The BEST Vegan Pulled Pork Sandwich made with canned jackfruit! Serve it on a toasted baguette topped with creamy vegan coleslaw for an unbelievable meal. This pulled jackfruit recipe is so close to the real thing it’s scary. Smoky, sweet, tender, and absolutely delicious!
I’ve been a WFPB vegan for almost 10 years and one question I’m asked most often outside of “Where do you get your protein?” is “Do you miss eating meat?” Honestly, I don’t. The thought of consuming animal flesh is quite disgusting.
That being said, if I’m being completely honest, one thing I did miss was a big messy pulled pork sandwich. Not the meat per se, but the texture and the flavor. And, the way that creamy coleslaw mixed with the bbq sauce and soaked into the bread. Oh…my…goodness!
But, everything changed once I discovered this weird-looking thing called canned young jackfruit. And, after experimenting with every jackfruit recipe I could find, I felt as though I had died and gone to heaven. There are so many delicious recipes you can make with this stuff!
This BBQ jackfruit recipe is about as close as you will get to the real thing. It’s freaking amazing and will satisfy the most ardent meat-eaters.
Ready? LET’S GO!
Table of Contents
What Is Jackfruit
Yes, it looks like a big spiky watermelon but is in fact part of the fig family. Go figure. Jackfruit is a tropical fruit from Southeast Asia and the largest tree fruit in the world. Its most familiar trademark is the spiky green skin.
Once it has ripened it’s super sweet and has a flavor similar to mango. Jackfruit that is ripened is usually eaten raw or found in baked goods.
You’ve probably seen jackfruit in your local grocery store, but they’re not very common. Here in the U.S., canned jackfruit is commonly referred to as young green jackfruit, young jackfruit, or unripe jackfruit. It’s essentially flavorless and perfect for using in savory recipes.
And, with a texture similar to that of shredded pork once it’s cooked, make it an awesome vegan meat replacement for specifically for pulled pork sandwiches.
That being said, even canned jackfruit can be a little hard to find. It’s most commonly found in a local Asian market, Whole Foods, or even Trader Joe’s! And, some other grocery stores have started to carry it.
Ingredients You’ll Need
If this is your first time using jackfruit you need not fear. This recipe is very simple and uses common ingredients outside of the jackfruit.
- Onion, roughly chopped
- Canned jackfruit in brine (Young Green Jackfruit)
- BBQ Seasoning: Garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin
- Low-sodium soy sauce (use tamari if gluten-free)
- Worcestershire sauce (vegetarian)
- Low-sodium vegetable broth
- Homemade BBQ Sauce or favorite store-bought brand
- Bread or buns of choice
NOTE: if you want to add a little “zing” to the recipe try a splash of apple cider vinegar while the jackfruit is simmering. Very nice. You could also a little brown sugar to the bbq seasoning if you prefer a little sweet flavor to offset the savoriness.
If want to add an essence of “smoked” pork flavor liquid smoke is an excellent option. Just a dash or two works well.
How To Make Vegan Pulled Pork With Jackfruit
This vegan pulled pork is so easy to make. The process is basically…
- Drain and rinse the jackfruit. Then, if you wish, cut the pieces in half then remove and discard the core and the jackfruit seeds. This is not completely necessary, but it does make for a more tender “pulled pork” texture.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until they’re soft. This usually takes about 5-6 minutes. Toss in the jackfruit, garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, low-sodium soy sauce, and vegan worcestershire sauce. Mix until everything is well combined and let cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Then, pour in the low-sodium vegetable broth, cover, reduce the heat, and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- While the jackfruit is cooking preheat your oven to 425˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Once the jackfruit is done simmering remove the pan from the stove and use a potato masher or large fork to mash and “shred” the jackfruit. Then, use a slotted spoon to transfer the mixture to the baking sheet. Most, if not all, of the liquid should be absorbed.
- Spread the jackfruit pulled pork on the baking sheet, pour ½ a cup of the homemade BBQ sauce over the jackfruit and lightly toss with a wooden spoon. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the jackfruit from the oven, pour the remaining 1 ½ cups of BBQ sauce over the top of the jackfruit, spread evenly, place the jackfruit back in the oven and cook for another 20-25 minutes.
That’s it! Now, just pile it high on your favorite bun, top with some delicious creamy vegan coleslaw, and crush it! Yes, here in the South the coleslaw goes on top of the BBQ.
What To Serve With Vegan Pulled Pork
Try serving these amazing sides with this incredible dish and watch everyone go crazy!
- Easy Vegan BBQ Baked Beans
- The Best Vegan Mac & Cheese
- 5-Minute Fat Free Microwave Potato Chips
- Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
This is such a great recipe for cookouts, picnics, gatherings, or weekend family dinner. Pulled jackfruit is a great dish and will satisfy vegan and meat eater alike.
How To Store BBQ Jackfruit Pulled Pork
Leftover jackfruit pulled pork can be stored in the fridge for several days in an airtight container or simply cover with plastic wrap. You can reheat in a nonstick skillet over low-medium heat or in the microwave.
Can I Freeze BBQ Jackfruit Pulled Pork
Yes! Freeze in freezer-safe containers, thaw in the refrigerator the day before you’re ready to enjoy, and warm in a nonstick skillet on the stove. The microwave is also an option.
BBQ Jackfruit Pulled Pork Tips
Here are a few guidelines I have found instrumental in making delicious vegan jackfruit pulled pork.
- Be sure and buy canned jackfruit packed in brine and labeled as Young Green Jackfruit or “unripe”. DO NOT buy the cans that say “packed in syrup.” NOT GOOD!!!
- I would not recommend using a fresh jackfruit. It’s a mess to cut, complicated, and just not my favorite way to do it. Use canned jackfruit. It’s so much easier.
- Don’t be afraid to let the jackfruit pulled pork overcook just a bit in the oven. I tend to let mine cook until the ends get a little burnt and crisp. To me, it enhances the flavor and creates that pulled pork texture.
- If you don’t like sandwiches try making jackfruit tacos or salads. Top it with some red cabbage and little lime juice…AMAZING!
- Want to make it gluten-free? Easy. Just use gluten-free buns or wraps. Problem solved.
You are going to LOVE this BBQ Jackfruit recipe! It’s…
- Tender
- Smoky
- Sweet
- Satisfying
- Versatile
- A great meat substitute
- Super tasty
- & Insanely delicious
The best thing about this sandwich, apart from the taste, is how simple it is to make. No matter you’re level of kitchen expertise you’ll have no problem whipping this up.
And once you serve this to your friends and family it’ll be fun to watch their expressions. You’re sure to be the family favorite for years to come.
Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, & be sure to subscribe to my newsletter. If you make this recipe please come back to comment and leave a star rating. I’d really appreciate it. Enjoy!
Print
Best Vegan Pulled Pork Sandwich
- Prep Time: 10 mins.
- Cook Time: 55 mins.
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 small sandwiches or 6 large 1x
- Category: Vegan Main Dishes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The BEST Vegan Pulled Pork Sandwich! Served on a toasted baguette and topped with creamy vegan coleslaw for an unbelievable meal. This jackfruit pulled pork recipe is so close to the real thing it’s scary. Smoky, sweet, tender, and absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
Vegan Pulled Pork
- 1 yellow or white onion, roughly chopped
- 3 20-ounce cans of jackfruit in brine (Young Green Jackfruit)
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce (vegetarian)
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups of Easy Vegan BBQ Sauce or storebought brand of choice
- 2 French baguettes sliced into slider-size or you can use regular buns if you prefer
Cashew Mayo Coleslaw
- 1 14-ounce bag of pre-cut coleslaw (cabbage and carrots)
- 1 cup Shane & Simple Cashew Mayo
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. maple syrup or sweetener of choice
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Vegan Pulled Pork
- Drain and rinse the jackfruit. Then, if you wish, cut the pieces in half then remove and discard the core. This is not completely necessary, but it does make for a more tender “pulled pork” texture.
- Preheat a large nonstick sauce pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until the onions are soft. Usually about 5-6 minutes. Toss in the jackfruit, garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, low-sodium soy sauce, and vegan worcestershire sauce. Mix until everything is well combined and let cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Then, pour in the low-sodium vegetable broth, cover, reduce the heat, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- While the jackfruit is cooking go ahead and preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- When the jackfruit is done simmering remove the pan from the stove and use a potato masher or large fork to mash and “shred” the jackfruit. Then, use a slotted spoon to transfer the mixture to the baking sheet. Most, if not all, of the liquid should be absorbed.
- Spread the jackfruit pulled pork on the baking sheet, pour ½ a cup of the BBQ sauce over the jackfruit and lightly toss with a wooden spoon to mix it. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the jackfruit from the oven, pour the remaining 1 ½ cups of BBQ sauce over the top of the vegan pulled pork. Spread the sauce evenly over the jackfruit using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Place the jackfruit back in the oven and cook for another 20-25 minutes.
- While the jackfruit cooks go ahead and make the slaw. Simply add all of the coleslaw ingredients into a large mixing bowl and toss until everything is well combined. Cover and place in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
- Once the jackfruit is finished cooking remove it from the oven. Place generous amounts of the vegan pulled pork on the bottom piece of bread along with coleslaw and top with extra BBQ sauce if desired. Serve and enjoy!
- Leftover jackfruit pulled pork can be stored in the fridge for several days. Simply reheat in a nonstick skillet over low-medium heat or in the microwave.
Notes
Leftover jackfruit pulled pork can be stored in the fridge for several days in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap. Simply reheat in a nonstick skillet over low-medium heat or in the microwave.
Yes! Freeze in freezer-safe containers, thaw in the refrigerator the day before you’re ready to enjoy, and warm in a nonstick skillet on the stove. A microwave is also an option.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 28.3 g
- Sodium: 658.3 mg
- Fat: 1.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 53.1 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: vegan pulled pork, vegan pulled pork jackfruit, vegan jackfruit pulled pork recipe, vegan recipes, plant-based recipes, vegan pulled pork sliders
Hi Shane
This was my first try at making jackfruit and it came out great! I made mine into tacos.
Thank you for the great recipe! Yummmmm
I made this recipe over the weekend and had to come back to say YUMMMM!!! Great one, Shane! Ive made this for years, no recipe just made it. Took the time to make it your way and now it’s MY WAY!! I always add beans for protein cuz, well… jackfruit is a fruit and therefore,,, not protein rich. This time I used lentils. Perfect!! Had to brag on us!! Thanks again 🙂
★★★★★
Sounds great so brag away:)
Shane, I have a 20 oz. bag of dried organic Jack fruit. Wondering if that can be used? (I’ve never used it.)
And your site is definitely a favorite! Great ideas and wonderful recipes. I respect your work, and appreciate you! God bless.
Debra, first of all, thank you for the kind words. Concerning the jackfruit, I’ve never tried dried jackfruit so I couldn’t say. But, I think anything is worth trying…at least once:)
I Made this tonight and its fabulous! I did add some shitake mushrooms, because I needed to use them up, and I made one third of the recipe, but it is AWESOME!!!
I also made a chicken salad type with the jackfruit tonight for lunches this week. I’ve never had jackfruit before!
★★★★★
That’s awesome! So glad you enjoyed it.
THIS WAS DELICIOUS! You MUST have it with the Cole Slaw. GREAT COMBO!
Thanks for another great recipe Shane!
★★★★★
Thank you, Cheryl! It’s one of my favorites:)
I made and enjoyed this recipe last year. It was my first time trying Jackfruit. Now that I’ve discovered soy curls, I’m thinking it would be great with shredded soy curls. Will try it with the curls this week. Recipes are a great source of inspiration!
★★★★★
I make Bob Red Mill pancakes every week and frittata and your sausages and I did a Shepard’s pie last week and we don’t eat peanuts and we don’t use coconut milk because there is not enough information on it yet that is what Nutritional Facts Dr. Greger says so we don’t want to use coconut until he says you can go to that website and listen to him explain that ok?
★★★★★
Once it’s done baking if I place in a crockpot to keep warm will that mess up the texture?
Not at all. It’ll be just fine:)
Hi Shane, thanks for the great recipes. I live in Mexico and canned jack fruit is not available, but fresh is. Do you have any tips on how to use fresh green jack fruit in this recipe?
Anita
Hi, Anita! You would simply use an equal amount of fresh jackfruit as you would the canned. Hope this helps.
Would frozen jackfruit work the same? I can only get it.
Yes, it should be fine but I would simply allow it to thaw.
Hi Shane, I’ve made a number of your recipes and enjoy them quite a bit.
I’m just getting the jackfruit ready after having whipped up the coleslaw and the bbq sauce and something has caught my eye: the amount of sodium in this finished product. I calculate it at around 2000mg sidium for a large sandwich which is staggering. Is there a way around this? Just the jackfruit alone has 650 mgs per 1/3 can and there’s three cans. Maybe I’m reading that wrong but I don’t think so.
Your thoughts here would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Andrew
Hi, Andrew! Yes, some canned jackfruit has a lot of sodium. The brand I use has a very low sodium content (about 120) which is what I thought I linked to. I’ll recheck and see. Also, the nutrition info should be down at the bottom of the recipe with some of that information. Send me and email so I don’t forget to get back to you and I will send you a link to the brand I use. Peace.
[email protected]
We’ve never had jackfruit before, so we weren’t sure what to expect. Boy are we glad we decided to try this! It was SO good…another keeper!
★★★★★
Another recipe you’ve hit out of the park! I did not discard any of the jackfruit. This was delicious!
★★★★★
Hi Shane,
Can I make this ahead of time and freeze? How long will it last in the fridge if I can’t freeze it?
It looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it.
Thank you
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. I just made it for the first time and it was easy just as you said it would be! My husband who has been vegan for 30+ years said, “WOW, it’s amazing!! Tastes just like pork used to.” I can’t thank you enough for the encouragement to try jackfruit, you have opened my eyes to a whole new world!
★★★★★
Can you use fresh Jack Fruit??
Yes, it’s just too much work for me:)
I don’t usually rate recipes but I made this for 3 carnivores and me. I am more of a flexitarian. I made this recipe and didn’t say a word about what it is. I simply put it out with the cheese and crackers the other couple brought. Everyone ended up eating all of the pulled jackfruit and left the cheese. It was then that I revealed it wasn’t pork! Nobody said anything…they just looked at each other. Lol! So cool that they couldn’t say it doesn’t work for me! I need meat! Well I’m here to say if it’s cooked properly you won’t miss it all! Thank you Shane for providing a really good recipe that I could share with my friends!
★★★★★
You don’t have a link to your Cashew Mayo and I can’t find it under the search function,
Can you tell me where to find it?
OH, I found it linked in another recipe.
Thanks,
No worries.
Sorry, about that, Theresa. I just updated it. And, here is the link as well: https://shaneandsimple.com/cashew-mayo/
Ugh, I can get only Cha’s Jackfruit in my area and it’s more core than flesh. Once I cut it out I have less than half left.
Here’s a link to the jackfruit I use. https://amzn.to/344Mi5u
I have tried jackfruit and I’m not a fan. Is there something else I could use in place of the jackfruit? This looks amazing and I would love to try it!
You might try artichoke hearts and gently pulse them in a food processor before cooking. But, the jackfruit is more neutral in taste. Just out of curiosity, what type of jackfruit did you try? Packed in syrup or brine?
The jackfruit I’ve used in the past was packed in brine. I will try artichoke hearts, thanks for your response!
Good luck, Michelle!
I love using jackfruit, and for this recipe I actually simmered it first for about 12 minutes, making it much easier to “shred” without having to cut away any of the core. A sub for those who don’t like jackfruit may be soy curls. Cheers, Lauren at Edible Musings
★★★★★
I have made this many times! Its so good! Also, a HUGE thank you for adding “jump to recipe”! I LOVE all of your photos, but sometimes I simply need to get to the recipe to make sure I have everything I need, and if my computer is slow and all the ads keep popping up….well, it gets very frustrating. 🙂 Thank you for all you do! You are amazing! Hubby and I have been WFPB for 5 years now, but I always learn something new from you! (and delicious) Have an awesome day!
Thank you, Rose! I’m glad you’re enjoying the “Jump” button. 🙂 Blessings.
This is amazing! Than you Shane!
★★★★★
My pleasure, Rosanne! Thanks for reaching out and your kind words. Blessings.
These sandwiches were delicious and simple to make! Thanks, Shane for a great recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Kathleen! I’m so glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for following. Blessings!
The first thing I did when I discovered jackfruit is to make this. I do use the core I just cut it up”
When you say “remove the core” do you mean to discard the cores or to just split them out? I’ve still not used jackfruit and just want to make sure I’m not wasting anything I’m supposed to be using.
Discard. But, you can use them, I just prefer the texture without them. I’ll go back and edit to clarify. Thanks for reaching out and asking.
Thanks for the response/answer! Looking forward to trying this out.
You got it! I hope you enjoy it.
Holy moly! This is absolutely AMAZING!
★★★★★
I absolutely love this recipe. I never have to miss pulled pork anymore.
★★★★★
Thanks, Jeff! Have a great weekend.