Easy BBQ Jackfruit (vegan)

This BBQ jackfruit is over-the-top flavorful and guaranteed to be a family favorite! It’s easy, delicious and just like real BBQ pulled pork! Jackfruit pulled pork is made with seasoned jackfruit that is sautéed in a skillet until tender and then tossed with BBQ sauce.

If you love this BBQ Jackfruit recipe, you’ve got to try Jackfruit Enchiladas and Jackfruit Pot Roast!

I’ve had jackfruit pulled pork at vegan restaurants a few times and was so excited to try making it at home. I found the cans of young jackfruit at Trader Joe’s, but if you don’t have one in your area and aren’t able to find it anywhere else, you can get it HERE on Amazon (Amazon for the win!).

I bought a ridiculous amount of jackfruit recently and have so many recipe ideas that I can’t wait to work on! So, be on the lookout for quite a few more jackfruit recipes in the near future.

What is Jackfruit

Jackfruit is a large tropical fruit that’s relatively inexpensive to buy whole. You can eat it raw, like other fruits. The jackfruit that we’re using in this particular recipe (and that is typically used in meat replacement recipes like this) is young GREEN jackfruit.

I won’t pretend to be an expert on jackfruit, but if you want to learn more, HERE is a more detailed description!

Ingredients Needed

Canned jackfruit. Unripened jackfruit (which is what we’re using) has a neutral and a meat-like texture. This recipe calls for 40-ounces of jackfruit, which is about two large cans.

Spices. A mix of garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and paprika is the perfect blend of delicious spices for jackfruit pulled pork.

Liquid smoke. This will give our vegan pulled pork that classic smoky flavor that we love in real pulled pork. You can find this near spices and seasonings at the grocery store. It is an optional ingredient, so feel free to omit it if you don’t have it available.

Brown sugar. For a touch of sweetness!

Olive oil. A small amount of fat is needed to get the jackfruit sautéing.

BBQ sauce. Use any favorite BBQ sauce.

How to make this BBQ Jackfruit Recipe:

The full written recipe is down in the recipe card but here’s a visual overview!

Prep the jackfruit and shred it in a large bowl. Mix in the flavoring.

Saute the jackfruit to get it warmed through and lightly crispy around the edges. Mix in bbq sauce.

Guys, even my mom liked this jackfruit recipe and she’s one of those people that is instantly turned off by any faux meat or any recipe with the word “vegan” in it. lol. So, what I’m saying is: you need it in your life!

I highly recommend serving this with the Homemade Vegan Coleslaw that I posted recently 😉

See how to make the BBQ Jackfruit:

Easy BBQ Jackfruit that is easy to make and a delicious meatless meal!

Course dinner

Cuisine American

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 455kcal

Author Brita Britnell

Ingredients

40 oz jackfruit roughly 2 large cans, in water or brine1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon chili powder½ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon liquid smoke optional1 tablespoon paprika2 tablespoons brown sugar1 tablespoon olive oil1 cup bbq sauce

Instructions

Drain and rinse the jackfruit and then lightly pat it dry. Cut off the core so that you’re only left with the outer parts that are the ones easy to shred. The core is the part that comes to a point (see photo above).

Place the jackfruit in a large bowl and lightly shred with 2 forks (we’ll shred it a bit more while it cooks). Mix in the garlic powder, chili powder, salt, liquid smoke, paprika, and brown sugar. Toss to fully coat the jackfruit.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and once hot, add in the jackfruit. Cook for about 5 minutes to heat through, stirring often. As it cooks, break up the jackfruit more with the back of a wooden spoon or using the same forks.

Remove from the heat and stir in the bbq sauce.

Serve and ENJOY!

Notes

I found the cans of young jackfruit at Trader Joe’s, but if you don’t have one in your area and aren’t able to find it anywhere else, you can get it HERE on Amazon (Amazon for the win!).