Everyone loves a good BBQ. For too long we, as vegetarians and vegans, thought we weren’t invited to the barbecue party. Then, we met BBQ jackfruit and this BBQ pulled jackfruit sandwich with tangy coleslaw.
Jackfruit is, as it says, actually a fruit, but it isn’t sweet and doesn’t have the texture you might expect from a fruit. It has a pretty neutral flavor itself (it will take on the flavor of whatever spices or sauce you cook it in) and can imitate the texture of a shredded protein – making it work beautifully for barbacoa tacos and BBQ pulled jackfruit sandwiches.
Where to find jackfruit? Don’t do what my (very well intentioned) partner did to try and ask a grocer for a jackfruit. They are massive. He, in his noble pursuit, ended up with a thirty pound gigantic fruit that he carried home on the street, spent about 45 minutes attempting to open with a butcher knife (and would have used power tools if we had any), and then eventually gave up and hid it in the dumpster outside before I came home. True story.
(as a comeback story – the tangy dill coleslaw recipe was his idea)
So what I’m saying is buy the cans of jackfruit. We get ours at Trader Joes. It can also sometimes be found at asian markets, and online.
Cans of jackfruit come in a brine. Drain and rinse them first. Then, to get a pulled, meaty texture, chop the jackfruit into thin pieces. You can optionally then use a fork to pull apart the jackfruit even further. You might notice round “seeds” which are the same taste and a similar texture of the jackfruit. Some people like to pull those out, but we think they’re completely fine. Another note: the flavor of unseasoned jackfruit in no sauce isn’t a lot of peoples favorites. It’s sort of comparable to eating plain uncooked tofu. When you cook it with some onions and garlic and add your favorite BBQ sauce, it will be delicious.
This incredible BBQ pulled jackfruit sandwich is incredibly simple, and the pay off is great. Pull out your favorite BBQ sauce for this recipe. We love a sriracha garlic BBQ sauce.
Top the sandwiches with a tangy dill coleslaw. We used pickle juice as the vinegar for this coleslaw, which is so zingy and bright and pairs exceptionally with the jackfruit. Add any additional toppings that you like, such as avocado slices, a sharp cheddar cheese, jalapenos, or pickles.
Serve the sandwich alone, with classic BBQ sides such as chips or pasta salad, or with our very tasty brussels sprouts salad with marcona almonds and manchego cheese.
This recipe makes enough for four sandwiches, but it can be easily doubled or tripled to feed a crowd. We’ve also brought this to potlucks and family dinners in a crockpot.
To adapt this recipe for a slow cooker / crock pot, simply add all BBQ jackfruit ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 2 hours.
BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Sandwiches with Tangy Dill Coleslaw
Ingredients
- ½ large red onion sliced into thin slivers
- 3 cloves garlic sliced into thin slivers
- 1 20 oz can jackfruit
- ¾ cup BBQ sauce (we use sriracha garlic BBQ sauce)
- 4 burger buns (we use pretzel buns)
Tangy Dill Coleslaw
- 6 cups shredded cabbage and carrot mix
- ¼ cup full fat plain greek yogurt (omit for vegan)
- ¼ cup mayo (substitute vegan mayo if desired)
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp pickle juice (optional)
- 2 tsp fresh or dried dill
Instructions
- Chop onions and garlic into thin slivers and set aside. Rinse jackfruit and chop into thin pieces. You may also choose to shred the jackfruit with a fork, imitating the texture of a shredded protein.
- Heat a pan over medium heat with a small amount of a neutral oil. When heated, add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes, adding a splash of water if needed to deglaze the pan. Add garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Stir in the jackfruit and cook for 5 minutes. Add your bbq sauce and stir, allowing to cook for a final 5 minutes. Taste for salt (depending on your bbq sauce of choice).
- Meanwhile, prepare the slaw. To a medium bowl, add shredded cabbage and carrots, followed by greek yogurt, mayo, mustard, pickle juice (optional) and dill.
- Assemble your sandwiches. Optionally toast your burger buns, then layer on BBQ jackfruit, tangy coleslaw, and any toppings of your choice. We’d suggest any of the following: jalapeno, pickles, a sharp cheddar cheese, and avocado.
