches with avocado slaw and roasted cashews.
*Loosely adapted from Blissful Basil.
Girl, you have outdone yourself. I need warm weather and a BBQ stat!
Ditto on the warm weather! Still a foot of snow outside. Anyhow, this jackfruit pulled pork sandwich sure looked like the real thing to me! I thought, hmmmm, what’s going on here, is that a pulled pork on a vegan site and how can this be 10 ingredients or less? Did I click on the wrong site?!? Confused man here! Ready to chow down on one (or two) of those bad boys. Never heard of jackfruit, but what the heck, it looks worth trying.
haha, sorry to confuse! Glad you stuck through to the recipe, Tom!
Haha, you mind reader! My first thought was indeed ‘what the ….?’
But this looks lovely! I just needed an excuse to go to the Asian supermarket (one of my favourite places) and stock my kitchen with all these interesting things they have (not that there’s any space in the cupboards left, but hey, what’s life without 5 different sorts of rice, or a stash of delicious smoky-sweet date palm sugar?).
Last week I was on a roll, and I made your cauliflower rice with bok choy, the sweet potatoes with tahini sauce, tomatoes and cucumbers, the masala tofu scramble, and every morning was for the hide your kale smoothie. It was all amazingly tasty, and left me feeling so energized afterwards, loved it!
So great! Thanks for following along and for the kind words, Evelyn! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes :D
I cannot wait to try this with grilled corn on the cob (I mix Vegan mayo, smoked paprika, garlic powder and salt together – then slather it on corn and grill it). I also love the addition of slaw – even when I ate meat, I would always order a side of coleslaw to top my pulled-pork sandwich! Thanks so much for another brilliant recipe!
Smart call! We have a recipe for perfect grill corn salsa if you’re interested in our corn grilling methods :D
Thanks so much! Pinning your grilled corn recipe now!
I can’t believe how much it looks like meat! I have got to try this.
so I have vegan friends and I actually live where fresh jackfruit is sold. How would I need to tweak this recipe when using fresh jackfruit? :)
I wish I had the answer there! My only guess is that you would want to buy a young, underripe jackfruit and split it open. Then try and follow my instructions as noted!
I’m not familiar with canned jackfruit. How do you cut it??? Should it be grated to mimic the texture of pulled pork?
In Indonesia where I lived as a student they use fresh unripe jackfruit for this type of dish. Readers should then follow your recipe for a similar result. On no account should they try to use ripe jackfruit in this recipe.
Thanks for the tip, Rais!
I’m so glad someone said this!
Hello.. Fresh Jackfruit is slimy & sweet. Its almost impossible to peel when ripe…
But you might have luck to find the perfectly ripe & young & easy to peel..
Can is best for these types.
I’m actually not sure! I have never worked with fresh jackfruit.
Fresh is so much better than canned. You might need to cook it a little more if using either fresh green or fresh ripe jackfruit in recipes that call for canned.
If you are able to be in South Florida on June 18th or 19th, the Redland Fruit and Spice Park will be having their annual Summer Fruit Festival. You can stand under a tree full of these heavy fruits if you dare!
We LOVE Jackfruit!!! I was so happy to find it in an Asian market here in Columbia, SC… It really helped me get over the pain of giving up pulled pork BBQ once we became vegan. Can’t wait to try your version. What barbecue sauce do you like to use?
Now I want to see y’all turn jackfruit into a taco filling!
Thanks Mary Beth! Hope you love our version. I don’t have a favorite BBQ sauce, I just check the sugar content and make sure it’s not outrageous.
Hey I’m in Columbia, SC too which Asian market? Thanks!
Also in Columbia and wondering where to find jackfruit!
Trader Joes has it, in the can veggie aisle.
The only option at TJs is in brine, hoping it will still work… really looking forward to trying this recipe!
Me too! I just picked some up yesterday and they only had the brine option. Gonna try it tonight so we’ll see how it goes!
I’ve been wanting to try cooking with jackfruit for YEARS but I’ve never been sure it’s worth the hefty price tag on amazon. This looks so tasty though, so it must be :)
If you can get to an Asian market to buy 1-2 cans, go that route!
I found cans of jack fruit for only .75 cents by my house at the Asian market. Best place
This looks epic! Thanks for solving my strange sloppy-joe style craving I’ve been having with the recent warm weather. Going to have to try this out, for sure!
haha, sure! Hope you love it Savanna!
I pulled up your page just to see what I was going to be making for dinner tonight. (Because your recipes are THAT dependable). And my first thought was “heck yeah barbecue!” But then I was like, “wait….that’s jackfruit…” I’m going to give it a shot though. I’m so happy to have a use for some of those random things I see at the Asian Market. Perhaps I’ll see Mary Beth there since I’m also from Columbia, SC!
How interesting to use jackfruit!
What a genius idea, Dana! I had no idea that jackfruit was a legit replacement for meat… so good to know! And these sandwiches look delicious.
Dana, I’m salivating!!!!! I need this in my life right NOW :) amazing post, you’re the queen of food blogging!
haha, too kind!
no, honestly, I probably seem like a crazy lady but you’re so inspiring and humble and funny that I have to tell you :)
hmph. Thanks friend!
I love jack fruit! It really is one of those vegan miracle foods. Last summer, my (omnivore) boyfriend and I had a little cook off. I made pulled jack fruit, and he made pulled pork. We brought both dishes to a big get together with friends and no one could tell the difference!
Which, considering that mine was considerably less expensive, lower in calories, and also didn’t require me getting up at 6am to turn the slow cooker on for it to be ready – I’d say results in jack fruit being the victor of that dish off!
I can’t wait to try it again with this slaw you’ve posted. Yum!
x Kathryn
Isn’t it crazy!? Jackfruit is amazing! Thanks for sharing, Kathryn!!
So interesting! I cant’ wait to try this after a trip to the Asian market. Thanks!
oh my gosh, it looks just like pulled pork! Crazy! I’ve heard of jackfruit, but never as a meat sub. I will have to try it!
Whoa, this looks amazing! I once had jackfruit carnitas at a vegan restaurant and thought I was eating pulled pork. I am making this as soon as I track down some jackfruit!
How freakin cool is this? You’ll like a vegan wizard (have I said that before?). Jackfruit it is. xo
No way! Thanks Emilie. You flatter me. xoxo
These look so good!Just recently tried jackfruit and would be very,very willing to try it in barbeque.Such an interesting food.Once you taste it you wonder why you don’t eat it more often.
I’m so excited to make this! I went to Whole Foods today and they only had the jackfruit in brine…any tips on how to make it work if you can’t find it packed in water?
Sorry for the confusion Nicole. You could try and soak it in water overnight to get out the brininess flavor! Let me know if you give it a try.
I will try that suggestion and let you know! Thank you!
Thanks again for such an awesome blog, my husband and I made your chocolate peanut butter pie for a dinner party we had last night. Such a hit! :)
Great to hear, Nicole! xoxo
I just made pulled jackfruit with the brined type, and it was fine! You just have to remember to add less salt during cooking. I didn’t use a pre-made barbecue seasoning, so that helps.
Thanks for sharing, Cornelia!
Glad to hear the brine doesn’t ruin the recipe. I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for a while and finally had time to stop at my local store and both brands of young green jack fruit they carried were brined so I got some and was hoping I could soak it but worried it might not be enough.
these look awesome!!! love that its not tofu…placing an amazon order tonight :-)
just curious, do the nutritional include the bun? thanks!
Yes!
I grew up on a ranch in Montana where we raised over 300 head of Black Angus cattle, so I often state that there is no way I could ever become a vegetarian. However, after this recipe, and your fabulous photography, I might have to rethink this vegan thing. :-) Holy cow!
haha, thanks Wilma!!
I love it, have to give a try. I stopped eating meat three years ago, this makes a great replacement.
Thanks for sharing, I’ll be giving a try this weekend.
I first heard of jackfruit a few months ago and I’ve been thinking of it ever since! I always keep my eye out for it but have never thought to try Amazon! Which is kinda strange because I pretty much buy everything else there :) Everything about these sandwiches looks so amazing!! I’m going to Amazon asap to get some jackfruit overnight-ed :)
DO IT. And report back!
This looks so much like meat it’s ridic! I need to hop on the jackfruit train and ride it all the way to this sandwich.
I like you.
These sandwiches look positively DEE-lish! Never would have thought to add jackfruit in these!! Pinning this for later!
oh wow it looks so much like pulled pork! i love jackfruit, never tried it like this before
this looks really good, will have to try it out and share with my veggie friends too :)
thanks for sharing!
I have never heard of jack fruit, but now that I know what it is and how well it mocks meat, I have a million and one ideas of how to substitute it in traditionally meat recipes! I can’t wait to give this a try!!!
Right? It is kind of amazing. Hope you’re able to find some!!
WHAT. I’m in shock over this. I did not know we could eat fruit instead of meat in a sandwich! I’m signing up!!!
Yay! Hope you give it a try, friend! xoxo
Woah! I’ve been wanting to go vegan for so long but I was worried about giving up things like pulled pork. I need to try this ASAP.
Where did you buy the jackfruit?
An asian store just outside of Portland!
What store? (asks a Portlander)
I’m a Portlander and bought it at Food Fight vegan grocery ❤️
Thanks! :)
Drool… Can’t wait to try this out.
Have you tried it with fresh jackfruit? Or does the recipe only work if its jackfruit in water? ( I’m assuming that means its canned)
I haven’t tried it with fresh, but from what I’ve heard it doesn’t work :(
I bought a fresh jackfruit and made this recipe and the one from your cookbook. My first attempt was good, but the jackfruit was soft. The second attempt I followed the directions and then spread it on a cookie sheet and baked it at 425 for about 20 mins. Perfection.
I’ve thought of doing that! Great tip!
The answer to my question! We have heaps of fresh jackfruit here on Maui and I was hoping someone had figured out the technique for employing fresh rather than canned.
Mahalo nui loa!
Hi I live in Indonesia and its easy to make this with fresh YOUNG (unripe) jackfruit. You cut the ‘meat’ out of the inside of the jackfruit, leaving the core. Then you boil the pieces and the seeds in salted water for around 10 mins. After that, it’s the same as what you are buying in your canned version, just a lot cheaper.
I am completely blown away by this recipe! You’re a genius!!!
Too kind! I’m simply the messenger of brilliant vegan minds gone before me. Hope you give this one a try, Gaby!
Ahhh I heard of jackfruit but wasn’t too sure about how to use it! These look INSANE! I love pulled pork sandwiches even though I don’t like most meat, and they’re one of the reasons I couldn’t go vegan. But if I had these?? YES. So much better for you than meat, too! And the avocado slaw? GIRL.
In my home we have a saying that has become a mantra: “Trust the minimalist baker.” There were many times in executing this recipe where we thought we had better ideas, but following these instructions to the T turned out perfectly.
The one thing I want to say, though, is that we spent hours walking through Chinatown, San Francisco in search of the “jackfruit in water”. We found “jackfruit in syrup” and “jackfruit in brine” everywhere. In the end we were at a complete loss, having been to over 7 asian grocery stores, so we did a little research and read that many people make the BBQ pulled “pork” with the jackfruit in brine. So that’s what we did, and it turned out great! I’m curious how much better it would have been if we had used the version with water and why it is so strongly advised that we don’t use the brine version. But I just felt the need to say something so that no one else spends all that time trying to get the water version when it may not actually be necessary…
This recipe is unbelievable in how it resembles actual pulled pork. What even is jackfruit?!?!
Thanks Connor! I’ve since had some people try it in brine and said they just rinsed it thoroughly and dried it and it worked well! I just know that brines can usually affect the flavor quite a bit, which is why I didn’t recommend it. But if it worked OK, then that’s great! Thanks for sharing!
Hi – I bought a case of canned jackfruit a while back but never knew what to do with it. I was excited when I saw the recipe, until I read that my cans were in brine. So, if I want to try it (what else am I going to do with all this jackfruit?), you suggest that I rinse all the brine off and then pat dry? Thanks for posting an awesome looking recipe!
Yes! Just soak the jackfruit in water and pat very dry!
BBQ Jackfruit is my go-to for feeding carnivores for dinner (I live in a vegetarian household). I make mine in the crockpot, though, b/c I’m super lazy: http://theactorsdiet.com/2013/06/21/jack-russell-vs-jackfruit/
I cannot find Jackfruit packed only in water, the one i found is water and salt. Any suggestions?
If yours is salted, just wash and drain it thoroughly!
Another frequent visitor and Columbia, SC resident here…neat!
I’m not even a vegan and I would choose this over a meaty sandwich any day!! These look sinfully delish!! Cheers!
For anyone having a hard time finding jackfruit in water, I used the brine version and it turned out great. After going to multiple Asian markets I finally did find one that said “jackfruit in water,” but it had 3 times the sodium of the “jackfruit in brine,” so I got the brine version (Aroy-D). I did squeeze each piece in paper towels to get all of the water out that I could. Was anyone able to find jackfruit in water with no salt added?
Anyway, it turned out really great! I made it for my parents and though they both eat animals, they really enjoyed this vegan meal. Jackfruit works SO well, the texture is spot on. The slaw was really delicious as well.Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks for sharing that Sammi!
I need to make this recipe the night before to have it ready for an event the next day. Do you think it would be possible to make this in a crockpot? If so, would you recommend adding more liquid or altering the recipe in any way?
I do. I think you could put it on low overnight with the BBQ sauce. And then a couple hours before serving, turn it on high to dry it out. Then keep on warm until serving!
Hi. Thanks.for the recipe!!
I tried last night using the exact can you posted the link to on Amazon (lucky me the market I went to had them for $1.09)… anyhow, they came chopped. In your post you mentioned taking out the core… there were seeds in the middle that I took out as well as a “pineapple like core” that I had to cut off from random pieces. I’m not sure If that was the section you were talking about. Is that part edible? Also, there was a few pieces that had “cantaloupe like skin” on the outer edges.. did you cut those off too??
Also.. the sandwich was very tasty. Thanks for sharing as always!
Hi Risa! The middle core is edible but not ideal texture wise in this recipe. I got my Jackfruit at an Asian store so haven’t tried that one on Amazon, but you definitely core it like a pineapple. Any other “suspect looking” part go ahead and remove them. So glad you enjoyed it!
5 *s
looks great, and i have a can of jackfruit so i’ll be giving it a go soon. quick question – do you use smoked paprika or regular? thanks.
I use smoked but regular is fine, too :D
Thank you! BBQ is really the only thing I miss since I stopped eating meat, and I’m pretty sure the only thing I actually miss is the sauce. This looks perfect!
This looks soooo yummy! It even LOOKS like pulled pork!
I had jackfruit growing in my home-town in Brasil, and they’re such a crazy fruit. Even though they’re so huge, they actually grow high up on the trees (imagine if one fell on your head?! Yikes!)
.
I’ve never thought to make something like this with it though, so interesting! Need to give it a go! I’m living in Sydney now so need to figure out where I can get mine from..
X
We had a BBQ Jackfruit sandwich similar to this at our local Vegan place and fell in love. SO we ran out and bought a Jackfruit, and now we are sitting on it because I have no idea what to do with it! All of the recipes I have seen call for canned. I don’t even know how to cut it, lol! What to save? What to throw way? I am clueless….SO, once we figure out what to do with this monster, I will be making this recipe. It looks amazing!
It makes a triangle shape. Cut out the center, firm part as that will make the sandwich touch. You want to only keep the stringy look parts! Think of it like coring a pineapple!
I am SO excited to try this recipe! We are regulars at FUD (the Tex-Mex Ckn Wrap and Sicilianizza tie for my fave) and I’ve been wondering if I could do something like this at home. I’m hoping they have jackfruit at one of the City Market grocers this weekend!
Hi! Ive finally found tinned jackfruit and after reading your recipe, the cans i bought are in brine. Will this make a difference at all? What about draining and rinsing the fruit well? Any advice appreciated! Thanks! Ang
Yes! See other commenters’ experiences. But I would recommend draining, soaking in water and thoroughly rinsing to remove any of the acidic flavor. Then draining and proceeding as instructed!
I actually posted my question THEN read previous comments! Doh! Thanks, ill be making it tomorrow and i will let you know how i went! Thanks for the speedy reply!
Me too! sorry!
if you eat meat, could you use chicken or pork instead of jackfruit?
Yes! Feel free to replace meat for the jackfruit! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Do frozen (yellow) pieces of jackfruit work for this recipe?
Not sure!
Did you end up trying this, Chrystal? I just happen to have some in my freezer right now, I’d love to know if it works :)
Why not brine? It is just salty water?
I made this yesterday and was so pleased with the results! A couple notes:
-after some research on other jackfruit recipes, I used jackfruit in brine as I didn’t want to run all around town looking for jackfruit in water. I rinsed the fruit, squeezed the liquid from it with my hands, and then rinsed it again.
-I separated the stringy parts from the core, and then chopped the core in to small pieces. The core isn’t really that tough, and I didn’t really notice it in the final product.
-The brine flavor was a little present, but it was almost vinegary, so I think adding some apple cider vinegar to the bbq sauce would help cover up the brineyness.
-the texture was so spot on for pulled pork! I couldn’t believe it.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Oh great! Thanks for the tips, Jackie!
My husband makes some amazing pulled pork in the smoker (so good I used to be disappointed by every pulled pork I had at a BBQ place) and I was pretty sad to say goodbye to it when I decided to eat vegan. This just saved me! We had it for dinner and I thought it was every bit as good as his! He approved too :). The cashews and slaw were a really nice touch, too.
So great! Thanks for sharing, Mindy! Glad you liked it.
Too good! I’m a vegetarian living with 4 heavy meat-eating males… and they were fooled! One of the lads saw the jackfruit in the bbq seasoning and asked if it was chicken, told him it was pork then dinner time came along and he kept talking about how good his bbq “pork” was. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Great! Thanks for sharing, Maddy! xo
What a wonderful recipe! I went to my local Asian market, and while I was able to find the jackfruit in water, it had some strange preservative in it, so I opted for the jackfruit in brine (jackfruit, salt, water…all things I can pronounce!). Followed the recipe as is with some Stubbs BBQ sauce and it was phenomenal. The texture was just a little softer than pulled pork would be, but I and my omnivore pals loved it! I made a mayo based red cabbage and jicama slaw to top it and also added the salted roasted cashew (added wonderful texture!) I made some sriracha lime corn tortillas instead of the bun, and these were some of the best veg tacos I’ve ever had. The leftovers are turning into BBQ nachos tomorrow! This recipe inspired me to try some mojo style pulled “chicken” next with the jackfruit. Thanks!!
YUM! SO GOOD!!!
I’ve been looking forward to trying this. I did it today…and I was disappointed. I’ve reached the conclusion that being a vegan is best served by cooking totally differently rather than trying to replace favourite foods. I’m going to eat it tomorrow with nachos and some non-dairy cheese (hypocritical given my comment above, but i think this needs it). The texture, whilst initially similar to pulled pork, quickly becomes mush. I was gutted to be fair as I was hoping for something special. This is a nail in the coffin for me in terms of attempting to replicate old favourites (bbq tempeh was also a letdown), apart from possibly a vegan mayo. I’m probably setting myself up for another fall there though.
All that aside, I love your blog. Great stuff.
A vegan chef I know insists that a final step is to dry it out for a 10-15ish minutes in the oven to get the right texture. I assume this would fix the “mush” you speak of. Don’t give up if the taste was right.
I just drove an hour away to an Asian market. I thought I hit a score and bought 4 cans of jackfruit….but it’s in brine (sad face) why would this not work? Also it’s green jack fruit it doesn’t say anything about young. What have I done will this work?
umm yes please!
This dish is AMAH-ZING. I am not one to care so much about replicating the texture and flavor of meat. Whether or not this one does a good job, I am going back for thirds. Double thumbs-up. Jackfruit for the win.
I think I want to try using jackfruit to make “crab” cakes next.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Sophie! Good luck on the “crab” experiment!
Hi, so the taste was awesome but the jackfruit cooked into a gluggy mess. Any thoughts? Note, I used fresh jackfruit.
Hmm, perhaps leave the lid off because it got too liquidy?
Hey there the only canned Jack fruit I can find where I live is in syrup. Any recommendations for using it for this recipe? I figure rinse it with water maybe even soak it and rinse and resoak and rinse, etc. Ideas?
I don’t know what to do with the syrup kind, sorry. I don’t think it works!
Hey so I made it with the syrup kind. I washed off the syrup best I could. It came out good but I don’t know how the non syrup one comes out. I can say the consistency of the jack fruit meat wasn’t meaty at all, so maybe that was because of the syrup. But it was still delicious. :)
Thanks for the recipe! I had this on my list for a while and was full of anticipation by the time I was finally able to get some jackfruit and try it out. So it was very exciting to have this turn out as delicious as I had hoped!
Thank you!
Karyn
Hi Dana,
My first attempt at this was aborted when I discovered the jackfruit was full of seeds. As you made no mention of seeds, was I just meant to ignore them?
Thanks
I usually remove any parts that don’t ‘shred’ well, including the seeds. But that’s just me being picky. It’s totally preference as in the final product, it’s mostly undetectable.
Hi Dana!
Do the nutritional facts here include the bun? Such an incredible sandwich. Thank you so much!
I believe so, yes! So glad you liked it, Meg!
My roommate made this for me because she knows how much I miss pulled pork sandwiches. Let me tell you. I almost started crying it is so good. Making it for my meat-loving parents tonight. Can’t wait for the look on their face!!!
Ha! So great! Thanks for sharing, Laura!
Hi ! This looks so delicious!! Sadly, where I live, I can only fond jackfruit in syrup… what should I do ? Soak it in water ? Thank you ! :)
Hi ! This looks so delicious!! Sadly, where I live, I can only find jackfruit in syrup… what should I do ? Soak it in water ? Thank you ! :)
I’d try soaking it in water, yes. But I haven’t tried this myself and can’t guarantee the results. Best of luck!
Hi Dana! Just wondering where I can find jack fruit? I’m in Canada and I’ve checked all of my go to vegan stores (goodness me!, horn of plenty..) and they don’t carry it!! :( Dying to try this recipe!
Hmm, perhaps Amazon!
I’m in Vancouver BC where Superstore and T&T both carry jackfruit in brine. Perhaps try those two?
Dana, thank you for this recipe. I’ve made it several times already in the past few months. My partner gets extremely excited when he knows it’s for dinner. We both love it with the cool slaw and homemade buns.
Your recipes are delicious; your food photography is mouth-watering; and the clean look of your blog is appealing. Thank you for all the hard work you do.
Cheers!
Ah, thanks! That’s a great tip. So glad you both enjoy this recipe so much. xo!
Rebecca, it sounds like you’re from the same area as me. There’s a small Caribbean store in the same plaza as Goodness Me on Upper Gage that carries cans of the young jackfruit in water. They’re a green can and pretty inexpensive. I just bought some yesterday and I’m looking forward to trying the recipe!
Superstore in the Asian food isle.
There are lots of Asian markets in downtown Hamilton if that’s where you’re looking. I haven’t checked for them yet, but that’s where I would start! B&T would be my first choice. There’s one on Cannon and one on Queen St.
I was shopping at Whole Foods yesterday and thought of you when I a package of BBQ Jackfruit for sale
Nice!
Hi! This recipe looks delicious! What barbecue sauce did you use and where did you find the cans of jackfruit? I cannot find them in any of my local grocery stores. Thanks!
This is an amazing recipe. My husband and I had it for dinner tonight, and although he is the carnivore of the family, he thought it was delicious! Just as a side note…I did not see a step that says to cover with a lid even though step 5 says to “remove lid and stir occasionally.” Could you possibly add that to step 4 for those of us who don’t read the entire instruction list before cooking? Again, amazing recipe and thanks for your hard work and diligence to bring us all delicious, healthy, and hearty food!
I loved the bbq jackfruit sandwich. I have never had jackfruit before and didn’t think I could make it, especially make it so good. My daughter who still eats meat even loved it. Looking forward to try more recipes.
I made this recipe and it’s wonderful! The flavor combinations are outstanding! I made a few modifications….I sauteed up a diced onions before adding the jack fruit into the pan, I added one teaspoon of cumin and half teaspoon of cayenne pepper into the bbq rub. This recipe is the best dish we’ve had since becoming vegan. Even our non-vegan friends loved it! Well worth the effort.
Oh my, I was overwhelmed by the variety of jackfuit available and just wanted to make sure which one to go for. When I saw that you had a recipe on this, I instantly thought “She won’t let me down, I am SURE she will mention which type to use in her recipe!” and you did indeed not disappoint me :)
Thank you for your always great recipes and for being a reliable source on my plant-based journey!
HI Dana,
Does it matter if it young jack fruit or adult?
I re-read the post and found my answer! Can’t wait to try. I ordered my YOUNG jackfruit from Amazon.
Young green
Just made this tonight!! My hubby & I loved it :) Thank you so much!
ok my first attempt after finally getting my can out of the pantry and going for it! so easy but i am wondering, how long does it stay fresh after marinating and cooking it. any ideas? how do you tell if it has gone bad after you prepare it? i like to prep things in batches and then have on hand to warm in a pinch. thanks so much!!
I just watched a video by the “vegan black metal chef” who suggests boiling the jackfruit in a couple of changes of water for about an hour to get rid of some of the unique jackfruit taste before adding the barbeque sauce. I personally enjoy the different taste but BBQ purists (you know who you are) might be turned off by it. Looking forward to making this and the slaw tonight (and possibly ruining everything)! I’ve made a lot of your recipes with great success, but i’ve managed to foul up a few which you can read in my blog post (linked below).
This recipe is fantastic!! It’s hard to find a winning dinner in my house! My two boys that are 10 and 12 have requested for me to put this into our weekly rotation. Since I have celiac I have mine in lettuce wraps but everyone else eats it on Hawaiian sweet buns. Thank you for your fabulous recipies!
Made this last night with my bf, seriously incredible. I still can’t get over it! Thanks for the recipe, will definitely be making this again!
@bohochicago
Can any portions of this meal be made the day before? I want to make it all for a party.
I had some of the jackfruit left over in the pan from the day before. Reheated it and it was fine. The salad would be better made fresh though.
Just made this for dinner tonight :) I had to add quite a bit of water to thin and reduce the spiciness of the jackfruit. In the end, it turned out super delicious!! I served them with some baked sweet potato fries. My family absolutely loved this meal. They didn’t even realize that it wasn’t meat! I will definitely be making this again, thank you for the recipe!
I just made this (minus the cashews) and it is SO GOOD! the lemon juice in the slaw really brightened it up and adds a certain freshness to it too. Thanks for the outstanding recipe!! :-)
This is essentially a carb bomb. Way too much sugar and extremely high on the glycemic index. If you’re body is still pumping loads of sugar for energy, you’re doing it wrong.
I bought th can of green jackfruit before reading a few recipes but it was in brine not water. if I rinse it well will it work alright instead of the jackfruit in water? Thanks. I can’t wait to try this recipe:)!
I made this last night and just finished off the leftovers for lunch. This meal is absolutely delicious! I’m going to make a giant batch for an upcoming barbecue to wow my veg-skeptical friends!
This was my first jackfruit. I have to say, I picked the right recipe to try first! Yum!
Another great recipe and thank you for introducing me to jackfruit. Tasted superb, great texture and a couple of meat eaters arrived as I was getting stuck in, tried it and were wide eyed with wonder at how good it was. Mine came out pretty hot but I failed to take into account the scotch bonnet chillies in the BBQ sauce I used and added a grind of chillies to the pan!
The only thing I would say is don’t discard the little triangles of core from the jackfruit. They can be used in other recipes, they just hang together more than the stringy ‘pulled pork’ flesh of the fruit.
I made this recipe today and it was delicious! I couldn’t find the jackfruit in water so I used the one in brine. I let it soak in water for a couple of hours, rinsed it and squeezed the excess water with a napkin. I couldn’t taste the brine flavor after cooking it! I also did the cole slaw, I used purple cabbage, grated carrots and kale. Will defiantly be making it again!
Forgot to mention, I added mushrooms and onion to the jackfruit just for extra texture ?
That sounds awesome.
The only jackfruit I have available is in brine. I’ve used it to make pulled pork carnitas and it works just great :)
Can this be done overnight overnight in a slow cooker?
I’ve heard people doing that, but I haven’t tried it myself. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!
This was absolutely delicious!! As a recent pescatarian I definitely missed having regular BBQ. I put everything together onto Asian steam buns(found them frozen at the local Asian market) and it was a divine combination. Thanks for such a great recipe:)
Hi- I am planning to make this recipe- it looks great. But when I find jackfruit in water, there’s also salt- is that then brine? I haven’t found any young green jackfruit in just plain water. Does the jackfruit you use have some salt in it? What brand do you use? Thanks so much!
The brine will work! Just give it a good rinse before. I don’t remember the brand I got, it was from an Asian market!
Thanks so much! I used the jackfruit in water and salt and it was delicious. My husband loved it! I ended up squeezing some of the water from the fruit in addition to draining and drying it. I also made your strawberry rhubarb crumble which was so good. But I found at room temperature the crumble fell apart unless I refrigerated it. Any advice for this? I plan to make it again for the 4th of July!
I am trying to find jackfruit packed in only water but am having a difficult time. The markets I have been to either have the ones packed in brine or syrup, but none just packed in water. And the one on Amazon that says “packed in water”, in reality, when you read the ingredients, includes salt and a preservative.
What brand do you use or suggest?
Thx, BGL
Salt and preservative is fine! Brine is fine, too. Ideally it’s just water but if there’s brine just rinse well!
I’ve been wanting to try this forever, I finally did today, it was AMAZING! Thank you for giving me a non tofu vegan alternative to pulled pork, it even got a few thumbs up from the carnivores!!
I’m trying this as we speak, but I’m smoking the Jackfruit on my pellet grill first!
I made these sliders today (without the added cashews and my own slaw) and they were amazing! This is definitely going to be a recurring dinner at my house. Thank you so much for sharing!
Oh no, I thought I finally had all the ingredients for this but now realise te can I have is in BRINE my water. Will this matter?
All I could find was jackfruit in syrup so I gave it a go anyway despite your warning haha. As you said, the texture is not quite right but its still delicious so don’t be afriad to give it a go if that’s all you have access to. I just drained it and rinsed it thoroughly and used less bbq sauce, a drop of liquid smoke and a few dashes of chipotle. Mmmm would be perfect in a taco! I might try adding shredded or minced seitan next time to see if I can inprove the texture. But so yum!!!!
Could I use frozen jackfruit? It’s all I can find….
I haven’t tried it that way, but it’s worth a shot! Just make sure you drain off as much liquid as possible.
Hi! Can I make this with jackfruit straight from the fruit itself?? I just bought a real one, not a can.
Hi!
I love every vegan recipe I’ve tried from your website!
I couldn’t find jackfruit without syrup in a can, do you think I can try to soak it in water first to remove the syrup or something like that so that I can have a similar result?
We can’t guarantee the results but I think you could try this Kim! I know other readers had success with rinsing jackfruit that came in a brine, though, the syrup might be more tricky. Let us know how it turns out!
The stuff in syrup is ripe jackfruit, which actually tastes like fruit. It’s only good for desserts. The jackfruit in water or brine is unripe, and doesn’t have any flavour, which is what makes it good for absorbing other flavours.
Hey! Love this. Tested out a similar version I made –
Truly a pulled jackfruit lover
I recently have acquired some jackfruit for this recipe, but I did not realize it needed to be in water and not brine. Can I still make this recipe work?
Thank you so much, this recipe is absolutely awesome!
Made it tonight & made my own bbq sauce to go with it.
I’m pretty new to the kitchen & the look of delight on my wife’s face when I served it up was priceless.
The avo slaw is fantastic too. Will be checking out more stuff on your site for sure. 5 stars.
This recipe was awesome. I did not miss the meat. Thanks so much
Hi Dana,
I just love the way your recipies are so innovative. BBQ jackfruit sandwiches sound delicious. Looking forward to trying this soon.
Thanks a ton
Thank you for mentioning FUD! I get overly school-girl giddy when I see someone mention one of my local favorites! My Dad and I are going to put a dinner together this weekend all because I need to try this recipe. Look at you bringing Daddy and daughter together for the best pastime, eating, with a beautiful side dish :D
P.S. – It sounds like your taste in food is as superior as your taste in living quarters; I hope to relocate to Oregon myself!
Best Regards!
Is there any way that young green jack fruit in brine can be utilized for this recipe?
Yeah, I think you can just rinse it really thoroughly!
I bought the jackfruit in a can and am waiting for it to arrive. In the meantime I spotted dried jackfruit at the market. Have you ever tried soaking dried jackfruit?
Hmm,I haven’t! But if you try it let me know! It may work.
Will this recipe work with a fresh jackfruit? If so do you have advice on how to use it in this recipe?
Delicious! Finding your page has been amazing! Thanks so much
Amazing recipe!! Can’t even tell the difference like what?! Mind blown!! The slaw was great too! I made this alongside two kinds of macaroni, one of then a take on your recipe. So amazing thank so much!!:)<3
#Veganuary
I know right?! Glad you enjoyed it!
This is great. Normal eaters will also love this with some cheese grated on top and a bit of mayo in the slaw….yum. Perfect for non pork eating religions!
This is so good. My meat eating family was shocked it was vegan. I now can have BBQ again!
I made these this morning. So easy and so yummy! I had a loaf of bread from Cafe Europa in Kansas City and put the BBQ jackfruit on the bread. I even gave some to a meat-eating friend and he LOVED it! Will have to try with cashews etc. Thanks so much!
Have you ever made it with fresh jackfruit? Seems like it may be a lot of work. I bought canned JF at Pan Asia market.
I haven’t tried making it with fresh jackfruit but definitely recommend the canned stuff!
This recipe never fails. I have made this 3 times and this past weekend I made it again and it reminded me how good and easy it is. I did sauté chopped onions in olive oil first and then added the jackfruit in w/ bbq sauce (I used Annies). We put this on a gluten free baguette and delicious! My hubbie loves it too and says this recipe is “genius”.
I was so excited to find tins of jackfruit at a market today I scooped some up to take home and make this, only to reread the recipe and find out i had bought jackfruit in brine!!! That’s all that’s on offer here. I’m a bit gutted as i was so looking forward to making this! Am I totally screwed or is it salvageable?!? Thanks ?
Hi Lauren! Oh no! I don’t know what to do with the syrup kind, sorry. I don’t think it works but if you do try it, I’d suggest rinsing and rinsing it some more! Good luck!
The prep time for this took WAY longer than expected. If you’re anything like me and texture is a big deal, be sure you get all the seeds and tough parts out prior to cooking. This almost mimics meat a bit too much… biting into something “gristley” isn’t appetizing, even when it’s fruit. It also does not serve 4-5. We aren’t big eaters at all and this only made 3 sandwiches. Taste was amazing though and really hit the spot with coleslaw and corn on the cob!
Question, can the brown sugar be substituted for coconut sugar?
Yes I think that would work, Kait! Substitute it at a 1:1 ratio.
WOW. This is amazing! A big favorite from my “vegan at home” fiancé (aka he eats whatever I cook -ha!). I have been wanting to try this but never went to the specialty store to get jackfruit. This week I saw canned jackfruit at my local Trader Joe’s and was SO excited! It is in brine – but it actually still worked really well and tasted delicious. Also added red onions to the jackfruit pan… SO good! Can’t wait to make this again already – thanks Dana!
Alright listen, can we not go around disparaging the food of other cultures by calling it a “giant green eyesore” or “ugly and weird” before you go and turn it to something you feel safe eating? I enjoy vegan food but I have had it up to here with vegans going to Asian countries like my own and insulting the food there right before taking it home and eating it. I grew up eating jackfruit straight from the can, and fresh when available. When I’m in my parents’ country, I try to at as much of it as I can because it’s delicious as is wen ripe. It’s not cute or charming to insult the fruits many Asian families eat regularly. It’s disgusting and offensive.
I want to make this at my son’s birthday party. Would it be okay to put it in a crockpot after I cook it? Or do you have any suggestions for keeping it warm/serving in large amount for a party?
Hi Shelby! Yes, crockpot on low should keep it warm for your party!
I tried this recipe last night. It was delicious!!! I had a BBQ jackfruit sandwich at a restaurant about a week ago and this recipe was WAY BETTER. The BBQ spice mix adds a ton of flavor and the tip to remove the core of the fruit helps for the fruit to break into smaller pieces which improve the texture and taste of the dish. My Dad had eaten Jackfruit in the Philippines years ago, and said it was slimy and did not enjoy, but this recipe changed his mind about the fruit. He loved the sandwich and had seconds. Thank you for this easy and delicious summer recipe! I will definitely make it again.
There is a place here in SLC that makes these on sourdough. They do slaw and guacamole, and add blackbeans to the jackfruit. They are so WONDERFUL! I’m going to try this recipe next time so that I don’t have to drive for an hour, eat outside in the heat AND pay $7.00/sandwich. (I have 4 kids, so that adds up!) Thanks for posting this recipe! We love your food!
I’ve never eaten bbq pulled pork or chicken or anything similar and this was fabulous. Hubs and kiddo loved it. I will definitely make it again. I did caramelize onions first and add it to the fruit. Thank you!
I was very curious about trying this …..so I did.Made it with a quarter size of fresh Jackfruit. Let me tell you, this fruit tastes just like Wrigleys Juicy fruits…..I had to stop myself from eating it all. On the other hand I was disappointed with the result of the recipe. Followed it to a t with no alterations. Just wasted my yummy fruit…oh well!
I’ve seen fresh jackfruit sold in farmer’s markets and was wondering if you have a recipe for a curried jackfruit. I’d love to cook it fresh. Hope you can make this recipe as I’ll be waiting with baited breath to see what you come up with. Also, I know fresh Jackfruit is pretty sticky so some oil on the knife would help.
Hi Vanessa! We don’t yet, but I’ll be sure to add it to our recipe request list!
Great recipe! One thing though… no cashews! I’d rather eat a handful of cashews for protein prior to making the sandwich so it’s not completely ruined. The flavor and texture of cashews have no business being on a BBQ pulled pork/jackfruit style sandwiches . Lastly, avocado slaw is great!
Just made this (minus the cashews but added a splash of cayenne to the fruit) recipe to a t and… OMG. Soooooo good! My carnivorous son was not really hungry and only tried it after much guilt laying on my part. He couldn’t get over how seriously delicious it is and he ate it all!! The mixture of the cool slaw and the delicious “pork”. Wow. Just Wow! Thank you!
Hey… where do I post a pic of it?
Hi Moira! Share your photos on Instagram and use the hashtag #MinimalistBaker so we can see! Happy Cooking!
I have never purchased BBQ sauce – is there a particular brand you would recommend? Something more spicy then sweet.
I used Annie’s Organic BBQ Sauce. It was not as sweet as others and I added a pinch of cayenne to spice it up.
I made this tonight and I LOVED it! My husband who is a meat eater said he liked it better than regular pulled pork. He liked the texture of the jackfruit. I added some to the coleslaw and pickles to the bun, but that’s just because I love both of those things in any sandwich.:) Thank you!
Hi! Thanks for this recepie, i havnt tried it yet but im on my way. Just got back from the supermarket and realised i have bought the wrong type of jack fruit ( in syrup). Can i use this, and whats the difference?
Hi! You can but the flavor will be a little different! See comments above.
No way this recipe has 11.5 grams of protein. How did you figure this out?
Hi! We use caloriecount.com
Excellent introduction into cooking jackfruit at home. The first time I came across this fruit, I was in Indonesia in 2015 and took a bit of what I thought was chicken at a pedant style restaurant — turns out it was vegetarian (to my delight) and fruit (to my surprise). Ever since i’ve been sort of enthralled by it, thinking I had to head back east to indulge again. In sum, i’m super glad to see jackfruit selling in the states.
I made this recipe for dinner today and it was delicious — honestly tasted like a BBQ pulled pork sandwich and my boyfriend agreed. Definitely a repeat recipe.
I swapped the slaw for plain old mashed avocado and smushed the BBQ jackfruit + avo between a toasted whole wheat english muffin. Twas perfect.
Thanks, Dana!
I don’t normally review recipes but this was unreal! Been trying to go vegan but am a sucker for a BBQ, this is on of the best recipes I’ve tried including real meat. 10/10 thankyou!
If you’re struggling to find jackfruit in water, i managed with in brine I just rinsed well before, dried it and didn’t add the salt into the BBQ seasoning mix and came out great.
Xxx
I made the transition to vegan awhile ago, but have been struggling this summer because of all the summer parties and bbq goodness all around me. I stumbled upon this recipe and made it for my friends. No one could tell the difference, so thank you! xx
Unfortunately this was not a win. It didn’t taste like BBQ pulled pork at all. It was super sweet and took awhile to pull apart. Bummed it didn’t work out.
Did you use young green jackfruit in water and not brine or syrup? This is key to achieving proper flavor and texture and is likely why you found it to be sweet (it shouldn’t be sweet at all)
Winner winner jackfruit dinner! It was everything I hoped it would be. Cashews? Yep! Brilliant!
I doubled up on the slaw for leftovers. Might just eat it for breakfast. A light pulsing in the food processor cut time on the jackfruit prep and I was happy with the texture. When the family wants BBQ, this is what I’ll feed them. Thanks for another great recipe. They have consistently made plant-based eating a joyful adventure.
Glad you loved it, Rob!
Delicious!!!!!! Tast so good!
I’m so excited to try this tonight, pairing with some nice sweet potato fries but does this recipe really only make one sandwich? Can I add more jackfruit?
Hi! It makes 4-5 sandwiches!
My mother and I have recently transitioned to a plant-based vegan lifestyle and we, being from Oklahoma and Texas, really wanted to find a vegan BBQ alternative.
This recipe was absolutely DELICIOUS! It is exactly like eating real BBQ and the avocado coleslaw was also insanely yummy. We fed these sandwiches to our non-vegan family members and they loved it too!
I will absolutely be making this recipe again (and again, and again, and again)!
This was so delicious! My entire family said they thought it was pulled pork. The dish was spicy (I made the BBQ seasoning and used Trader Joe’s BBQ sauce) for some people in the family but I loved the heat. I also used Trader Joe’s jackfruit in brine and it turned out fine! I rinsed the jackfruit very well and soaked it in water for 5 minutes. Fantastic recipe, thanks!!
Oops thought I rated it in the first comment!
I have read majority of the reviews. Yes it looks good but has anyone made this recipe? That’s why I read reviews to get tips and opinions on how they prepared the dish and what it tastes like. Unfortunately the reviews were not helpful.