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
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
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...
Katie says
Sam hits it out of the park, as usual. Thank you for this awesome recipe, we just tried it tonight (on homemade bagels!!), and it is GOOD. We used Diana's bbq sauce, which worked great... but this is so good it might merit using a homemade bbq sauce too. Will definitely make again, thanks Sam
Nina Friedman says
I made this as a flatbread appetizer for company. I added just a little liquid smoke to make it more authentic. I also actually had similar at a restaurant made with brisket and they had a drizzle of a mixture Tahini and Selan. Holy Moses it was insane.. I wanted to replicate the recipe at home for vegan family and your recipe was PERFECT.. like I said just added a bit of liquid smoke and made the drizzle.. Took it to a whole different level!! 3 Michelin Stars... for sure.
Gary says
Instead of putting this in the oven a couple of times would it be possible to put it on a flat top grill?
SwashB says
A quick tip - it is much easier to coat and stir up cooked items with bbq sauce in the pan then spread it out on the baking sheet.
Ren says
So good! SO GOOD! So very very good!
Lorin says
Wanted to know if this is okay to re-heat?
Sarah says
This recipe is great! I tried the original recipe as well as a different approach. I didn’t have bbq sauce so I used taco seasoning and made tacos instead. It was delicious as well.
Denise Bory says
I tried this tonight for dinner and it was delicious! My husband said he couldn't tell the difference between it and how he remembered shredded bbq pork or chicken. I love how quickly it came together. Can't wait to make it again. Thanks for another great recipe!
Maria Bambara says
Hey Sam, I feel like I comment just about every week about the recipes from Fuss Free Vegan and your website. A
Anytime and every time someone asked me how to cook good vegetarian and vegan food I tell them go to you! My only experience I ever had with jackfruit was a disappointment so trying it again was a challenge I wasn’t sure I was up to. But lo and behold you nailed it again I am going to be serving this up at my barbecue on Sunday. I love freaking everybody out with this awesome food.
Thanks so much Sam for helping me show others there’s nothing more beautiful than a plant-based diet.
Maria
Amanda Strong says
Could Jackfruit be used to make fake fish, do you think? In one of the pictures it looks like flaky cod.
Milo says
What Bbq sauce did u use?
d brossy says
loved making this - so easy and so yummy, and so fast. added smoked chipotle for heat and smoky flavor. didn't tell hubby what was in sandwich - he just assumed it was pulled pork. hah!
we are mostly plant-based and eat animal foods about 3 x a week [he craves it]. people think vegan is bleh - they haven't even tried it yet their opinions are strong. excellent recipe - thanks for sharing. definitely in my *delish* file! and i agree - why people throw out the core and seeds
is nuts. it's in the can cause it's edible [i grew up eating ripe jackfruit - oh so yum! - we boil and eat the seeds too]
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoy!!
Jo Ellen says
I'm 46 and planned, cooked or ate meals based on meat as the main dish and I tried this recipe last night and let me tell you....I was AMAZING!!!! My husband and I couldn't believe it really wasn't pork. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Since my Mom's recent heart issues started I've been trying a plant based diet and trying to find things easy to cook and something that taste so good we wouldn't miss the meat and this was a home run!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! That's so wonderful, Jo Ellen 🙂
Stover says
I've been a meat eater my entire life and I'm 50 now. The only reason I've eaten meat is because I thought my body really needed it. I recently watched a video that made me reconsider my health. I'm a guy that always reaches out to new ideas. So I'm now trying to go the vegetarian diet and see how I feel. This recipe is very close to a pulled pork sandwich. I could tell the difference, but barely. I used Native Forest brand organic young jack fruit and some Woodstock Brand organic hickory Bar-B-Q sauce which was outstanding. Looking forward to trying some more of your recipes.
Stover
Sam Turnbull says
Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Stover! Yes, we do not need meat to be healthy, in fact, animal protein is actually harmful to our bodies. I'm not sure which documentary you watched but I recommend watching Game Changers, Forks Over Knives, and What the Health (all of which are available on Netflix). If you ever have any nutrition questions check out the website nutritionfacts.org and the book How Not to Die. Enjoy!
Stover says
Thanks, ya I watched the Game Changer.
Mandy says
Do you have any tips about adding protein to this meal? Jackfruit is excellent at mimicking meat, but it is not a protein source. I look forward to trying the recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Mandy! All whole foods have protein. Jackfruit doesn't contain a huge amount (about 5%), but as long as you eat a range of whole plant foods you will get more than enough protein. Adding a whole grain bun and a side of broccoli will add plenty. Or you could even stir beans into the prepared jackfruit. If you're worried about protein intake on a vegan or vegetarian diet, I recommend watching this video. Enjoy!
Alison Boyd says
red lentils might work well in with the sauce, i'm sure you wouldn't notice
Michelle K. says
Okay, Sam. 🙂 This is delicious. I am a picky eater, and I was afraid I wouldn't like it, so I halved the recipe. I ate the entire thing in one day. Planning on making a full batch this weekend. Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Awesome! Thrilled you loved it so much, Michelle 🙂
Ruth says
Hi Sam! I tried this recipe today for the first time. I've had canned jackfruit in my cupboard for many months, and for some reason was avoiding it! Today I'm sorry I waited so long because this recipe is AMAZING!
And so, so, so easy to make! I used Sweet Baby Ray's Award-Winning BBQ Sauce but was near the bottom of the bottle, so didn't use as much as recommended. I ate the jackfruit on a pretzel bun, with pickled banana pepper slices. Yummo! Will have this again tomorrow with my daughter, and will probably make the coleslaw (with your dressing) as an optional topping. We both love banana peppers, so that might be our go-to! Thanks so much for doing what you do, because your recipes are THE BEST!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Wonderful! So flattered you think it's the best, Ruth 🙂
Jessica says
This pulled jackfruit was delicious! I actually added the jackfruit to nachos and made bbq nachos with red onion and jalapenos, it was delicious! Thank you
Sam Turnbull says
Oh that sounds epic!! So happy you enjoyed, Jessica!
Moon says
Amazingly delicious! Is the fiberous part that surrounds the pods/bulbs edible? Any recipe ideas? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
I have no idea, I have only ever had canned jackfruit. Sorry I can't be more help!
Kat says
It is edible! The entire fruit is edible and when you open a brined canned container you will find the fibrous and nutty part included in the can. The texture is very different in a can than the real fruit however, I am not sure how to use the fibrous part without having it brined. I have found only it is only usable in a pulled pork recipe if already brined. I have tried roasting the nuts from a fresh fruit, and didn't care for it, but others have said they like them roasted. There are recipes for the other parts of the fruit that can be found too. I have used both canned and fresh fruit for this recipe. To note I hear that if using a fresh fruit- a ripe fruit will taste great raw, but an unriped fruit will have a more meatier texture and be less sweet that many prefer for pulled pork recipes.
d brossy says
yes everything in the can is edible including the seeds and the middle section. i grew up in the tropics and my grandpa grew jackfruit, too. i miss the seasonal fruits we had every month, fresh from the trees - grapefruit, oranges, pomegranates, avocados, starfruit, soursop...
Donna Reeves says
The fibrous part is the part that looks like shredded meat. If you are using fresh jackfruit you need to get it green. If it smells like fruit it will have less of the yummy fibrous part. The fruit is sweet but if you want the meat like textured part you must get it when the Jackfruit is very young. The sticky core has a latex like substance that is hard to get off of your hands and any other thing it touches. Oil will help to remove it. So Sam, you do not want to eat the core. It is not included in canned Jackfruit.
Kayla says
Would you be able to make this ahead of time and heat it up. I have a couple vegetarian and a vegan coming to my wedding and we are doing pulled pork.
Sam Turnbull says
Absolutely! Enjoy 🙂