I’m a sucker for a good, hearty sandwiches, and it’s fun making different plant based variations of all the classics I grew up with! This BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich recipe is like comfort food, leaving you feeling warm and satisfied but far healthier than the meat version!
Jackfruit is interesting, it looks similar to pulled pork but young jackfruit doesn’t have much flavor — so spices and sauces are a must when using jackfruit in dishes.
For this sandwich I love to use my Tangy BBQ Sauce, but if you have a favorite recipe then whip that up ahead of time or fast-track whole the operation by buying pre-made sauce, just make sure it doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup because most of the store bought ones do!
What is jackfruit?
Native to South India, jackfruit is a fruit that grows in tropical regions in the world. Jackfruit is the largest tree fruit in the world and can grow up to 80 lbs!
As of yet, I haven’t had fresh jackfruit but it’s on my radar next time I travel somewhere tropical! From what I hear, it’s sweet. Canned jackfruit is young and doesn’t have a lot of flavor so canned is what you want to use for savory dishes. You can find canned jackfruit easily in Asian stores.
Jackfruit is one of the highest protein rich fruits, with an impressive 3+ grams per 1 cup. Jackfruit is also packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals, including:
(% of the Recommended daily intake)
Vitamin C: 18%
Manganese: 16%
Magnesium: 15%
Copper: 15%
Potassium: 14%
Riboflavin: 11%
Vitamin A: 10%
The antioxidant properties in jackfruit, including the high amount of vitamin C, can help reduce inflammation and may protect against oxidative damage caused by free radicals.1
Jackfruit contains phytonutrients lignans, isoflavones, and saponins which have anti-cancer, anti-hypertensive, anti-ulcer, and anti-aging properties.2
How to prepare jackfruit
When cooking with canned jackfruit I find it’s easier to just use my fingers to break up the pieces. A food processor can easily over-chop it and a knife just cuts it into blocks. I find there’s much more control with your fingers!
BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 Can of jackfruit
- 1-1½ cup BBQ sauce
- Avocado Oil for sautéing
- 1/3 of a Yellow Onion cut in rings
- 5 Mushrooms finely chopped
- 2 tsp Liquid Aminos or Tamari or sub Soy Sauce
- 1 Large Carrot grated
- 1 cup Spinach finely chopped (optional)
For Serving:
- 4 Fresh buns or sandwich rolls
- Mashed avocado or guacamole
- Small bunch cilantro
- Chopped red cabbage
- Vegan mayo optional
- Vegan cheese optional
Instructions
- If you’re making fresh bbq sauce, get that started ahead of time.
- Rinse jackfruit in a strainer. Use your fingers to break jackfruit apart and place in a small bowl. Marinade jackfruit in 1 cup of bbq sauce for 15 minutes.
- In a medium-sized skillet, heat avocado oil on low heat and sauté onions until softened. Once cooked, remove onions from skillet and set aside.
- In the skillet, add mushrooms and 2 tsp Liquid Aminos or Tamari. Cook moisture out, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms begin to brown but not burn — about 10 minutes.
- Add the shredded carrots and the jackfruit in the BBQ sauce to the mushroom mix and cook on medium-low. Add more bbq sauce if desired. Once mixture is hot, turn off heat and stir in chopped spinach.
- Heat buns/rolls in oven or stovetop until lightly toasted.
- Assemble sandwiches with the bbq jackfruit/mushroom/carrot mixture, onion rounds, mashed avocado/guacamole, red cabbage, cilantro, and any other toppings of choice. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy these BBQ sandwiches? Leave me a comment below! 🙂
