Author: These Pulled Jackfruit Sandwiches offer a vegan twist on a classic BBQ favorite, using only 6 simple ingredients. Featuring young green jackfruit in brine or water, this recipe delivers a meaty texture and a savory flavor similar to pulled chicken or pulled pork. This super-simple vegan recipe is perfect for those craving a hearty, meaty, plant-based sandwich that's bursting with flavor and is easy to prep. Get ready to indulge in a satisfying and delicious meal with Pulled Jackfruit Sandwiches!
This BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich is a vegan-ized version of a traditional BBQ pulled chicken or pulled pork sandwich and, when the jackfruit prepared this way, it has a super-meaty texture that makes for the perfect meat-substitute.
Common Questions:
What is jackfruit? If you are new to jackfruit, it is indeed a fruit. It grows on tropical trees in regions spanning southeast Asia, Africa, and South America (most notably Brazil). When packaged, 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).
Are jackfruit sandwiches gluten free? If you were to use a gluten-free bread and check that your BBQ sauce is free of gluten, yes! This sandwich can be made gluten-free!
What does pulled jackfruit taste like? Ripe yellow jackfruit tastes slightly sweet - sort of like a blend of banana, apple, and mango. When the jackfruit is young (and not fully ripe), it's called "Young Green Jackfruit" and it is much starchier and not sweet... It actually doesn't taste like much to be honest. The cool thing about it is that once the young green jackfruit is 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.
How long does pulled jackfruit last in the fridge? Once cooked, jackfruit can last up to 4 days in your fridge if stored in an air-tight container (or wrapped tightly).
Where can I buy Jackfruit? 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.
How To Prepare the Jackfruit:
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!?
Drain and rinse the jackfruit, then cut 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 the 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 ½ 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 ¼ cup more BBQ sauce before serving, if desired.
How to Make a Pulled Jackfruit Sandwich:
Pile onto a bun with a simple coleslaw of shredded red cabbage, carrots, and red onions tossed with my Coleslaw Dressing. Perfection! This would also be super satisfyingly scrumptious in tacos, jackfruit carnitas, on pizza, or nachos as just a few ideas! Don't be surprised if you see these recipe ideas coming up in the future.
This Pulled Jackfruit Sandwich is...
- Easy to make - just 6 ingredients
- Meaty and full of flavor
- The vegan version of a pulled pork sandwich
- Ooey gooey, drippy, messy in all the right ways!
More Vegan Jackfruit Recipes You Might Enjoy:
- Easy Vegan Jackfruit Tacos
- Easy Vegan Buffalo Jackfruit
- Vegan Jackfruit Salad Sandwich
- Vegan Chicken Nuggets
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
6 Ingredient Pulled Jackfruit
Servings: servings
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Ingredients
- 2 20oz cans young green jackfruit, in brine or water (not in syrup!)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion,, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic,, minced
- ¼ cup vegetable broth or water
- ¾ cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- 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 ½ 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 ¼ cup of BBQ sauce to make it even saucier.
Nutrition
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I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕More Meaty Vegan Sandwich Recipes You Might Enjoy...
Heather says
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!!
Sam Turnbull says
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. 🙂
nicole t says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Meagan says
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
Sam Turnbull says
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 🙂
Amanda says
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 🙂
Amanda says
P.s if your in Melbourne south east suburbs Hong Kong supermarket in Clayton is where I got it 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha! So happy you love it so much Amanda. So yummy right!? 🙂
Deen Dondersteen says
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
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Daria says
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 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Yay love it!!! Isn't it just the best when homemade beats out restaurant food!? Cooking for the win! 😀
Dave Love says
I don't have access to canned jackfruit. Can I use fresh jackfruit?
Sam Turnbull says
Sure! But I've never worked with fresh jackfruit myself, so I wouldn't know how to prep it.
Julie says
Did you use fresh? How did it go? I did not rinse my just threw it in, simmering it now!
Liz says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! So happy you and your friends love it Liz. I knew it was a good idea to simplify that recipe! 🙂
Jillian says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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 😀
Deanna Tolman says
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?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Sandy says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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 😉
Liz says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! You're so very welcome Liz. I hope you enjoy this new version!
Karen J says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha! That's awesome!
Bethery says
I mean Jackfruit.....one word.
Bethery says
Haven't taken the Jack Fruit plunge yet, but I think this would be it.
Sam Turnbull says
I highly recommend it! Plunge away! 🙂
DonnaLouWho says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Perfect timing!! Love it.
Sawyer says
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*~
Sam Turnbull says
Nope, they just mash right in and I don't even notice them. They end up being the same texture as everything else!
Sawyer says
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.
Neil Turnbull says
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 !!!
Sam Turnbull says
Yes it is!! I sneakily recipe test on all who enter my house! Haha.
Baily S. says
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!! 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
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 🙂
Kristi says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
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.