Jackfruit BBQ Sandwiches

If you are new to the blog, you may not know we are exploring vegan and vegetarian eating. We haven't been perfect, but we can definitely tell we feel so much better with eating more plant-based! It is a hard adjustment, almost entirely rethinking how we view a standard meal, but it's been really fun to explore new ways of eating and find and create new recipes that we love!

One of our favorites so far is pulled jackfruit sandwiches. Honestly, you would think you are eating pulled pork! It has a very similar texture. And it's very quick to cook and WAY cheaper than buying meat! 

We bought canned jackfruit. Some grocery stores will carry it in their Asian section. But you want to make sure it's jackfruit in water or in brine, NOT IN SYRUP! Our favorite grocery store had it in syrup, which I failed to pay attention to, and we bought two cans. I suppose I could have given the recipe a shot with it, but out of all the reading I did online, everyone said it would be far too sweet. So we returned it, and luckily we were able to find it in brine at a little Asian store that was hidden really close to our house! I think it was only $1.60 a can, so very cheap! (1 can makes about 4 sandwiches)

Here is what you need;

Serves 4

4 Hamburger Buns

1 can of jackfruit in water or brine

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup BBQ sauce of your choice (make sure it's vegetarian)

Rinse and drain jackfruit.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook garlic and onion until browned. Once browned add jackfruit and BBQ sauce of your choice and stir to coat jackfruit in sauce.

Now, I think finding an amazing BBQ sauce is key here. We are lucky enough to live in Texas and we bought our BBQ sauce from a popular local restaurant, Rudy's. Their sauce is incredible! Definitely hunt around for the perfect sauce! Or make your own!

Simmer on low for 15 minutes, covered. Shred the jackfruit to appear like pulled pork. Cover and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

Toast buns (I used LOTS of butter here…..)

Remove lid and continue to cook on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will help it develop a more pork like texture.

Serve over slaw (my recipe for homemade slaw coming soon!) on toasted buns.

Enjoy! I hope you love them as much as we do!

Now obviously this is not a vegan recipe, but it could easily be adjusted to be so. Make sure the BBQ sauce you are using is vegan, leave off the butter when toasting the buns, and make your own homemade slaw with vegan mayo.

Either way, I hope you try this recipe, even if you aren't that interested in eating vegetarian. I think it will surprise you how yummy and easy it is! Let me know what you think!