I love trying new things. Isn’t it crazy that you can use a fruit to make vegan pulled pork?! Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world and it’s commonly found in South and South East Asia. It’s actually the national fruit of Bangladesh and it can reach up to 80 lb in weight. I only had pulled pork once at Thanksgiving in Canada and I can’t really remember exactly how it tastes like, but Flo said these jackfruit pulled pork sandwiches with avocado and vegan ranch sauce we had the other day were really close to the original.
I don’t know who first had the idea to use jackfruit to make vegan pulled pork, but to whoever did: “Thanks so much!”. This was such an awesome idea! It’s not only super delicious but also really easy to make: First you remove the core and put the jackfruit pieces in a mixing bowl. Then you need to stir in the spices (paprika powder, cumin, salt, and red pepper flakes) until the jackfruit pieces are nicely covered. I also used liquid smoke, which I think is great for hearty dishes like this one. You might find it in large supermarkets or you can just order it online.
Besides, I added a pretty good amount of BBQ sauce (make sure the brand you use is vegan). While the jackfruit is cooking (this will take about 20 minutes), you’ve got enough time to prepare the vegan ranch sauce, the lettuce, the tomatoes, and the avocado. All in all, the pulled jackfruit sandwiches won’t take much longer than 30 minutes.
Make sure to use young jackfruit in brine or water, not in syrup. It’s available in Asian supermarkets or on Amazon.
I hope you like these jackfruit pulled pork sandwiches. If you give them a try, I’d be happy to know how they turned out. :-)
Jackfruit Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Ingredients
For the pulled jackfruit:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 20 oz cans young green jackfruit in brine or water
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 teaspoon paprika powder
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup BBQ-sauce
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
For the vegan ranch sauce:
- 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon soy milk
For the sandwiches
- 2 buns
- 1 tomato
- 1 avocado
- lettuce
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the jackfruit. Remove the core and put in a mixing bowl. Stir in the spices (paprika, cumin, brown sugar) so the pieces are nicely covered.
- In a medium pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion for about 3 minutes or until it becomes translucent. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the jackfruit and cook for about 3 minutes. Then add the BBQ sauce, the liquid smoke (if using), and the vegetable broth and cook for another 15- 20 minutes. Use a fork to shred the jackfruit.
- In then meantime make the vegan ranch sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
- Serve the pulled jackfruit on a bun together with tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, and ranch sauce.
These look incredible Sina! I definitely need to try Jackfruit, it sounds amazing!!!! :)
Thanks, Harriet! :-) I heard so much about it, but I didn’t expect it to be this great!
I have to admit I’ve never even heard of Jackfruit, but it sounds awesome! These pictures have me drooling. Yum!
Thanks, Brooke! :-) It really is amazing!
What a great idea! Sounds really delicious as well! :)
Thanks, Sarah! So glad you like it! :-)
I never even liked pulled pork before I went vegan, but I have been wanting to try jackfruit pulled pork so bad! I thinks it’s just such a crazy awesome concept, I want to try it for myself :) Your beautiful pics are really making me hungry! I’ve been looking for the jackfruit in stores, but haven’t found it. Good to know Amazon.com has it…I should’ve guessed, they have everything :) haha
Haha! Yeah, Amazon got everything! :D Thanks, Natalie! So great to hear that you like it. :-) I just tried pulled pork once and I can’t really remember how it tastes like, but my boyfriend liked it a lot before he turned vegetarian and he said it was pretty close.
What a gorgeous sandwich! Pulled pork is one of my favorites, so I can only imagine how good this must taste. Yum!
Thanks, Gayle! So glad you like it. :-)
It’s been on my list forever!!!!! I am so making bbq jackfruit soon you can count on it! YUM!
Haha! Same here, I’m so glad I finally gave it a try! :-) I’ve heard so much about it!
What a completely original idea! I’m amazed at how much it looks like pulled pork! I’m definitely saving this one to try. Yum!
Thanks, Amanda! :-) So great to hear that you like it!
Jackfruit is quite popular in India…my mom makes the best jackfruit kebabs mixed with lentils. I think I need to make them soon now! love these sandwiches!
Oh, this sounds so yummy, Manali! :-) I’ve heard so much about jackfruit and I’m so glad I finally gave it a try!
What a really amazing meat substitute! I have only had jack fruit as a dessert and I think this is fantastic! I am totally trying this!
Thanks, Andi! :-) I haven’t had it for dessert yet, but I can’t wait to try it!
This looks phenomenal! I am not supposed to eat pork anymore but have been craving it, really need to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Annmarie! :-) Yeah, my boyfriend loved pulled pork before he turned vegetarian and he said it’s really close to the real thing. ;-)
These look so delicious! I’ve never cooked with jackfruit before!
Thanks, Katie! It was my first time cooking with it too! :-)
Wow! This looks just like a pulled pork sandwich! I’ve never heard of jack fruit before, but now I’m intrigued.
Thanks, Evi! So glad you like it! :-)
Great Recipe, I personally love jackfruit but a bit confused as to why it is titled “pulled pork”. Jackfruit is great by itself and everyone can enjoy it in a sandwich! The combination with avocado is great !
Thanks, Prateek! :-) Glad you like the recipe. I titled it jackfruit pulled pork, because it tastes and looks a lot like a vegan version of pulled pork and it’s kind of a big thing among vegans these days. ;-) I absolutely agree with you, jackfruit is so good! I can’t wait to try it in desserts! :-)
These sandwiches look incredible! I’ve tried jackfruit when I was younger and can just imagine how tender and flavorful it is with the pulled pork!
Thanks, Kelly! :-) Glad you like it!
I can’t believe how much it looks like pulled pork! Where can I find jack fruit? I’ve never seen it before, and I need to get it!
Hi Stacey, almost every Asian market has jackfruit and it’s not very expensive. Maybe also look in bigger grocery stores that have an Asian section. Hope you find it! :-)
Must try it!
Federica
http://www.thecutielicious.com
The Cutielicious
Glad you like it, Federica! :-)
These sandwiches look divine, Sina! I love jackfruit, but tried them in a sandwich. I can simply imagine how tender and flavorful these sandwiches would be. I will make these soon! :)
Thanks, Anu! So great to hear that you like it. Let me know how it turned out. :-)
This is one of those foods that has been on my list to try for too long! Looks so delicious and now I really need to get some jackfruit :)
Haha! Same here, Melissa. ;-) I’ve wanted to try it for like ever, and I’m so glad I finally did! :-)
I’ve never had pulled pork {never been a fan of pork anything} but I’m sooo curious about all these jackfruit creations — this sandwich looks absolutely delicious. It looks like the kind of “pork” I might not mind eating ;) Beautiful recipe!
Thanks, Audrey! :-) I wasn’t a pork fan either. I’ve wanted to try jackfruit for such a long time and I’m so glad I finally did! My boyfriend really loved pulled pork before he turned vegetarian and he was totally blown away by this sandwich! :D
Looks amazing! I can’t wait to try the recipe!
Thanks, Michelle! :-) So glad you like the recipe!
Finally found canned jackfruit and was so excited to give this a try and it didn’t disappoint!! Was a hit with the hubby too. Looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow.
That’s so great to hear, Shannon! :-) I know it’s a bit hard to find, but it’s really worth it. And leftovers are always great!!
Hi! I’m excited to try this recipe. I was wondering if it would freeze well?
Hi Kerrine, So glad you like it! :-) Unfortunately, I haven’t tried freezing it yet, but I’ll give this a try next time I make it.
I stocked up on Jackfruit when I was at an Asian grocery Market and finally made this. It was so good! Thank you for the recipe!
So glad you liked it, Marla! :-)
We just bought a fresh jackfruit and want to try this recipe…we haven’t cut into it yet, but have seen it online…what part do we use in place of the canned version you are using?
Hi Angela,
I’m so sorry I can’t help you with that. I’ve never had a fresh jackfruit yet. Did you buy a young jackfruit? Because it doesn’t work with any other kind. Let me know how it turns out. :-)
How well does this keep once made.
Want to make it today and serve it tomorrow.
I have frozen jackfruit. I assume it will work just as well.
Thanks
Made this over the weekend SOOOO GOOD!!! My hubby & I really enjoyed trying Jackfruit for the first time. It was a lot of fun. Our young girls weren’t as big of fans but that’s okay. I’ll still make this again for sure! I also appreciated you sharing info about jackfruit. My in laws had never heard of jackfruit and it was convenient that I had just read a little about them on your blog. They were interested. What fun!
Hi Kerry, So glad you two liked it! :-) I couldn’t believe how delicious jackfruit was when I first tried it. Such an amazing fruit! My hubby used to love pulled pork, so he was SO excited about this! I’m actually just planning some new recipes using jackfruit, so keep an eye out for these. ;-)
Just made and ate this. I made it to the letter of your recipe and I really loved it! Thanks for such a great recipe. I love that your version doesn’t require using the oven. It’s so delicious! Interestingly, I read that if you cook it all longer, you do not need to discard the core and seeds and it’s true. They softened right up and tasted good. I just cut it all up a bit smaller.
I just made these for my husband and me, and I did not expect them to be so good! I only made a half batch, but they were really filling, and by my calculation, only about 530 calories (although I did use greek yogurt for half the mayo)! I got my jackfruit at Trader Joe’s if anyone else is having trouble finding them.
I did have two questions about the recipe: the ingredients list doesn’t include olive oil – I used 1 Tbsp (so 2 Tbsp for a full recipe), how much did you use? This was my first time cooking with jackfruit, so I also wasn’t sure about the part where it said to remove the core. I just ignored it and it turned out great anyway.