Looking for a strictly plant-based shredded BBQ option? You will have a great treat with a BBQ jackfruit! It has the appearance of the real deal shredded BBQ; it’s loaded with BBQ flavors and it’s so easy to make one. Use it as a meatless/vegan option in all your favorite BBQ recipes! This BBQ jackfruit recipe is great even if you enjoy some meat with your best commercial BBQ rubs.
Jackfruit is a surprisingly useful and versatile fruit and ingredient. You have the room to mix it with many other flavors. You can also use it in many other different types of dishes. Jackfruit is perfect for lots of recipes: be it in a burger bun, with nachos, in a taco, or one of your favorite salads. Use it in savory dishes and find out which pairings work best for you and what you can find.
Jackfruit is low in calories but has high amounts of antioxidants. It has multiple benefits that may help those with blood sugar complications. Also, green jackfruit is the main ingredient in making n a very delicious BBQ pulled pork sandwich that you will never believe is vegan.
Let’s take you through an easy-to-make BBQ jackfruit recipe you can try out at home whenever you can lay your hands on some fresh jackfruit.
BBQ Jackfruit Ingredients:
- 1 can green jackfruit packed in water
- olive or avocado oil
- vegetables – onion and garlic.
- seasonings and spices: paprika, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and pepper.
- BBQ sauce – make your own BBQ sauce or get from the store.
Start by frying the onion and garlic for less 5 to 10 minutes, tops. Then you add the jackfruit along with the spices – it’s almost like your best commercial BBQ dry rub base. Let it simmer gently, covered, for about 30 mins, stirring lightly every 5-10 minutes to assist in breaking down the jackfruit. Lastly, you’ll mix in the BBQ sauce and you’ve got lots of flavor on top of flavor. You can serve it whichever way but the best way is to have it on a bun and have it like a pulled pork sandwich! You can check your jackfruit to see if it cooked well. If not, leave in on your best oil for flat top grill until cooked to your liking.
BBQ jackfruit sides
Highly recommended toppings include coleslaw salad and some pickled onions. This jackfruit recipe would also be so delicious with BBQ tacos or wraps. You won’t go wrong. Once your BBQ jackfruit is done, the final dish will fool any hungry carnivore into thinking they’re having pulled pork. When cooked properly any jackfruit recipe will burst in your mouth with flavor, succulence, and all the juices you can imagine. If cooked on your best indoor/outdoor electric grill and you give it some crispy edges, your jackfruit recipe can rival any BBQ’d pork available on the market.
Advantages of using jackfruit
The most fantastic thing about jackfruit is that its texture and DNA will lend themselves to imitating meat and just absorbing all flavors you pair it with. That makes any jackfruit recipe a vegan’s dream food. Even hardcore meat enthusiasts will enjoy the jackfruit.
The jackfruit recipe is quite easy to make; needing at least 10 minutes of your time. The only ingredient this jackfruit recipe requires that’s most likely not stocked anywhere in your pantry is obviously jackfruit; green jackfruit to be precise. Jackfruit can be easily found at nearly any Asian market or online on Amazon.
For the best jackfruit recipe and results, make sure you use young, green jackfruit in water; not brine and not syrup. Do not use ripe jackfruit. This is the key to having all the proper jackfruit BBQ flavors and textures. To add more fresh flavors and texture to the mix, you can have a quick and simple avocado veggie slaw that is easily prepared in about 10 minutes while the jackfruit is simmering.
Using the right jackfruit
The hardest part of this jackfruit recipe, depending on where on this earth you reside, might be getting the recommended green jackfruit. If you’re lucky enough to be where they sell the exotic fresh fruit, do feel free to find out if it will do the job. Jackfruit has a very little protein count and its nowhere close to matching meat. So, it’s recommended to add some protein to any dish you make using jackfruit.
With a population that is becoming more health-conscious and on the road to reducing meat intake, jackfruit makes a pretty compelling case on being a long-term substitute. Sure, it might not have the same protein credentials as meat but that’s a secondary issue which can be sorted out by having extra protein sides to accompany your jackfruit; and you will find a lot of these side compliments.
If anything, the biggest issue would be in the sourcing of the fruit for easy access to those who want to experiment with it. It’s native to Asia and in most cases, you will find it at Asian markets or specialty shops who might only have it on order. But jackfruit availability is improving as it becomes more mainstream in vegan recipes and menus. Many specialty stores and supermarkets and many Asian food stores will most likely sell fresh or canned, or frozen jackfruit. The canned jackfruit may be preserved in syrup or brine.
The fleshy part of unripe or young jackfruit is green. This changes in color to yellow as the jackfruit ripens. You can eat the fleshy parts of freshly cut, ripe jackfruit on as is or you can play around with it and use it in a wide range of recipes, and surprisingly even add it to desserts. The uses of jackfruit are limitless, all you need is the jackfruit to make a wide array of dishes, both cooked and uncooked.
Jackfruit in syrup is not usually recommended, but if that’s what you have access to, then go ahead and try it out. What you have to remember though is that the jackfruit in syrup is not quite the optimal texture. The good news is you can still get the same taste and its very delicious. So, don’t be scared to give it a try if that’s all you can find in your area. The best way would be to drain the jackfruit and rinse it well and thoroughly before putting it on the BBQ. Also, use less BBQ sauce in the jackfruit recipe.
More on The Jackfruit – An Awesome Meat Alternative
Jackfruit has lots going for it right now; including a low-calorie amount plus lots of nutrients. For all plant-based cooks and enthusiasts and vegans, jackfruit’s main selling points are its texture and mild, almost bland flavor when it’s still green. What this means is that you have a pretty decent and fun-to-experiment-with substitute for pulled pork or even chicken, especially if you combine it with the right spices and various flavorings. It’s slowly becoming a widespread ingredient for BBQ masters who are looking to widen their menus with a solid vegetarian option.
One of the easiest and best ways to show it off is to have a veggie side for a totally vegan taste and recipe, barbecue-style.
Health benefits of jackfruit
As earlier stated, jackfruit is high in antioxidants. These powerful antioxidants provide numerous health benefits, which is something always good to have in a fruit or everyday food items. These antioxidants also help in reducing the risk of several diseases. Antioxidants will protect your body cells from conditions such as oxidative stress and inflammation. This condition is often a result of damage caused by molecules known as free radicals. Jackfruit has antioxidants such as Vitamin C, carotenoids, and flavanones. All these play a huge role in improving the immune system.
As you may already know, jackfruit is a great source of vitamin C, potassium, and dietary fiber, and other essential vitamins and minerals. Also, according to research, there are chemical compounds in the fruit’s flesh, seeds, and other parts of the whole plant that may have the possibility to treat or reduce the prevalence of several health conditions.
When thoroughly cooked, the unripe jackfruit flesh has a texture that is similar to your regular chicken or pulled pork Jackfruit is very safe and highly nutritious for almost everyone. However, if you have an allergy to either latex or birch pollen, you should take extra caution when consuming or preparing the fruit.
Hope you enjoyed this extensive article on how to prepare jackfruit, especially in a BBQ. This is not the only way to eat or prepare jackfruit. It’s quite a versatile fruit and you will truly enjoy it if you’re a vegan or looking to cut down on your red meat intake. It is good for sliders and burgers, but jackfruit will work virtually with any recipe as it picks up the flavors from other spices you include in the dish. Try it out today and tell us how you feel about it!
