This Jackfruit “Pulled Pork” is an easy vegetarian alternative, perfect for topping sandwiches and salads. I love how quickly this recipe comes together, using a homemade BBQ sauce that’s sweetened with maple syrup.
What Does Jackfruit Meat Taste Like?
Jackfruit has a relatively neutral taste, absorbing the flavors of what you cook it with. Because jackfruit is often canned in brine, it can have an acidic or salty taste that I usually try to rinse off before using it in recipes.
Texture-wise, jackfruit reminds me of a cross between canned artichoke hearts and pineapple. When cooked in barbecue sauce, it reminds me of pulled pork, just not quite as chewy. (Which I think is a good thing!)
How Do You Cook Green Jackfruit from a Can?
To cook green jackfruit from a can, I recommend rinsing it first to remove as much of the brine flavor as possible. I also like to “shred” it with my fingers, while it’s still at room temperature, so that it’s easier to coat with the sauce later.
Sauté the shredded and rinsed jackfruit in a skillet on the stove until it’s heated through. Jackfruit in a can is not raw, so you don’t have to cook it for a certain amount of time– just until it’s heated through and has absorbed the flavors of what you’re cooking it with.
Can I Use Fresh Jackfruit?
You can buy fresh jackfruit from the store, but be warned– I hear it is a PAIN to work with. Not only will it leave your fingers with a sticky texture that is hard to remove, you’ll then have to boil it until tender. Overall, this will add at least 30 extra minutes to your prep time, and that’s only if you’re fast a cutting the jackfruit into 1/4-inch wedges.
Ripe vs. Unripe Jackfruit
Please note that this recipe calls for green jackfruit. Green jackfruit is most commonly used in recipes, because it is unripe and therefore is more chewy in texture and mild in flavor. Ripe jackfruit, on the other hand, is sweet and would not work well for savory recipes like this one.
How to Make Jackfruit Pulled Pork
Making this Jackfruit Pulled Pork is as easy as rinsing and shredding the canned jackfruit, then sauteeing it with an easy homemade BBQ sauce. This recipe is adapted from The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook, but I’ve made it even easier for a quick weeknight meal.
Jackfruit Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 2 (14 oz. cans) green jackfruit , drained
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion , chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 cup tomato paste (no salt added)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional add-ins
- pinch of cayenne pepper (for a spicy BBQ sauce)
- pinch of smoked paprika (for a smoky BBQ sauce)
- 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses (for a richer BBQ sauce)
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves , minced (saute with onion, if desired)
Instructions
- Drain the 2 cans of jackfruit into a large mesh strainer and rinse them under running water. While the jackfruit is still in the strainer, use your fingers to "shred" the jackfruit into strands that resemble shredded meat. Rinse it again to remove any remaining brine, then set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then sauté the onion until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add in the chili powder and paprika, and saute again for 30 seconds.
- Add in the tomato paste, vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, and salt and stir well to combine. You may want to add up to 1/4 cup of water at this point, to help the sauce come together and not stick to the pan.
- Add in the jackfruit, and stir well to get every piece coated with the sauce. Stir until heated through, and taste a piece to see if you need to adjust the seasoning. At this point, you can add more salt, extra optional spices for more heat or smoky flavor, or an extra splash of maple syrup if you prefer sweeter barbecue sauce.
- Serve the jackfruit pulled pork on a bun with your favorite coleslaw, or over a salad if you prefer. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Video
Nutrition
Per heaping 1/2 cup serving: Calories: 110, Fat: 3g, Carbohydrates: 18g, Fiber: 1g, Protein: 0g
Recipe Notes:
- If you don’t want to make your own BBQ sauce, feel free to use a store-bought sauce instead. I would use roughly 1/2 cup of prepared sauce per can of drained jackfruit, but you can add more to taste.
- This is the most simplified recipe I could come up with that still tastes like BBQ to me, but feel free to add in any other spices that you love to make the flavor more complex. I use a tiny pinch of smoked paprika and molasses to make it more like the local Kansas City BBQ we know and love.
- For a Southern-style sandwich, try topping your Jackfruit Pulled Pork with my creamy Vegan Coleslaw.
As always, if you try something different with this recipe please leave a comment below letting us know what you tried. We can all benefit from your experience!
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Reader Feedback: Have you tried jackfruit yet? Let me know if you have any other recipe requests for this fun ingredient!
I make the Instant Pot version of this from your cookbook nearly every week! I’m glad to know it can be made on the stove top for my friends who don’t have a pressure cooker yet. It’s a total game changer!
I love how easy this is! I didn’t think such a simple sauce could taste like REAL barbecue sauce, but it totally works. Just had it for lunch and I can’t wait to finish off the leftovers!
I LOVE jackfruit! had it in a curry from a restaurant and I was hooked. Thank you for this! I will try it this weekend!
Made this for dinner last night, and it was a big hit. Even with my meat eating husband! Thank you for your recipes. I can’t believe how good this homemade BBQ sauce was.
I made this last night as part of my meal prep. It tastes so good! I’m going to use the jackfruit pulled pork on a salad this week with your vegan ranch dressing. I can’t wait for my lunch today!
I couldn’t find a 14 oz can of jackfruit so I used two 20 oz cans instead and this recipe still worked out! I didn’t even adjust the sauce. I served it for dinner tonight with your sweet potato fries and it was so good!
I had never heard of this! Thanks!!!
What is ‘spicy brown mustard’?
Prepared or seeds with spices?
Spicy brown mustard is a type of prepared mustard. It’s similar to dijon, but without the signature dijon flavor that can be overpowering.
I just made this, before reading your comment. I used Dijon mustard since I don’t have the brown one, and mistakenly put double the amount.
It is so delicious!
I made a double batch and I have been eating some on its own…
I am going to need to make more!
Thanks for this!
Love this recipe, making it for the second time tonight in a big batch. Followed the recipe exactly, just added a little liquid smoke for an authentic smokey BBQ flavour. Was a hit with the men folk too. Thank you for sharing : )
I made the Barbecue jackfruit using 2 cans of TJs green jackfruit …. I’m glad I followed your suggestion to rinse it 2x. I would definitely like other recipes 😋🤗thank you!!
I made this today and it was really delicious. I used the fresh jackfruit
This was excellent and no one knew it wasn’t pork! This jackfruit in our stores here doesn’t come packed in brine, so I ended up adding more sea salt than called for. And I added smoked paprika, a couple dashes of liquid hickory smoke, some cayenne and cracked black pepper to taste. It was so good! We served it on small sweet buns with grated Monterey Jack jalapeno cheddar and a carrot apple slaw on the side. I will definitely make this again sometime! (But not too often because jackfruit is super expensive around here $$$)
This was great! Next time, I’d double the sauce (ended up adding extra bbq sauce we had in the fridge).
I made this while my carnivorous friend was visiting last week, and he can’t stop talking about it! He has told his entire family how good, filling and surprising it was. Thank you for helping me prove I’m not starving or eating gross food as a vegan.
Oops. I forgot to rate it on my earlier comment. Definitely 5 stars!
I’m starting out with frozen ripe jackfruit – no brine issues Yellow and mildly sweet. Apparently no significant nutritional values listed. So, two questions:
1. Anything different you would recommend I do vs following the recipe?
2. Is the green (unripe) jackfruit trypically higher in nutrients and for that reason also preferrable?
Thanks
I believe people usually use green jackfruit because it’s not sweet; I don’t think the nutritional content is much different. For the frozen ripe jackfruit, I would just thaw it and maybe use less sweetener than this recipe calls for to get started– you can always add more to taste! Can’t wait to hear what you think about it.
Can you use this on pizza?
Sure, I don’t see why not– that sounds delicious!
Even the kids and husband love this recipe!
These taste just like the bbq jackfruit I get at my favorite taco place!! I will 100% be making these again! Very simple and quick to make! I added a clove of garlic and a dash of smokes paprika and cayenne powder.
I bought the Jack Fruit BBQ Veggie and when I heated it had a bad odor.
So Good! Really enjoyed this. It was our first time having jackfruit. Husband thought if you gave it to someone and didn’t tell them is wasn’t chicken. They would never know. Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Thank you for this great recipe, made it today and it was a great hit. Converted my 80 year old father to a vegan dish !!
I love your site! I wanted to suggest finishing it in the oven, spread out on a sheet tray at around 400 for another 10 minutes or longer if it was very wet. this will concentrate the flavor a little more and add some variation with the texture, to get some crispy bits. This last step makes it really, really good.