Yep, this is happening. My latest take on vegan pulled pork that just may be my best yet.
Let’s BBQ!
My first attempt at vegan pulled pork was successful after jumping on the jackfruit train. I loved it so much that I created a spicier version topped with grilled pineapple for our cookbook! Serious swoon.
While I love using jackfruit as a vegan meat substitute, it has little to no protein. So after making my Vegan Sloppy Joes with lentils I was inspired to try a BBQ flavor. As you might’ve guessed, experimentation went well. This may be my favorite lentil recipe yet!
This recipe is simple, requiring just 10 ingredients, and it comes together in less than 45 minutes! You likely have everything you need on hand besides BBQ sauce and buns (unless you’re like me and hoard these things in your pantry).
To infuse the lentils and shredded carrots – which add that amazing, stringy texture – with flavor, I relied on smoked paprika, coconut sugar, garlic powder, and sea salt. A little BBQ sauce sealed the deal for that quintessential smoky BBQ flavor.
I hope you guys LOVE this recipe! It’s:
Hearty
Satisfying
Smoky
BBQ-infused
Packed with protein + fiber
Easy
& So delicious
Even better news? One of four sandwiches boasts 17 grams of protein, making this the perfect plant-based version that will truly satisfy those hearty pulled pork cravings. While this is delicious on its own, it would pair perfectly with my Perfect Grilled Corn with Sriracha Aioli, Garlicky Chickpea Kale Salad, and Ginger Beer Margaritas!
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
The Best Vegan “Pulled Pork” Sandwich!
Ingredients
LENTILS
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup green lentils (well rinsed)
SEASONINGS / CARROTS
- 2 Tbsp olive, avocado, or grape seed oil
- 1/2 medium white or yellow onion (minced // plus more for serving)
- 1 ½ cups packed finely shredded/grated carrots (I used my food processor attachment)
- 2 Tbsp coconut sugar or organic brown sugar (plus more to taste)
- 1 ½ tsp ground paprika (we prefer smoked)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 healthy pinch each sea salt + black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 3/4 cup vegan BBQ sauce (plus more for serving // gluten-free as needed // I used Annie’s original BBQ sauce)
- 2 Tbsp water
FOR SERVING
- 4 medium gluten-free or whole-wheat hamburger buns*
- Finely chopped purple cabbage, carrot, and green onion (optional)
Instructions
- To a small saucepan, add water and rinsed lentils and heat over medium-high heat. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 18 minutes, or until tender. The water should have a constant simmer (not boil). Drain off any excess liquid and set aside.
- When the lentils are almost finished cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and onion and season with a pinch each salt and pepper. Stir to combine, and sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the onions are tender and slightly browned.
- Next add cooked lentils, carrots, coconut sugar, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, BBQ sauce (see photo), and 2 Tbsp water (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Stir to combine.
- Continue cooking the mixture over medium-low heat until completely warmed through and thick, stirring occasionally – about 5-10 minutes.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more paprika for smokiness, salt for saltiness, coconut sugar for sweetness, or BBQ sauce for depth of flavor.
- Optional: Scoop half of the mixture into a food processor and (using the “s” shaped blade) mix/pulse to mash some of the lentils and carrots together. This creates a more cohesive texture, which I prefer.
- Serve the mixture on toasted buns of choice with toppings of choice. I went with shredded red cabbage, carrots, and sliced green onions. Serve with extra BBQ sauce for more flavor.
- Best when fresh, though lentil mixture will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through, adding water if the mixture has dried out.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with whole wheat hamburger buns.
Traci J says
I’m making this soon! I already have all the ingredients but wondering if instead of mixing half in a food processor, could I immersion blend it for a bit to get that same consistency? Wondering if anyone has attempted that yet! 😊
Hi Traci, that should work. We’d love to hear if you try it!
Scott Sturgis says
This is one of the best vegan sandwiches I have had! Even meat eaters love it.
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Scott. Thank you for the lovely review!
Carri says
Hi! This recipe looks really good and I am planning to make it for a potluck. I am wondering if we make it according to the directions but then put it into a slow cooker on low heat to keep it warm, will that work? Or will that end up changing the texture too much? Any suggestions? Thank you!
Hi Carri, that should work beautifully. Enjoy!
Beverly says
Can I use your instant pot lentils method for this recipe?
Yes, if using green/brown lentils! You can cook the lentils in the Instant Pot, then proceed with the recipe.
dana says
I forgot to add that I roughly chopped my carrots and then ran them through the food processor using the S blade. Next time I will chop them finer or GRATE them as called for and saute until extra tender. They weren’t at all firm/hard, but were just a bit too firm for my liking, although I loved the entire dish!
dana says
I doubled everything and also made Minimalist Baker’s BBQ sauce (which was also a 5 star rating). I have never cooked my lentils on the stove top, only in my instant pot. Stove top was just as easy and I did not get mushy lentils as I often do in my IP. Just the cooked lentils were delish by themselves! I could have eaten them straight out of the pot, oh wait, I did! I left plenty for the recipe and it was great! My vegetarian, processed food eating husband liked them also. Being a body builder, he really was impressed with the 17 grams of protein per sandwhich. Going to visit my mom out of state. She is having medical treatment which has taken away her sense of taste and she’s not eating much. I will be making this for her.
We’re so glad you and your husband both enjoyed this sandwich, Dana! We hope everything goes well with your mom and that she enjoys this sandwich, too. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Ty says
Really good recipe. I didn’t have fresh veggies on hand so ended up using some onion powder instead of onions, and just didn’t use any carrots. The mixture came out a bit thin because I didn’t have all those veggies in there, so I ended up using some bread crumbs to thicken things up. I didn’t use a food processor and just left the lentil mixture whole, it came out great.
I might try and hand mash the lentil mixture a bit next time to see if it’ll help hold everything together a bit better in the hamburger buns.
Thanks!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Ty! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications!
Meri Schroeder says
Pretty darn good and comes together fairly quickly. As another person suggested, I served over a baked potato with some chopped up green onions. Love this twist on barbecue but in a much healthier way than with meat (I also made homemade sauce). I also used aqua faba to sautee to cut down on the fat. If I remember right, I used about 3-4 carrots to get 1 1/2 cups.
Thank you for sharing, Meri. We’re glad you enjoyed it!
Kurt Schultz says
This recipe is so delicious and easy it’s easy to make. It’s much more like sloppy joes than pulled pork. I think we could make this for anyone and they’d love it. We’ll be making this again and again.
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kurt. Thank you for the lovely review!
Rachel says
This looks so good. Is green lentils, French green lentils? I’ve never used them. I have regular lentils on hand, will they work?! Would love to make this tonight!
Hi Rachel, French green lentils will work great! Brown lentils don’t have as much texture, but will still work. Enjoy!
Rebecca says
Made this for July 4th and it was awesome! Froze leftovers and served last night on a salad with lettuce, tomatoes, red onion and bread cube croutons. Can’t wait to make it again!
Love that creative twist, Rebecca! Thank you for sharing! xo
Stephen S. says
Best Thing Ever! I’ve been vegan for almost 20 years and veg for many before that. Don’t think I’ve ever had a pulled pork sandwich. (That’s a Southern thing, right?) After having printed out this recipe a few years ago I finally made it. Followed recipe exactly other than simmering the lentils in stock after soaking them overnight in it. The taste reminds me of what were called Sloppy Joes back in Wisconsin. I ate mine without the toppings. What a wonderful treat! Thanks again for a wonderful recipe!
We’re so glad you gave the recipe a try and enjoyed it, Stephen! Thank you for sharing!
colleen says
I love this recipe, I was wondering if I can freeze this
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Colleen! The filling should freeze well!
Kenzie says
Can you use red lentils instead of green?
Hi Kenzie, red lentils will be less textured and a little mushy, but would otherwise work. We would suggest cooking them for less time. Hope that helps!
Pam S. says
I’d like to try these, but wonder if 846 mg of sodium is a miss print? The AHA recommends limiting to 1500 mg per day. Just wanted to double check. Thanks!
Hi Pam, thanks for mentioning it! Another calculation gave us 573 mg, but it will vary greatly based on the sodium content of the BBQ sauce and buns you’re using as those are the primary sources of sodium in this recipe.
Suzanne Hale says
I made this for dinner last night and it came out perfect! Thank you so much for this recipe. I love pulled pork but need to follow a healthier diet for my heart. French green lentils and carrots are awesome for their taste and texture. I did followed the recipe without modifications. It was so good, I ate some cold for breakfast this morning!
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Suzanne! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Sarah says
Could you use tinned lentils to save time and if so, how much of the tin would you need? In the UK a tin would be 400g including the liquid
Yes! We’d recommend draining them and using 2 cans.
Lee says
I’m going to try with half shredded carrots and half banana peel, which has that pulled pork texture.
Ooo, very cool! Let us know how it goes, Lee!
JoAnn Buel says
Can I use brown pardina lentils in place of the green
Yes, that should work great!
Teri says
OH, WOW. YUM. Can I have two?
Of course!! So glad you enjoy it, Teri! xoxo
Janet says
Non vegan here. I’ve made vegan pulled pork with Jackfruit before, and although I like the appearance of the jackfruit better, the flavour and “mouthfeel” of this is much more like meat pulled pork. Perhaps that’s because of the protein?
In any case, I will absolutely make this again.
We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Janet. Thank you for sharing! xo
Kellie Casey says
Wondering if this can be made ahead and frozen?
We haven’t tried it, but the filling might freeze well!
Jan says
Goodness! This IS the BEST Vegan “Pulled Pork” recipe! I used half-sharp paprika rather than smoked and preshredded carrot. I can’t stop ‘testing’ it – eating some with a tortilla chips while standing at the stovetop – but I must save it for tomorrow’s guests! Thanks for sharing!
Whoop! We’re so glad you’re enjoying it, Jan. Thank you for sharing! xo
Tammy says
This was delicious! Topped it with a creamy coleslaw.
Yay! Thank you for sharing, Tammy! xo