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Home » Recipes

Easiest BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich

Published: 2 Mar 2020 · Updated: 20 May 2022 by Julianne Lynch · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 4 Comments

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Vegan BBQ Jackfruit
Vegan BBQ Jackfruit

This Vegan BBQ Jackfruit (aka Jackfruit Pulled Pork) is super easy, pop it in the oven with sliced onions, BBQ sauce, and the right seasonings, and it's done in less than 30 minutes! Tangy and sweet--perfect for piling on a bun with your favorite toppings. Or get creative and use it for tacos, pizza, or a vegan quesadilla filling.

Vegan Jackfruit Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich
Dig into this amazing BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich!

Have you heard of jackfruit? Have you tried it yet? You definitely should! Jackfruit is one of the trendiest foods in the vegan world right now. There are so many ways to prepare this ingredient, but one of my favorites is the humble BBQ Jackfruit sandwich. It's sweet, tangy, and so easy to prepare.

The beauty of jackfruit is the stringy, meaty texture that’s almost indistinguishable from shredded chicken or pulled pork. Young jackfruit has a neutral flavor that’s easily masked by BBQ sauce or other seasonings. Pile on a bun along with pickled cabbage or a creamy vegan coleslaw. Your Omni friends won’t even know the difference!

Jump to:
  • What is jackfruit?
  • Jackfruit vs Durian
  • Where to buy jackfruit?
  • Ingredient notes
  • Instructions
  • How to Serve
  • How to Store
  • Related recipes
  • More tips on going vegan
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Want access to my Exclusive Meal Planning Tips & Printables page? Click here to receive new recipe updates!
BBQ Jackfruit sandwich.

You'll love this BBQ Jackfruit Recipe because it's:

  • Quick & Easy
  • Vegan / Vegetarian
  • Healthy & Oil-Free
  • Gluten-Free
  • An Easy Plant-Based Meat Alternative
  • Absolutely Delicious!

What is jackfruit?

This large, spiky green fruit might seem a bit intimidating, but thankfully, many grocery chains are now stocking canned jackfruit. Just be sure to get young jackfruit because the ripe variety is sweet and often canned with sugar. 

Jackfruit has a great, meaty texture that's perfect for using as a meat substitute in Vegan BBQ, Curries, Stews, Vegan Crabcakes, and more.

Jackfruit vs Durian

Some people get jackfruit and durian confused because they look similar. They're both large, pale green, tropical fruits. From the exterior, an easy way to know the difference is that jackfruit has a pebbly shell while the durian is spiky. However once you cut them open, you see that durians have much larger fruit, while the jackfruit seeds are smaller. The biggest difference is taste and smell. While the jackfruit is mild and slightly sweet, the durian is quite pungent. Apparently, the smell is so strong, the durian has been banned on public transit in certain parts of the world. Yikes!

Where to buy jackfruit?

The easiest type of Jackfruit to buy is probably canned Jackfruit. Trader Joe's currently stocks jackfruit in a green can, similar to the one below, and other grocery chains are following suit. Check the health-food section or the Asian aisle. If that doesn't work, you can always order online. Here's a link to a popular variety of Jackfruit.

Some grocery chains are also starting to carry fresh Jackfruit -- I've seen both whole Jackfruits and precut Jackfruit. I've also tried preseasoned Jackfruit in vacuumed sealed plastic packaging. That jackfruit had a much darker color, though, and I didn't love the seasonings, so I prefer to buy the plain, canned jackfruit and add my own sauces and seasonings.

canned young jackfruit (where to buy jackfruit)
Here's my German jackfruit. Cute, right?

Ingredient notes

  • canned young (unripe) jackfruit: It's important that you don't buy ripe or sweetened jackfruit.
  • sliced onion
  • powdered veggie broth: poultry seasoning or something similar will also work
  • powdered garlic: All of the seasonings just add to the flavor.
  • powdered onion
  • smoked paprika
  • dried oregano
  • BBQ sauce You can use my homemade BBQ sauce (linked) or your own favorite brand.

Instructions

There are many different techniques for making BBQ Jackfruit, but as a lazy super busy mom, I prefer this method for its simplicity. Just shred the jackfruit, mix the ingredients, and throw it in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Hands shredding jackfruit with two forks.
Shred your jackfruit with two forks.
Jackfruit and seasonings in a bowl.
Jackfruit mixed with seasonings.
Vegan jackfruit pulled pork on sheet tray with onions and BBQ sauce.
Add the other ingredients, and it's all ready to pop in the oven.

While it's cooking, you'll have 30 glorious minutes to check social media do the dishes. Which means you won't have any cleanup after dinner! Bonus!!

About halfway through the cooking time, you should pull the jackfruit out to move it around on the baking sheet, scraping any bits that are sticking to the bottom and redistributing evenly across the pan. This will also give you a chance to break up any large bits.

You'll know it's done when the edges are nice and crispy. Remove from the sheet pan, add another ¼ BBQ sauce and it's ready to serve. Pile on a sandwich with creamy vegan coleslaw or serve on a flatbread pizza or wrap!

Cooked jackfruit with BBQ sauce in a bowl.

If you want to serve as a sandwich, simply pile the bbq jackfruit on a bun with your favorite toppings. I like it with vegan coleslaw and pickles! Enjoy!

Bbq jackfruit sandwich.

How to Serve

  • Add this BBQ Jackfruit to a bun with Vegan Coleslaw.
  • Serve with any number of starchy sides including Oil-free Oven Fries, Vegan Mashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Butternut Squash, or Vegan Potato Salad.
  • Add a few light sides like a Summer Salad, Air Fryer Green Beans, Vegan Broccoli Salad, or Spinach Strawberry Salad.
  • Add it to a Vegan Taco Bar!
  • Or use it as a topping for vegan BBQ pizza.

How to Store

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Related recipes

  • Oil-Free Oven Fries with Garlic & Oregano
  • Easy Creamy Vegan Potato Salad
  • Super Simple Tofu Nuggets
  • Vegan Quesadilla Cheese
  • Homemade Almond Butter

More tips on going vegan

  • Six Essential Vegan Pantry Staples
  • Is Chocolate Vegan
  • How to Go Vegan
  • Unexpected Benefits of Going Vegan

📖 Recipe

vegan bbq jackfruit sandwich

BBQ Jackfruit

BBQ Jackfruit is super easy, cut pop it in the oven with sliced onions, BBQ sauce, and the right seasonings, and it's done in less than 30 minutes! Tangy and sweet--perfect for piling on a bun with your favorite toppings. Or get creative and use it for tacos, pizza, or a vegan quesadilla filling.
4.62 from 13 votes
Print Recipe Share on Facebook Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 106 kcal

Equipment

sheet pan

Ingredients
  

  • 1 20 oz can young (unripe) jackfruit (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 small or ½ medium sliced onion
  • 1 tablespoon powdered veggie broth
  • 1 tablespoon powdered garlic
  • 1 tablespoon powdered onion
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • ½ cup BBQ sauce (plus ¼ cup more for serving)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425°F or 220°C.
  • Drain and rinse your jackfruit. (You don't need to discard the seeds--they will get broken down in the oven.)
  • Place the jackfruit in a bowl or pan. Using two forks, shred the jackfruit. Set aside.
  • Slice your onion into thin strips.
  • Add the jackfruit to a mixing bowl with the spices, onions, and BBQ sauce. Stir to combine.
  • Spread the mixture evenly over a lined baking sheet.
  • Place the jackfruit in the oven and roast on 425°F or 220°C for 25 to 30 minutes. After 15 minutes you should pull the jackfruit out of the oven to loosen it from the sheet with a spatula and redistribute. You might also notice a few more bits of the jackfruit that need to be broken up.
  • When the edges are starting to get crispy and brown, the jackfruit is done. Remove from the oven, stir in another ¼ cup of bbq sauce, and serve immediately!
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Notes

  • This recipe makes 2 to 4 servings. If you're making bbq sandwiches, it really depends on the size of your buns. For my family of two adults and two children, this is the perfect amount. However, if you're making this recipe for adults or teens, you might want to double the recipe.
  • To get the edges crispy in the oven, be sure to distribute the jackfruit evenly over the sheet pan.
  • If you want to sub out liquid vegetable broth for powdered broth, cook the jackfruit in a skillet with 1 cup of vegetable broth before transferring to a sheet pan for baking.
  • You can use this homemade BBQ sauce or your favorite brand.

Nutrition

Calories: 106kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1002mgPotassium: 220mgFiber: 2gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 964IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 1mg
Keyword bbq jackfruit, vegan bbq sandwich, vegan pulled pork
Tried this recipe?Tag me on Instagram @no_sweat_vegan or #nosweatvegan!

Want access to my Exclusive Meal Planning Tips & Printables page? Click here to receive new recipe updates!

Did you try this recipe? Have a question? Just leave a comment below and I'll get back to you ASAP!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carmelle Jean-Francois

    August 25, 2021 at 9:48 pm

    4 stars
    Although I'm not a fan of oregano, I kept an open mind and followed the instructions accordingly. I don't regret any of it! To answer your first question, no, I've never tried jackfruit! I'm so please with it and so pleased with the way my BBQ turned out! I thoroughly enjoyed it! Definitely something I'll try again. I'll post to insta tomorrow. And I'll look for the next dish that I'll try from your site! Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Julianne Lynch

      August 26, 2021 at 1:26 pm

      I'm so glad you liked it! I have a lot of recipes with oregano (it's one of my favorites!), so I hope you find another recipe you like!

      Reply
  2. Ina

    March 09, 2022 at 6:33 pm

    5 stars
    Just tried your recipe and Wow! Seasoned perfectly in my opinion…and then i tried it on the hubby…..drum roll……..Thumbs up!
    Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Julianne Lynch

      March 11, 2022 at 7:34 am

      5 stars
      Awesome! I'm so glad you both liked it!!

      Reply

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Julianne, founder of No Sweat Vegan.

Hi, I'm Julianne! I love creating simple and comforting vegan food for the whole family. Most of my recipes are healthy, Whole-Foods Plant-Based, and easy on the budget. Thanks for stopping by!

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