This vegan BBQ pulled pork will fool even the most devout of meat lovers. It uses a secret (fruit) ingredient to create the most delicious, realistic pulled "pork" ever. Note: This recipe was originally published on July 30, 2013. The post has since been updated with new photos and helpful tips. The recipe is the same!
What looks like the real thing, tastes like the real thing, is texturally the same as the real thing, and is made from fruit?
You guessed it: vegan BBQ pulled pork. Actually, you probably never would have guessed it. I certainly know I wouldn’t have.
Not a joke, not a dream. This is real life, and my goodness it is tasty.
I first read about Jackfruit, the miracle pulled meat substitute, years ago but was never able to find it in non-sugary , syrupy form until 2013. At the time, we lived near a teeny, tiny Asian market and they seemed to have every tricky-to-find ingredient I'd ever been curious about. Serendipitous? I think so.
Jackfruit is a tree-grown fruit native to Southeast Asia. In its unripened form, its flavor is comparable to heart of palm, and it has a stringy, pull-apart texture. It's seriously talented in its ability to take on the flavor of nearly anything you toss in its direction, and the texture is surprisingly meat-like. Jackfruit's also full of fiber, vitamins, and trace minerals. You ask and jackfruit probably delivers.
Before I get to this recipe, let me take you back to a story I not-so-lovingly call the “Pulled Pork Disaster of 2011.”
Dan and I had invited my brother and his (now) wife, Abby, to our place for dinner one Saturday night. I was determined to satisfy both meat lovers and myself for that dinner. In a moment of pure crazy, I thought that making a real pulled pork dish and a vegetarian pulled pork dish was the best idea ever.
I went to Whole Foods and asked for 7 pounds of pork shoulder. Seriously, seven pounds? The butcher should have known I had a slip in my sanity and refused to sell me any meat at all when I said I was cooking 7 pounds of pork for 3 people.
That's crazy. I thought each person I was cooking for was going to eat 2.33 pounds of meat? I phrase that as a question only because it makes me feel better to think that perhaps I did question that ridiculous pork-to-person ratio at the time. This was strike 1.
I also picked up some seitan for myself, which I had high hopes of serving as an acceptable vegan replacement to pulled pork.
Where it all went wrong…
As our slow cooker slaved away on the 7 pound hunk of meat, my brother, Brad, began to question whether it was pork at all. With one swift lift of the slow cooker lid, he declared that I'd actually purchased 7 pounds of beef, not 7 pounds of pork. I at least take comfort in knowing that the butcher at Whole Foods was slightly more crazy than I on that cold March day. This was strike 2.
I tried to put my pork troubles behind me as I worked away on shredding, marinating, and cooking my seitan BBQ un-pork. I figured at least there'd be one silver lining in this BBQ Pulled Pork Disaster.
As I served Dan, Brad and Abby their pulled beef sandwiches, I offered up a taste of my BBQ seitan sandwich. Brad, being the supportive younger brother, offered to try a bite to see how it compared. Upon biting into the sandwich, a dismal look came across his face as if to say, “I feel sorry for you.” And then, those exact words came out of his mouth. And those words were delicately followed by the statement, “This sandwich tastes like pencil erasers coated in barbeque sauce.” And there, my friends, you have strike 3.
That was the last time I attempted to cook meat (and BBQ seitan).
I’m both relieved and ecstatic to say that this BBQ pulled "pork" made from jackfruit tastes nothing like pencil erasers. It tastes so delicious that you’ll be double checking just to be extra certain you didn’t accidentally pick up a can of meat.
The jackfruit is coated in spices and simmered in barbeque sauce until it is fall-apart tender. The flavor, texture and look of it will be enough to woo meat lovers and vegetarians alike. AND it comes together way quicker than the real thing.
Jackfruit + spices + barbeque sauce = a vitamin-rich, healthier, happier, animal-friendly replica of BBQ pork. Get cooking.
First order of business: Sauté a small onion in a bit of olive oil. While the onion sweats and softens, drain a can of young green jackfruit (in water or brine) and prepare it by cutting off the triangular tips like so. If you're not able to find jackfruit, you can use two cans drained heart of palm instead and skip the cutting step altogether.
Next, prepare your spice rub by mixing together brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoke salt (optional but so good), and cayenne.
Once your spice rub is prepared, add the jackfruit (or heart of palm) and toss to coat.
Next, add the jackfruit to the pan with the onion and sauté for five minutes, or until it begins to develop a subtle crust.
Meanwhile, whisk together your favorite store-bought or homemade BBQ sauce (for instance, my 10-minute BBQ sauce) and a bit of water. Then, add the mixture to the pan, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the jackfruit is fall-apart tender.
Once tender, use two forks to shred the jackfruit. Continue to simmer for just five more minutes, or until the barbecue sauce thickens and is almost completely absorbed by the jackfruit.
Serve the jackfruit on buns or slider rolls and garnish as desired. I love the bright, fresh additions of mini cucumber rounds, cilantro, and pickled red onions. But as always, you do you! Add your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Vegetarian BBQ Pulled "Pork"
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 (20-ounce) can green young jackfruit in water or brine*
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoke salt (optional but recommended)
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ cup barbeque sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 4 buns or slider rolls
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until tender (5-7 minutes).
- Meanwhile, drain and rinse the jackfruit in a strainer. Cut away the core of the jackfruit (the tough triangular tip) and discard, reserving the soft, stringy flesh (see here for a photo). If desired, remove the jackfruit seeds/bulbs (you can eat these, but some people don't like the texture).
- Mix together the brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoke salt, and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl. Add in the jackfruit flesh and toss to coat.
- Add the seasoned jackfruit to the pan. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce and water. Pour over the jackfruit. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until tender.
- While the jackfruit simmers, toast the buns.
- Remove the lid from the skillet and shred the jackfruit with a fork. Continue to simmer with the lid off for 5 minutes, or until the barbecue sauce is mostly absorbed.
- NOTE: You can either enjoy the "pulled pork" as is OR spread it on a baking pan and bake at 350F degrees for 20 minutes. Readers have reported this extra step makes the texture even more "pork" like.
- Fill each bun with a mound of BBQ jackfruit and top with garnishes of choice (ideas: pickled red onions, cilantro, mini cucumbers, etc).
Notes
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I love this, so funny! I'm definitely going to need to try this recipe!
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Can this recipe be made with fresh Jackfruit? I think I've seen this at farmers markets here in Atlanta.
I haven't tried it, but I definitely think it would work! I've heard they take a bit of love to clean up and chop, but I'm guessing this recipe would probably be even tastier with fresh Jack Fruit. You might just need to simmer it a bit longer in the pan or you could try popping it in the oven to roast at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes after you simmer in the pan to dry everything out and make the texture more meat-like. Please let me know how it goes if you try it!
Like canned, fresh Jackfruit can be ripe or green. Ripe, it is an adventure to get the fruit out partly because there is latex sap and partly because they are so big and intimidating. Fresh green (unripe) jackfruit is even harder to find than ripe outside the tropics and it cuts like a vegetable. In both cases oil your knife and hands so you can get the latex off. The flaky texture comes from what is called the "rag" which connects the core and the fruit/seed. If the fresh Jackfruit in the store is still firm, but is mature enough to ripen soft at home, it may be too mature to use in this recipe. By the way, fresh ripe Jackfruit is nothing like the sad tasteless syrupy things you find in a can. It is very aromatic, and has a wonderful flavor. Think Juicy Fruit gum but alive.
-_- I tried making this, it came out tasting like mango's boiled in BBQ sauce. No idea where I went wrong.
Was your jackfruit in brine, water or syrup? Syrup will make it taste mangoish!
This is ingenious! I'll be picking up a can of green jackfruit next time I stop by the asian market. But first, one question: does this freeze well? I wonder if the texture would suffer after freezing.
Hi Chris! Thanks for commenting! I am not sure how it freezes up as I devoured the batch by myself in one day! The batch is on the small side, so you will likely not have to worry about freezing. If you do decide to freeze some, please comment or email me to let me know how it goes!
Let me start by say holy cow! This is such an incredible recipe! The hard part is finding the jackfruit, but once pat that hurdle, this is sooo easy to prepare! Taste and appearance was spot on. Texture was a little more chewy than what I remember pork being like, so I will throw it in the oven for a little next time. Thank you so much for this great recipe!
Thank you for the awesome compliments on this recipe, Geoff! You know, I think I'm going to add a note into the recipe about baking it at the end because a few people have mentioned that it improves the texture. Thanks for your feedback :)
Fantastic recipe! :D
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment :)
omgosh! Pencil and erasers?!? :( One of those things you look back at eh? :)
Thanks for the post, looks (and sounds) YUMMY!!!!!!!!!! and I was SUPER EXCITED when I found some jackfruit in brine (boo....gunna get my rinse and wash on! :p ) at the Asian grocery store.
Annnd heres the part where you (I hope you don't :p ) laugh! *runs and hides in shame!* What IS Barbecue sauce in America? Silly question? perhaps, BUT I've noticed there's a BIG difference in some American/Australian products that go by the same or similar names (e.g tomato sauce/ketchup/tomato puree/tomato paste etc)
This is what we have and think of as "Barbeque Sauce", http://www.masterfoods.com.au/sauces/squeezy-sauces/squeezy-barbecue-sauce/
Is this the same?
Thank you!
Haha, yes, pencil erasers! Not very appetizing, right? As for your question, no laughs on my end -- it's a great question! Based on the list of ingredients, your Barbeque Sauce appears to be what our Barbecue sauce is in the US, so you should be able to use it in the recipe without any issues. I'm glad you were able to get your hands on some jackfruit; it's a tricky ingredient to find. I hope you enjoy the recipe, Alejandro!
I tried this recipe out today and it made the most amazing bbq sandwiches! The taste and texture of the jackfruit was simply amazing, it definitely satisfied my craving for bbq.
I think finishing it off in the oven as recommended definitely improved the overall texture and flavor.
Being from Kansas City I like to use Arthur Bryant's rich and spicy BBQ sauce (http://fave.co/SHnDhB) which worked very well in this recipe.
Hi, Sam! Thanks so much for your awesome feedback on the recipe, and I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! That BBQ sauce looks amazing. Anything labeled "rich and spicy" sounds delicious in my book!
Made this tonight to serve to my brother and mother at a party tomorrow. I made bbq pork for everyone else, and am so happy to have something for my vegetarian family members to have, too! It is so good!! Instead of discarding the core, I just chopped it up really fine. The rub really made this special. I think it tastes better than my pork that is just slathered with sauce alone... :(
Hi Liz! Thank you for commenting with your adjustments and sweet words! What a compliment that you think it tastes better than the pork with bbq sauce! I hope your brother and mother enjoy the recipe, and you're so thoughtful to make something special for them :)
Just wanted to update with how it went. My mom and brother loved it! My mom is not a fan of anything spicy, and she said she could taste the heat but it wasn't too much for her (I know, I know - there isn't even that much cayenne in there!) My vegan friend is due with her first baby any day, and I have been looking for some meals to bring her. I'll be making her this for sure! Even my pork-loving sister took the recipe from me.
I'm so happy to hear that they both loved it, Liz! Thanks for sharing the recipe with your family and for reporting back on the outcome -- it always makes me smile to receive such positive feedback! :)
Tried this recipe basically to the letter yesterday..I added a few things to the spice rub and made these into tacos with a brussel sprout slaw. Wow! I feel like a whole new world of possibilities has opened up. I really impressed my roommate and can't wait to use jackfruit in the future.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! I added a bit of extra spice with hickory smoke and also put in some maple syrup. Delicious!
Love this recipe! Tried it 2x now and used a sweeter BBQ sauce the second time and it came out just how I remember as a meat eater but I feel so much better about it knowing it's so delicious, healthier, and cruelty free! I made homemade vegan coleslaw to go on top and it was the best addition! I recommend this to all my friends now especially because canned jackfruit is so cheap. :) Thank you for the recipe!
Hi, Carrie! I'm so happy to hear you're loving this recipe! Thanks for sharing your adjustments and additions; putting vegan coleslaw on top sounds like the best idea ever. It's making me hungry just thinking about it! I hope your friends are enjoying it too, and thanks for passing the recipe along to them :)
Hi, Ashley! Thanks so much for your pulled "pork" recipe. As an ex-carnivore, bbq is one thing I missed. I have my own veg blog (VegCookingForCarnivoresBlog.com) and recently posted my version of your recipe. I changed the directions a bit and made my own barbecue sauce. Your directions were clear and easy to follow. Great job!
Hi Bonnie! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe on your blog and taking the time to comment with your feedback. I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying it so much! BBQ is definitely one of the trickier things to make veg-friendly, so it's always exciting to know there are other options to fill that void :)
I made your High-Protein Breakfast Crepes and filled them with this. Winning combo!
What a great idea, Birgit! I'll have to try that myself. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your feedback and brilliant idea!
Thank you for this recipe! I served it to my family yesterday for a Memorial Day/birthday/anniversary celebration, and my 15-year-old niece said, "This is FRUIT?? It tastes just like pork!" It was hard to find a jackfruit BBQ recipe that looked both good and easy enough to make - this was perfect. :)
Hi, Nancy! I love that your niece had that reaction; that's the best. Glad you and your family enjoyed this dish, and thanks for taking the time to share your feedback.
I tried fresh jackfruit and cooking it after simmering did give it a more meaty texture. It took the BBQ flavors well but how do people get the 'pulled' consistency? Mine just ended up in chunks.
I just made this and it's super yummy. I did bake in a glass dish and it's definitely more flavourful. This is my first time cooking Jack Fruit but will NOT be my last. : )Thanks for the inspiration
I make long shreds of jackfruit before simmering because I get my fruit fresh from the market plus it is easier to shred into strips. The recipe spices are good! Just had to double it for more than one person.
Made this last night. Used red onion and some red and yellow peppers along with the garlic. It seriously came out perfect. I ended up using mini buns from Trader Joe’s to make sliders and topped with a simple vinegar based coleslaw. I can’t wait to share this recipe with others! Thank you!
So glad you're enjoying the recipe, Anna! Thanks for taking time out of your weekend to come back and share your thoughts, adjustments, and additions—means so much.
I was laughing because I looked up this recipe after purchasing the jackfruit and noticed you used the EXACT SAME jackfruit that we bought. Haha!
Great story ❤️ Yes, you’ve come a long way since then😉 I love this jackfruit version. It definitely surprises the devout meat eaters.
OMG have eaten this 2 days in a row now and it totally hits the spot!! Super delicious and hearty, all eaters will love it. I served it on the regular sized pretzel buns and added a quick red cabbage slaw since that's what I had on hand. Next time I'll try the pickled red onions and serrano pepper toppings though cuz I think that would really make it pop even more! Thanks for these, Ashley, such a gem!
So happy to hear you're enjoying the recipe, Lindsay! Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your thoughts and rating. It means a lot to me and is helpful for others planning to make the recipe, too. Hope this one becomes a go-to in your home. Happy cooking! :)
Awesome and delicious recipe! Thank you very much for sharing. Only thing I do differently is reduce the chili powder; I'm quite used to spicy recipes, but 1 tbs of chili in my opinion is a little too much in this recipe.