You won’t believe how meaty and tender this BBQ Jackfruit Pulled Pork really is! Jackfruit and barbecue sauce are cooked together on the stove, giving you an easy and smoky shredded meat copycat even carnivores will love.
For more incredible jackfruit recipes, check out my Jackfruit Tacos, Jackfruit Carnitas or Buffalo Jackfruit Quesadillas!
Barbecue-ready vegan pulled pork
If there’s one meal that screams “barbecue”, it’s this BBQ Jackfruit Pulled Pork. Made with shredded jackfruit and barbecue sauce, even meat eaters will think they’re eating the real thing! One bite and all of your guests will be hooked.
Jackfruit is a tropical fruit that’s easy to cook and has the same texture as shredded meat. Mix it with homemade BBQ sauce and you have a winning combination! Pulled jackfruit soaks in the smoky flavors, giving you tender and meaty vegan pulled pork that looks and tastes just like real meat.
The best way to eat jackfruit pulled pork is to stuff it into hamburger buns. Top the sandwiches with more BBQ sauce and creamy coleslaw and dig in! They’re a must-have at any summer barbecue or potluck.
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Canned jackfruit – Make sure you use young green jackfruit in water or brine. If you’re using jackfruit packed in brine, just rinse it well to get rid of the briny flavor.
- Olive oil – Or cook the onion in water for an oil free alternative.
- Onion
- BBQ sauce – Homemade BBQ sauce is easy to make at home with simple ingredients! For a time-saving solution, use your favorite storebought sauce instead.
- Water
- Sriracha – You can use any hot sauce you like.
- Salt
How to make jackfruit pulled pork
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Drain and rinse the canned jackfruit to wash away the brine.
You can chop off and discard the woody core of the jackfruit if you find it to be too tough. Otherwise, leave it intact.
Saute the onion in an oiled skillet until it’s soft. Add the jackfruit, BBQ sauce, and water. Stir everything together before covering the skillet with a lid and leaving the jackfruit to cook and tenderize.
Afterward, remove the lid and mash the jackfruit with a potato masher or two forks. It should have a shredded texture similar to real pulled pork. Adjust to taste before turning up the heat and letting it cook a little longer. This achieves a flavorful, caramelized crunch!
Serve the pulled jackfruit on buns with vegan coleslaw, then enjoy!
Serving suggestions
The best way to use BBQ pulled jackfruit is in vegan pulled pork sandwiches. Top with vegan coleslaw and extra barbecue sauce, then dig in! Don’t forget the cornbread and macaroni salad on the side.
Frequently asked questions
- Does jackfruit taste like pulled pork? Young jackfruit has a meaty texture and soaks up flavor like a sponge. Once it’s cooked, it takes on all of the savory, smoky flavors the BBQ sauce has to offer! It tastes a lot like pulled pork!
- Can you make BBQ jackfruit in the Instant Pot? Yes! Just follow the steps in my Instant Pot Pulled BBQ Jackfruit recipe.
- Can you make it ahead of time? Yes, you can cook the barbecue jackfruit up to 3 days in advance. Keep it in a sealed container in the fridge. When it’s time to eat, reheat the jackfruit in a skillet until warmed through, then enjoy in sandwiches, tacos, quesadillas, and more.
- Can you freeze BBQ jackfruit? Yes! Freeze any leftovers in airtight containers and let them thaw overnight in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Want more vegan barbecue recipes?
- BBQ Tempeh Sandwich
- BBQ Cauliflower Wings
- Sticky BBQ Tempeh Ribs
- The Best Vegan Potato Salad
- BBQ Soy Curl Sandwich
BBQ Jackfruit Pulled Pork
Ingredients
Jackfruit Pulled "Pork":
- (2) 20-ounce cans young green jackfruit, in water or brine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce store bought or homemade
- 1/2 cup water
- Sriracha hot sauce, to taste
- salt, to taste
For serving:
- 4-6 vegan buns
- 1 Recipe Vegan Coleslaw
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the jackfruit from the can. Rinse very well if your jackfruit was packed in brine. Chop off the hard center core portions, if desired(see photos in post above). I like the texture better with the tougher parts removed. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
- Add the jackfruit, BBQ sauce and 1/2 cup of water. Stir well to combine, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes on low-medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- After 20 minutes, remove the lid and mash the jackfruit with a potato masher or two forks, to create a shredded texture so it resembled pulled pork. Add Sriracha hot sauce and salt to taste.
- To finish, turn the heat up to high and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently. This helps it dry up a bit and get blackened in some spots, which makes it extra tasty!
- Remove from heat and serve on buns with Vegan Coleslaw. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you can find young green jackfruit in water, that is best as it won’t have a briny flavor at all. However, I often get the jackfruit from Trader Joe’s in brine and I don’t mind it. So either will work.
- For oil free, omit the olive oil and cook the onion in a few tablespoons of water.
- For gluten free, use gluten free vegan buns.
- Calories listed are for 1/4th of the bbq jackfruit only, and do not include the bun or coleslaw.
Wow! What an amazing, flavourful recipe! This was my first time having jackfruit and I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I followed your recipe exactly and even made a batch of your bbq sauce. Honestly this was amazing! I will definitely be making this again!
Isn’t it amazing how delicious jackfruit can taste! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback and review! Wishing you happy cooking!
It was great! I’m not normally a great cook but this was really easy, flavorful, and really filling!
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! I’m so glad you loved the jackfruit!
Another winner, Nora. I ended up adding a bit of sugar and garlic but otherwise stayed true to recipe and it was really delicious. Will definitely be making this again, thank you ??
I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for using my recipe, and for sharing your review and feedback! Happy cooking!
Very good recipe. And even freeze dries well! ?
I’m glad you loved the recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Love this recipe and plan to serve sliders at an upcoming anniversary open house. If I make ahead and freeze, then rewarm in the crockpot, I’m worried it might be mushy? Any thoughts?
Thanks Laurie! I actually think it will be fine. Tender bbq jackfruit isn’t bad at all!
I felt like I was eating at a restaurant! Delicious recipe! Thanks so much! I served this on Dave’s Killer buns with the cole slaw as per the recipe. You never disappoint!
Thanks Colleen! I’m glad you loved the recipe! Thanks for sharing your review and comments!
OMG! I never, ever leave reviews, but this is seriously soooo good! I am cutting my meat intake. This is as good as pork without the fat. I also included some garlic when I sautéed the onion. Paired it with vinegar-based coleslaw and Dave’s multigrain buns. Thank you so much Nora!
I am thrilled that you love the pulled pork! It is so good with coleslaw, right?! Thank you for taking time to share your review!
Made this tonight after rinsing the jack fruit in brine over and over and over again…it still tasted like brine and we could not get over the taste…we ended up throwing it out. We LOVE the other recipes we have tried so far but this one we just could not handle
Hi there! If you don’t like the briny taste of jackfruit canned in brine, look for jackfruit packed in just water. No briny taste, problem solved! 🙂
Nora this dish was phenomenal! I tasted jackfruit a few years before transitioning to vegan and thought it was disgusting so I’ve been hesitant to try again. Your recipe sold me! I made the whole shebang: bbq jackfruit pulled pork, baked beans and coleslaw. Loved it! Keep up the good work!
Hi Lori. I’m glad your taste for jackfruit has been renewed! It really can be delicious! Glad you loved the BBQ jackfruit, and thank you so much for your terrific review!
Made this tonight and it was every bit as good as I had been hearing! I was out of Sriracha so added thinly sliced raw Jalapeno. Didn’t make the slaw because I was too anxious to try the bbq. Will make some slaw tomorrow for the leftovers!! Thanks for posting.
5 stars!
Delicious. Enjoyed by a couple of omnivores trying to cut down on how much meat they eat. I imagine the flavour is largely dependent on what BBQ sauce you use. I used Masterfoods Smokey BBQ. Added some tomato paste, smokey paprika, garlic and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Will make it again.
Thanks Mary. Glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for sharing and Happy Valentine’s Day!
Where is the recipe for the coleslaw?
Here it is: Vegan Coleslaw. It’s also linked to in the post and ingredient list. 🙂
Tried this and it turned out delicious!
Hi Dei. Thank you!
For me is a victory when my son says can I have another one or even better can you pack me for lunch. This small victories to vegan. Thank you for ALL your recipes. I have more of your recipes to make this week.
You’re so welcome!
Delicious! I made it yesterday. I did add garlic to the onions and at the last moment, Added chili flakes to the jack fruit barbecue mixture. Amazing!
I’ve made this twice and it’s excellent! We’re having it for dinner tonight. Easy too.
After picking up 2 cans at Trader Joe’s, I made it today. We really enjoyed this. It’s not that pork taste exactly but it’s darn close and lots healthier! With some home made coleslaw on English muffins, it was really tasty. Will plan to make again soon.
This turned out so amazing!! Sooo easy and simple as first time and beginner! It’s hard to find something that replicates “pulled pork” but this was such a great replacement! Thank you so much for all your amazing and tasty Recipes!
You’re so welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
I just made this for dinner and had it with pickles, it was so yummy. Will definitely be making it again
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for the comment!
Nora, thank you for yet another great recipe; I love the added step to get the brown bits! I did cut off the core ends, but there were so many, I decided to put them through my Salad Shooter using the small grater-this shredded them to the same texture as the non-fibrous part of the cooked jackfruit, so I used them! One of our favorite causal restaurants (closed due to COVID-19!) serves pulled pork over mac n’ cheese and my husband is having a craving – so tomorrow I will be serving jack fruit pulled pork over your recipe for ‘best vegan mac and cheese’ for dinner. I make whole food plant-based meals at home; but my carnivore husband eats meat when not eating at home.
That sounds like a great plan with the mac n’ cheese!!
I bought a box or Edward and Sons Organic Young Jackfruit unseasoned shredded. Will that work and how much should I use? Many thanks.
It should be fine. The recipe calls for 40 oz, so it will be the same.
This was awesome! Such a great lunch for summer or anytime you want it to feel like summer!
Thank you so much for the recipe. It was delicious!
You’re welcome! Glad you liked it!
I was skeptical that this could be good, but I trust you, so I have it a try. So glad I did!! It’s delicious and easy to make. Thank you!!
So I want to make this but I have canned pink jackfruit. It’s by the brand Native Forest and it’s young jackfruit but pink in colour. Is this okay here?
I think it should work, yes! I have never seen pink jackfruit, but if it’s young I imagine it’s very similar. From what I understand, there is ripe jackfruit you can buy that is sweeter and used for desserts. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Can you use fresh jackfruit?
No, that won’t work. To get the meaty texture, you need young green jackfruit, not fresh ripe jackfruit.