Easy BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich Recipe (Meaty texture and Spicy flavor)

• Food: BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich
• Writer: Lizzie Green
• Content-Type: Food Blog

The ideal party snack is these BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches. They have a great meaty texture, and a spicy/smoky flavor, and are simple to prepare ahead of time.

It’s taken a while to develop this barbecued jackfruit pulled pork recipe. I’ve gotten SO many requests for jackfruit recipes over the past couple of years.

I had to work a little to perfect this one, but here we are! These are messy to eat, but isn’t that what saucy sandwiches are all about? They are meaty, juicy, smokey, a little spicy, and all-over delicious.

If you’ve never prepared anything with jackfruit before, it’s a peculiar-appearing fruit that primarily grows in South America, Asia, and Africa. Jackfruit is claimed to have a sweet flavor similar to other tropical fruits like pineapple and mango, though I’ve never had any ripe jackfruit. Find out more about it in this article!

In my area, jackfruit is become easier to locate in grocery stores’ canned food departments (I purchased mine at Trader Joe’s).

Since the fruit in the cans is green, or unripe, it doesn’t have much flavor and isn’t particularly sweet or fruity. The texture of the pieces as you pull them apart is similar to that of shredded meat, making it the ideal meat alternative for a vegan BBQ sandwich!

Ingredients for a BBQ Jackfruit Recipe

As I said, canned jackfruit has a substantial texture, but it lacks flavor. That implies that the sauce you serve it with is extremely important.

My sauce is on the smoky/spicy side and filled with flavor from chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, smoked paprika, and cumin. I’ve tried so many pulled jackfruit recipes at restaurants where the sauce was way too sweet.

To further enhance the flavor, I sauté the jackfruit with an almost-caramelized onion. Then, for about 20 minutes, they simmer in the sauce to allow the flavors to meld.

The vegan jackfruit pulled pork is ready to enjoy now, or you can keep it in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container. This is a terrific meal to prepare ahead of time for entertaining because it reheats beautifully.

Ideas for Serving BBQ Jackfruit

Even though the barbecue jackfruit is delicious on its own, I serve it as a meal by piling it high on handmade hamburger buns with a crunchy cabbage slaw.

To create it, simply combine thinly shredded cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, and a dash of salt. Add bread & butter pickles, dill pickles, pickled red onions, and any additional toppings you choose to the jackfruit pulled pork!

Sweet potato fries or air-fried French fries with chipotle sauce for dipping can complete the meal. One of these salad recipes would go excellent with the BBQ jackfruit sandwiches:

• The ideal broccoli salad
• Avocado Salad
• tangy cole slaw
• Macaroni salad
• Chopped Italian Salad
• Salad with Watermelon and Feta

BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich

The ideal party food is these BBQ jackfruit sandwiches. Prepare the ingredients in advance, then reheat them and put the sandwiches together only before serving!

Ingredients

BBQ Sauce

• 2 chipotle peppers + 2 tablespoons of sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce
• ½ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• Freshly ground black pepper

Jackfruit

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 (20-ounce) can un-ripe, drained
• ½ cup water

Quick Slaw

• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• ½ tablespoon lime juice
• ½ teaspoon olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving

• 8 slider buns or 6 hamburger buns
• Desired fixings: pickles, mustard, serrano peppers, etc.

Instructions

1. Creating the BBQ sauce. Blend the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, mustard, paprika, cumin, and a couple of grinds of pepper in a food processor until well combined. Place aside.
2. Use your hands to remove, shred, and discard any of the core’s harder pieces as you prepare the jackfruit (see photo). 1 tablespoon of olive oil should be heated to medium heat in a big skillet. Salt and the thinly sliced onion should be added at this point. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, lowering the heat as needed. The shredded jackfruit should then be added and cooked for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add a little water if necessary to prevent it from sticking to the pan. Add half of the BBQ sauce and 1/2 cup of water. Then, for 20 minutes, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer. Half of the remaining BBQ sauce is added after removing the lid; the other half is saved for serving.
3. Produce the slaw: Combine the cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl.
4. Along with the remaining BBQ sauce, slaw, and other toppings serve the sliders.