Warning:
Please grab a napkin and prepare for drool. Don’t lick the screen, don’t do it!!! I wish computer screens tasted delicious, but I am afraid they do not. Been there, done that.
Fully warned? Then scroll at your own risk.
I warned you fair and square!
Introducing 6 Ingredient Pulled Jackfruit. Yes, this is vegan. Yes, this is a fruit. And yes, this recipe takes just 6 ingredients. Gah! Excitement. Joy. Love. Drool. Ah, wipe away drool… desire to lick screen… fighting desire… fight it… must… resist… ~lick~
If you have explored my blog you might have seen my original post for Jackfruit Sandwiches, and possibly even made it. While it’s for sure a completely delicious recipe, I felt the need to repost. Why repost you ask? (Well, you probably didn’t but I am going to answer anyways). My original recipe required almost 20 ingredients and took over 1.5 hours to cook! This does not jive with me.
I have learned a thing or two since my early days of blogging. The easier and quicker the recipe, the more I (and you) seem to like it. So when I took this 20 ingredient, 1.5 hour recipe and rehashed it to a 6 ingredients, 45 minute recipe, I was pre-tay damn pleased with myself. ~pats self on back~
If you are new to jackfruit, it is indeed a fruit. You can often find it covered in sticky syrup in cans, but in this recipe the key is to use young green jackfruit that is in brine or water (not syrup). When the jackfruit is young (and not fully ripe), it’s much starchier and not sweet… It actually doesn’t taste like much to be honest. The cool thing about it is that once cooked, it has this pulled, shredded texture that is totally fun. Toss it with some BBQ sauce, and you are on your way to one of the best vegan sandwiches I have ever encountered.
I’m lucky enough that I can find jackfruit in my local discount grocery store in the Asian section. If you can’t find it in your grocery store, check out Indian or Asian grocery stores, or order it online.
I had a look at what a few other bloggers did with their jackfruit, and was horrified to see that many had written in the instructions to chop off and discard the core and seeds. DON’T DO THIS! You’re just wasting precious delicious jackfruit. Why oh why would you do that!?
To prepare your jackfruit, drain and rinse it, then cut the jackfruit into smaller pieces. For optimal texture, cut the slices from core to the outer edge as seen in the picture above, which breaks up the tougher core as much as possible, and makes for the best “pulled” texture.
Sauté onions and garlic in a bit of oil, and once tender add in the chopped jackfruit. Add in the vegetable broth and cover and simmer for another 8 to 10 minutes until the jackfruit is tender enough to mash.
Once it’s mashable, take a potato masher and mash it all up until desired amount of mashedness is reached. How many times can you put “mash” in a sentence?
Spread in an even layer on a lightly greased baking sheet and pop it in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour over 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce, and stir so that the jackfruit is evenly coated. Pop it back in the oven for another 10 minutes to make it all sticky and delicious. Stir in 1/4 cup more BBQ sauce before serving, if desired.
Use the jackfruit how you like! I put mine on a bun with a simple coleslaw of shredded cabbage and carrots tossed with my Coleslaw Dressing. Yum! This would also be super satisfyingly scrumptious in tacos, on pizza, or nachos as just a few ideas! Don’t be surprised if you see these recipe ideas coming up in the future.
Adapted from my old recipe for Jackfruit Sandwich
- 2 20oz cans young green jackfruit, in brine or water (not in syrup!)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
- 3/4 cup BBQ sauce
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C). Lightly grease a baking pan.
- Drain and rinse the jackfruit. Cut the jackfruit into smaller pieces by cutting it from core to the edge for the most pulled texture (see photos).
- Add the olive oil to a large frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat, and when hot add the onions and garlic. Sauté until the onions are tender and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add in the chopped jackfruit and vegetable broth. Cover and continue to cook another 8 to 10 minutes, until the jackfruit is soft enough that it can be mashed. Mash the jackfruit with potato masher, until it breaks apart and looks pulled or shredded.
- To finish the jackfruit spread in an even layer across the baking pan and then pop it in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and pour over 1/2 cup BBQ sauce and stir to combine. Toss it back in the oven for about 10 minutes, until it looks delicious and golden and even a few strands get a bit burnt. Remove from the oven and if desired stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce to make it even saucier.
Bon Appetegan!
Sam.
Okay…this was heavenly!!! I had to force myself to stop eating. 😉 Seriously! Thanks so much for the recipe!!
Haha, love it! You’re most welcome, Tashina!
Another winning recipe! We made this and the coleslaw recipe. Loved every bite!
Woohoo! Love it 🙂
OMG….I JUST made this and shared the link to this recipe with all my friends, it is amazing! I cooked mine in my oressure cooker with a few cloves of minced garlic, some sautéed red onion and one “chicken” and one “beef” bouillon cube, I use Massels :)….Then I followed the rest of your recipe, its in the oven waiting for hubby to come home with some GF buns to grill, I can’t wait!
Woohoo!! So thrilled you loved it so much, Deb 🙂
howdy. I’m going to try this tomorrow. (and I realize you might not read the comments until much later) I’ve ready the comments back through January and don’t see the answer to my question (or missed it) But — I won’t be able to use it all. Does it keep its texture/flavor if I store in the fridge and reheat?
Hi Jane, I do try to answer comments within 48 hours, so hopefully I caught you in time! Yes, it’s great leftover as well. Enjoy 🙂
Thank you! And right on time 😉
Hi there. My jackfruit is cooking in the oven. The seeds have finished simmering and I’m wondering what to do with them now? (You did say keep them right!?) They actually taste ok warm, but wonder if you have any other ideas please?
Just cook the seeds right along with everything else, no need to separate them. Enjoy!
Thanks for your recipes…I’m a bit of a freak and don’t mind the longer recipes especially when they call for liquid smoke etc. If i were to merge the two jackfruit recipes, would I use the ingredients from one and the timing from the other, or just keep them separate?
Hi Natalie, just use one recipe or the other, merging isn’t a good idea. Or you could always just add a dash of liquid smoke to the BBQ sauce in this recipe. Enjoy!
I got canned jackfruit in brine and now don’t know if I should use it because of the sodium content if I rinse it really well would that take away most of sodium?
The jackfruit I normally buy is also in brine as seen in the pictures above. Just give it a rinse and you’re good to go!
HI this looks do good! I’m excited to bring this to a bbq tomorrow. What’s the best way to reheat the pulled jackfruit? Thank you!
Hi Danielle! I think you could toss it in a pot and reheat it with a bit of water over low heat. Enjoy!
I’m having trouble finding canned jackfruit, but could grab fresh at the farmer’s market tomorrow. Would that be okay? What would change in terms of preparation? Thank you!
Lucky you! I’ve never actually worked with fresh jackfruit before so I’m not too sure. The jackfruit I call for in this recipe is young or green and is not fully ripe. When it’s not ripe yet, it’s more on the starchy savoury side, but when it ripens it gets quite sweet. So make sure to grab a young jackfruit. Here’s a good article on working with jackfruit that may help.
I absolutely fell deliciously in love with this recipe!! I love it!! Thank you so much for sharing :)))
I only have one question, how can I put protein in this dish, so we can feel full afterwards?
Thank youuuu
So happy you like the recipe! You could serve some beans with it. Enjoy!
I’ve been wanting to make this since you first posted the recipe (so almost a year now). I have been on the hunt in my small city this past year for the young jackfruit in water. No body has it (not even the big Chinese grocery stores that have popped up). Anyway, my neighbour’s vegetarian boyfriend found it… and gave me two cans!!!!!! So, the point is… these were freakin’ AWESOME!!!!! Super easy to make and super tasty to devour… that’s it, no need to say anything more other than “make this recipe!” I would have given 10 stars, (Yes, I did ask where he got the jackfruit; a small Caribbean variety store in my city. I’ll be going there soon for more!)
YAY!! So happy you were able to find jackfruit and finally enjoy this recipe! Thrilled you love it so much, especially after the long wait 😀
This was just as good as when I cooked it for hours in a crock pot. If you get the canned jackfruit from Trader Joe’s, it is already cut up for you.
Perfect! So happy you enjoyed it, Marc 🙂
I’m a meat eater. I make BBQ for a living and love nothing more than succulent meats and the sides that accompany them. But, for anyone who may think that this recipe isn’t going to be good, it is. I made it and fooled several of my friends. They just thought it was a new pulled pork recipe I was trying out. It’s delicious and I’ll be using jackfruit as a veggie option from now on.
Haha, wow! So happy you love it so much, James! Glad you are providing veggie options 🙂
Made this for the first time last night. I thought it was fine. Family wasn’t so thrilled, lol. Maybe I did it wrong? Can I bake it, covered, for a couple of hours? What about crockpot or pressure cooker? I think it had a slightly tart taste that they couldn’t get over (omnis). I think it would have gone over better had I added sliced pineapple to it.
Hi Steph,
The tart taste may be your BBQ sauce as jackfruit doesn’t have a ton of flavour and instead just takes on the sauce you use. Cooking it longer would just make it soggy, but you could for sure add pineapple. Hope that helps!
This is the bomb. I have been vegetarian for 26 years and this is the best faux meat pulled pork sandwich I have ever eaten. I love it, as does my husband, and it will be a regular staple. Thank you so much for sharing….
Wow! So flattered to hear that, Lorri. So happy you and your husband love it so much!! Thank you for the lovely comment 🙂
This was so freaking amazing! Like I can’t get over it. I FINALLY got around to trying it tonight, and was totally skeptical. Served this to my kids (9 years and 1), my husband and my mom. Everyone loved it! My mom eats meat and would totally complain if she didn’t like it but she ate it and said it tasted like pork and was delicious. Major compliment. You are a genius!!
Awww shucks, Thanks so very much, Nora! So happy it was a hit with everyone 😀
I made a jackfruit pulled pork attempt 3 years ago and never made it again because it was like bleh. But this recipe changed everything for me and my hubby! OMG! Popping it in the oven makes so much difference. Thanks for sharing Sam!
Woohoo! So happy you enjoyed it, Marvie 🙂
Just made this for tacos! Instead of bbq sauce I used tomatillo sauce (the green enchilada sauce in the can) and it turned out so good! For added spice I also added in some crushed red pepper. Just heat up some corn tortillas add in the jackfruit, onion, garlic mixture top with a little pico de gallo and squeeze a lime! so bomb, I didn’t even tell my boyfriend that it was jackfruit and not pork until after dinner, he was so shocked!
Hahaha!! That’s so awesome!! Great idea too 🙂
Not sure where you are sourcing your information, everything I have read says jackfruit seeds are totally safe to eat and actually have a lot of benefits.
This article doesn’t source any scientific studies, so personally, I wouldn’t trust it. On top of that I found nothing but positive reviews of the health benefits of jackfruit. The jackfruit has been consumed for centuries, and the seeds are often served roasted or in stews like a bean. If you did want to take that article seriously, however, it suggests the fruit is also a problem, so stay away from jackfruit all together. It’s up to you! Personally, I will continue to dig in!
Just finished eating this – superb! I used a spicier BBQ sauce and unfortunately my son had trouble eating it – what a wuss 😉 My hubby and I happily scoffed ours though. Made a broccoli slaw to go with it. Will make this again with a tamer sauce next time for my son. My only complaint, however, this is hardly your doing, is that this barely made enough for the three of us. We all had to skimp on the jackfruit part. I did use a different brand of canned jackfruit though so perhaps that’s the reason. I’ll know for next time. Delicious, easy, and quick meal! Thank you soooooo much 🙂
So happy you enjoyed it, Trish! Feel free to double or even triple the recipe to your liking when you make it again. I hope your son likes it when he gets a chance to try it as well 🙂
I just found this post while looking for a vegetarian option. Planning to make this for a party. Can I make it ahead and keep it warm in a slw cooker?
Thank you
Yes that should be fine. Enjoy!
Made this at the weekend, great recipe thanks. Used fresh Jackfruit, works fine.
Made the slaw too, and potato wedges.
Sounds epic! So glad it was enjoyed 🙂
Going to try this recipe at the weekend when son is home , can I use vegetable stock ?
I hope you enjoy it. Yes, vegetable stock and vegetable broth are the same thing. 🙂
This BBQ jackfruit recipe is really good and family-friendly. Thank you so much for putting this together! I thought it had much better texture than the slow cooker method I found on another site. The flavor was a bit more acidic than I like, so we might try a homemade BBQ sauce next time, leaving out the acid to compensate for the acidity of the jackfruit. I’m also thinking of trying this recipe without onions and using teriyaki sauce for Asian bowl or stir-fry recipes…
Ooo love the teriyaki sauce idea! Might have to be inspired by that one! So happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
this recipe I love!! made it several times but today is the first day of the new year, so…. I am gonna toss in some black eyed peas for good luck (and extra protein)!! thanks for this and happy healthy new year to all 🙂
Yay!! So happy you love it! Happy healthy new year to you as well suzi 😀
For others who might not be able to find the right kind of jackfruit locally, this brand on amazon is specifically marketed toward vegetarians and vegans to be used in recipes as a meat substitute. No ambiguity about whether you’re getting the right kind!
Thanks so much for posting the revamp of this recipe. My husband and I are both vegetarians, but he really suffers from meat cravings from time to time. This will be a great way to fulfill his cravings!!
Thanks for the tips Heather! Oh yes, this should hit the spot for him for sure! He might also enjoy my Tofu Bolognese, Lentil Shepherd’s Pie, Crispy & Chewy Sesame Shittake, Crispy Breaded Tofu Steaks, Sweet Korean Lentils and Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Tofu which all have a meaty sort of quality to them. 🙂
I love this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing it with us. It is so simple and the results are exactly what I wanted!
However, I wonder if you have any tricks for buying the *right* canned jackfruit? I grabbed a couple cans of young jackfruit in brine from Whole Foods, and when I cracked them open the fruit was pink! It also seemed to be much softer than the stuff shown in your pics. It ended up much sweeter than it should have been, although I added enough bbq sauce to mask this flavor. There was no way I could have known beforehand that the fruit was too ripe, plus it said “young” on the can and it had a “best before” date in 2018. If you have tips or tricks for avoiding this issue or dealing with it once it happens, that might be great for future recipes.
Yay!! So happy to hear that 🙂
Hmm… I have never had a problem with the jackfruit I have bought, perhaps the can you bought was just a not great one? You could try a different brand next time if you can find one. This is the one I buy. Hope that helps!
Hi there, going to source out young Green Jackfruit as I bought the wrong one before finding your site, then I can make this receipe.
Any suggestions on what I can do with the sweet version that I have already?
Looking for tons of new things to do/try as my son can’t have dairy, already doesn’t like meat, but is a super picky eater.
Thanks in advance
Meagan
You have a smart son 😉 haha. The sweet jackfruit is VERY sweet kind of like canned peaches. So it might be nice to use to sweeten up oatmeal, a smoothie, or nicecream. I hope you and your son enjoy the savoury version once you get a chance to make it 🙂
First time trying jackfruit and this recipe and omg it’s insane!! Can’t believe I never bothered to try this sooner, and found out we have canned jackfruit in water at the Asian supermarket down the road for so cheap!! Has mine in ciabatta rolls, with coleslaw and pickles. Thanks 🙂
P.s if your in Melbourne south east suburbs Hong Kong supermarket in Clayton is where I got it 🙂
Hahaha! So happy you love it so much Amanda. So yummy right!? 🙂
Hi
Question! What to do with the broth? Do I chuck it away? Wait until the jackfruit is dry? I mean, wait until the broth has all cleared up? Know I just threw the broth away as my jackfruit was very soft to start with. Is that right? Help! Greetings from Holland
The broth is so that jackfruit stays moist and doesn’t stick to the pan. Did you make sure to drain your jackfruit first? If so, and your jackfruit was still very wet, you can just skip the broth next time. Hope that helps!
Made your recipe today and it was amazing, quick and easy!! My hubby had two sandwiches…he loved it. We have eaten “pulled pork” sandwiches at a few vegan restaurants here in Toronto and in BC, this was the best by far!!
Thank you 🙂
Yay love it!!! Isn’t it just the best when homemade beats out restaurant food!? Cooking for the win! 😀
I don’t have access to canned jackfruit. Can I use fresh jackfruit?
Sure! But I’ve never worked with fresh jackfruit myself, so I wouldn’t know how to prep it.
Did you use fresh? How did it go? I did not rinse my just threw it in, simmering it now!
I’ve made this version a few times now and it has been a big hit with veg-heads and meat-eaters alike. This is much easier than your earlier version, but just as tasty. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Yay!! So happy you and your friends love it Liz. I knew it was a good idea to simplify that recipe! 🙂
Just made this tonight and it was great! In my opinion, it was even better than the store bought prepared bbq kind. Also LOVED your coleslaw dressing. Yum! Thanks for sharing!
Oh awesome! I have never tried the store-bought prepared kind (don’t think they have that in Canada yet), so I am thrilled it tastes even better homemade! So happy you enjoyed it so much 😀
I see on Amazon that there is young green jackfruit in brine and in water. Have you tried both? Is there a difference? Does the brine raise the sodium level higher than is healthy? Or is it essential to the taste – so maybe worth the occasional health risk?
Hi Deanna,
Both would work just fine. The one I use is in brine, but the jackfruit in water would work too, you may just need to add a pinch of salt to taste. Enjoy!
This looks amazing! I am cooking for only myself, and concerned about leftovers? Can I reheat it the next day? Can I freeze it? Don’t want to waste any food if possible!
You can definitely reheat it the next day, but feel free to also half the recipe. That said, I never have a problem eating it all myself 😉
So exciting! I just received an order of canned jackfruit and intended to use your original recipe (which I’ve made and love) but this looks so much easier and faster. Thank you, thank you!
Yay! You’re so very welcome Liz. I hope you enjoy this new version!
I tried this earlier in the year. My Jon vegan husband and kids said, “It looks like chicken, but we known out don’t eat meat.” They were afraid to try it, and I wouldn’t tell them what it was. More for me. Hahahaha! Thanks for caring to share.
Hahaha! That’s awesome!
I mean Jackfruit…..one word.
Haven’t taken the Jack Fruit plunge yet, but I think this would be it.
I highly recommend it! Plunge away! 🙂
Fantastic!! I printed the recipe with the 20 ingredients to try this week and was trying to figure out when evening I had enough time to do it in. Aaannnd then I seen this repost …..thank you thank you thank you!! I’ll do the quicker recipe tomorrow night!
Haha! Perfect timing!! Love it.
Doesn’t leaving the seeds in make a strange texture? I don’t cut off the core, but I’ve always taken the time to remove the seeds just because they seem like they would ruin the ~*JACKFRUIT EXPERIENCE*~
Nope, they just mash right in and I don’t even notice them. They end up being the same texture as everything else!
Interesting! I can’t believe I’ve been wasting so much prep time (and wasting so much jackfruit…). I’ll have to try it with the seeds still in.
Sounds absolutely delicious. Is that the same as the ones that you served us a couple of weeks ago? I ate every morsel and licked my fingers clean.
Yum !!!
Yes it is!! I sneakily recipe test on all who enter my house! Haha.
This is so timely, I actually made my first batch using a different recipe last night. The flavours were definitely there, but the recipe didn’t have me cut it up first so shredding was a LOT of work. And I wouldn’t have ever thought to use a potato masher, genius! ALSO, putting it in the oven sounds like it would make for some good cruchy bits. I will definitely follow your recipe the next time!!
Thank you for the awesome tricks to streamline the process!! 🙂
You’re so welcome Baily! Yes, the oven takes it from soft and mushy to a bit chewy with some delicious burnt bits. I hope you enjoy it 🙂
This post makes me super happy! I bought canned jackfruit in brine from Amazon recently to make shredded bbq jackfruit. I haven’t found a recipe that I wanted to try yet, mostly because of too many ingredients (as you mentioned) or it just seemed too complicated. This looks awesome! I’m recovering from an appendectomy but will be making this as soon as I can cook actual meals again. Question about the coleslaw dressing- any idea how much cabbage/carrots goes with one full recipe to be creamy coleslaw? Trying to decide if I need to double it for my family.
Haha yay! So happy it makes you happy 🙂
I didn’t measure my coleslaw but the dressing recipe makes a little over 1/2 cup. I would say that it would easily cover 6 cups of coleslaw, but probably more depending on how saucy you like it.