Vegan Jackfruit BBQ Sandwich

If you haven’t tried jackfruit as a pulled pork alternative before, you’ve gotta try this recipe for Jackfruit BBQ Sandwiches. Vegan recipe and easily gluten-free.

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Now that you’ve learned how to cook jackfruit, it’s time to make an epic jackfruit BBQ sandwich! We love these meaty pulled jackfruit style sandwiches with plenty of BBQ sauce and a grilled pineapple on top, but they are also great with coleslaw and pickles. 

Growing up in Virginia, I ate a lot of pulled pork sandwiches. A staple for many neighborhood gatherings, I wanted my jackfruit version to be able to stand up to my childhood memories. Pulled jackfruit has a very similar texture to pork and like tofu, it takes on whatever flavor you add to it! 

In this case, we’re making vegan jackfruit BBQ sandwiches using your favorite jarred BBQ sauce. While you can make your own, I’m relying on store-bought sauce for ease of preparation. 

Here’s how to make it.

Ingredients for Vegan BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches

• Canned young green jackfruit in water or brine (not in syrup). Sweet frozen jackfruit or jackfruit canned in syrup is too sweet for this recipe and will not work. 
• Onion. Either white or yellow onion. I don’t care for the taste of cooked red onion, but you can use that if you’d like.  
• Olive oil
• Seasonings like paprika, chili powder, garlic powder. 
• BBQ sauce of choice. I like a thick BBQ sauce, but any BBQ sauce of choice will work. 
• Buns
• Toppings of choice: we love grilled pineapple and slaw, but any preferred topping will work

Prepping Your Jackfruit for BBQ Sandwiches 

In my how to cook jackfruit post, I show you exactly how I prep jackfruit for use in pulled BBQ sandwiches like this one. If you aren’t sure how to prepare canned jackfruit, then you’ll want to head there first for step by step directions. 

While you don’t have to prep the canned jackfruit before making this recipe, I do find that it makes for a better texture without any tinned taste that canned products can sometimes have. 

The beauty of my how to cook jackfruit page is that I tend to prep 7-8 cans at once and then freeze the jackfruit for making sandwiches or jackfruit tacos later. If you’ve already done this, then remove the jackfruit from the freezer and let thaw completely. 

If you are using jackfruit straight from the can, then you’ll want to drain and rinse well before using. 

How to Slice Jackfruit 

To create a shredded appearance, you’ll need to slice the drained and rinsed jackfruit from end to end to create strips. 

If you’ve boiled it first as I recommend doing in my how to cook jackfruit post, then the jackfruit will already be shredded as it cooks down in the water. 

For a more finely shredded jackfruit appearance, I recommend using a potato masher while the jackfruit cooks on the stove. You can also use your hands to pull the jackfruit apart after it’s drained and rinsed. 

Ingredients for the Vegan Slaw 

I really like a grilled pineapple on top of the BBQ jackfruit, but my husband won’t even consider a jackfruit BBQ sandwich without slaw on top. 

To make an easy vegan slaw, you’ll need the following: 

• 4 cups shredded cabbage (or one bag, that’s usually what I do for ease)
•  1 shredded carrot, if desired. I like the crunch of carrots in my slaw but you can omit for ease. 
•  1/2-1 teaspoon maple syrup. I like my slaw to have a slight sweet and tangy bite, so I add in a pinch of maple syrup. 
•  2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
•  ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
•  pinch of salt and pepper to taste

To make the vegan slaw, stir all of the ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined and season to taste with salt and pepper, as desired. 

Assembling the Sandwich 

You likely don’t need directions for how to make a pulled jackfruit sandwich, but this is how I do it. 

Toast the bun, then pile high with the cooked BBQ jackfruit and additional sauce. Top with your toppings of choice; slaw, grilled pineapple, pickles, anything that you like on your BBQ sandwich. 

Eat! You are going to love this sandwich, it’s so incredibly good. 

What goes well with BBQ jackfruit?

I consider a pulled BBQ sandwich classic picnic fare and therefore tend to pair it with similar foods.

•  Dill Pickle Potato Salad
• Mediterranean Farro Salad
• Lemon Potato Salad
• Marinated White Bean Salad
• Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad
• Instant Pot Baked Beans 

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches

• Author: Alexandra Caspero
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 8 sandwiches 1x
• Category: Lunch
• Method: Stove top and Oven
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Description

BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches! If you haven’t tried this pulled pork alternative before, you’ve gotta try this recipe. Shredded Jackfruit with homemade BBQ sauce.

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• Author: Alexandra Caspero
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 8 sandwiches 1x
• Category: Lunch
• Method: Stove top and Oven
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

• Author: Alexandra Caspero
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 8 sandwiches 1x
• Category: Lunch
• Method: Stove top and Oven
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

For the BBQ Jackfruit:

• 2 cans young green jackfruit in water or brine (not in syrup).
• 1 white or yellow onion, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon each: paprika and cumin
• 1 teaspoon each: chili powder and garlic powder.
• 1–2 cups BBQ sauce of choice.
• 8 Buns

Coleslaw

• 4 cups shredded cabbage (or one bag, that’s usually what I do for ease)
• 1 shredded carrot, if desired. I like the crunch of carrots in my slaw but you can omit for ease.
• 1/2-1 teaspoon maple syrup. I like my slaw to have a slight sweet and tangy bite, so I add in a pinch of maple syrup.
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
• pinch of salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. To start, sauté an onion in a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until the onion is fairly soft and translucent.
2. Drain and rinse the jackfruit. Remove from the can and slice the jackfruit from the core to the end, lengthwise. Doing it this way will allow the jackfruit to shred properly. (Or, prepare jackfruit as discussed in my how to cook jackfruit post.) 
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until just browned. Next, add in the jackfruit and cook another minute or two. From here, add in the paprika, cumin, chili powder and garlic powder.
4. Using a potato masher, mash the jackfruit until it resembles shredded meat. Stir in 1 cup BBQ sauce and simmer until warmed through. If you want your jackfruit more saucy add more. I usually add in ~1 1/2 cups but I like my jackfruit very saucy.
5. To make the coleslaw, mix together all of the ingredients and season to taste.
6. Serve with buns of choice and coleslaw.

Notes

I love a grilled pineapple with these sandwiches as well! To do so, lightly oil a ring of fresh pineapple (or rinsed canned pineapple ring) and grill for 2-3 minutes per side. 

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