We can't believe this BBQ pulled jackfruit recipe! Can you believe that's a fruit?! It's:
Saucy
Smoky
Spicy
No Slow Cooking Required
Super Easy, Ready in 40 Minutes
And Just So Darn Fun!
It's A Fruit
I was pretty blown away the first time I saw pulled jackfruit as a substitute for pulled pork.
Jackfruit is a humongous spiky fruit that grows on trees. I liken it to a 50 pound watermelon hanging from a tree! For A Complete Guide To Jackfruit jump over to this loveFOOD article.
The very first time I bought jackfruit attempting to make this pulled pork substitute, I bought the wrong kind. I ended up with tasty sweet mush, but sadly... not a pulled jackfruit sandwich. So here are some helpful tips!
In order to make this BBQ pulled jackfruit recipe you need to buy YOUNG GREEN JACKFRUIT.
- Young green jackfruit is harvested before the fruit is ripened.
- The taste is described as being similar to artichoke hearts and the pieces of jackfruit are easily pulled apart and shredded with your fingers.
- You will likely find young jackfruit canned in brine at your large grocery store OR your local Asian grocer.
Ripe Jackfruit is also sold in cans but will be sold in syrup and looks like this:
- Ripe jackfruit is very sweet and is described as tasting like a cross between banana, mango, and pineapple.
- The fruit is soft and easily blended into smoothies or ice cream!
- For a tasty ripe jackfruit recipe, take a look at our Tropical Jackfruit Smoothie Bowl!
Easy To Prepare BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Recipe
It sure is! The texture softens and the flavours deepen when the jackfruit stews for 20-35 minutes on the stovetop. So although this recipe takes 40 minutes to make, half of that time is hands off, allowing you to prepare the other parts of your meal!
- Many recipes for pulled jackfruit suggest cooking the jackfruit pieces whole and using the back of your spoon to shred the pieces once they have cooked and softened for 15 minutes or so.
- I find it much easier to shred the jackfruit before I begin. I find it quicker, more even of a shred, and once the jackfruit is stewing; it's completely hands off (save for a stir here and there).
- I also find that many recipes suggest cutting off and discarding the tougher end of the jackfruit. The toughness of the pieces can vary depending on the can BUT I usually use the entire piece of jackfruit. I will discard the very end if it's really too tough to pull apart with my fingers but usually they are soft enough to tear apart and will soften more as they cook.
The BBQ Flavour
We love using our Easy Spicy Chipotle BBQ Sauce for pulled jackfruit!
Although young green jackfruit is not as sweet as ripe jackfruit, it still has a sweeter flavour than pork! SO... in comes a spicy, smoky BBQ sauce! If you're looking to get as close to a pulled pork flavour as possible, I would suggest using a spicier sauce. Mixed with the sweeter jackfruit the spice isn't overwhelming and you get all the smoky, spicy, slightly sweet flavour you love in a pulled sandwich!
How To Make BBQ Pulled Jackfruit
- Drain the brine from your can of jackfruit and shred the pieces with your hands or a fork.
- Heat a bit of oil or water in a saucepan and add the onion and garlic.
- I like to saute the onion for at least 5 minutes to boost up its flavour and slightly caramelize.
- Add in the jackfruit with some flavour boosters!
- Smoked paprika, liquid smoke, and some salt.
- Add in 1 cup water (or your homemade veggie broth for extra flavour!) and ½ cup BBQ sauce.
- Allow the jackfruit to simmer in the seasonings for 20-35 minutes.
- Stir occasionally and add in more liquid if needed.
- After 20 minutes the jackfruit will be nice and softened.
- Add in the remaining BBQ sauce so your pulled jackfruit is extra saucy!
- Remove from the heat and serve!
Recipe Cost
This BBQ pulled jackfruit recipe makes 6 servings and costs us: CAD $9.28 to make!
A half batch of our Chipotle BBQ Sauce costs us approximately: CAD $2.15 and the remaining pulled jackfruit ingredients cost roughly: CAD $7.13. Altogether... this tasty, saucy, spicy, smoky, pulled jackfruit costs less than $10!
If we were to make pulled pork, most recipes for 6 servings require about 4 pounds of pork shoulder. Using pork in place of jackfruit and omitting the liquid smoke would bring this recipe cost to:
Approximately: CAD $14.03 with pork purchased at a wholesale store.
And up to CAD $29.22 with pork shoulder purchased from our local grocery store!
That's a savings of at least $4.75 and up to almost $20!
So what do you think? Will you open up a couple of cans of young green jackfruit, stir up some spicy chipotle BBQ sauce; and make this simple, thrifty, and oh so tasty BBQ pulled jackfruit?!
Let us know in the comments below what you think and how you serve up your pulled jackfruit! Make sure to send us your pictures of your tasty meals using #tastythriftytimely on Instagram!
Try your jackfruit on our Ultimate BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Sandwich With Slaw and our loaded BBQ Jackfruit Mac & Cheese!
Print
Chipotle BBQ Pulled Jackfruit - Simple & Thrifty
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This BBQ pulled jackfruit recipe packs huge spicy chipotle flavour! Simple, no slow cooking required, & costs us less than $10 for 6 servings!
Ingredients
- 2 cans young green jackfruit, drained and shredded (see post for difference between young and ripe jackfruit)
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 cup water or veggie stock (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 cup spicy chipotle BBQ sauce (or spicy BBQ sauce of choice)
*All the ingredients for this recipe are from our pantry and freezer tips!
Instructions
- Drain your jackfruit and shred it with your fingers or a fork. You can discard the very end if it’s too tough to shred but I usually use the whole piece of jackfruit since it softens as it cooks.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion in a bit of olive oil or water and a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes until slightly caramelized.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add your shredded jackfruit and season with smoked paprika, salt, and liquid smoke. Stir to coat the jackfruit.
- Add 1 cup water or broth and ½ cup of your prepared BBQ sauce. Cover and allow to simmer on low for about 20 - 35 minutes until soft and all the flavours are combined. Stir periodically. If the heat is a bit too high and you find there is no liquid left just add a bit more water or broth for the remaining cooking time.
- Toss in the remaining ½ cup BBQ sauce before serving. Serve as a loaded Pulled Jackfruit Sandwich or try our Jacked Up Mac & Cheese!
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Notes
*Cost Comparison: Approximately CAD $9.28 vs. $14.03 using 4 pounds pork shoulder purchased at a wholesale store and $29.22 with pork purchased at our local grocery store.
*Since jackfruit is a fruit its flavour is sweeter than pork. That’s why we like adding a spicy sauce to balance out the natural sweetness of the jackfruit. But if you like it sweet feel free to grab your favourite sweet BBQ sauce!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian, American
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