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.
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.
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.
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. ;-)
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
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. :-)
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! :-)
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.
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!!