American South
BBQ Pulled-Jackfruit Sandwich
Slow-cooked jackfruit in smoky bourbon-tinted BBQ sauce piled on a toasted brioche bun with apple-cabbage slaw and dill pickles — Memphis on a plate, no pig required.
Prep
20 min
Cook
45 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Flavor
Smoky · sweet · tangy · crunchy
The Story
Why this dish — and how it became plant-based
American BBQ is built on three things — smoke, sugar and acid — applied with patience to something that pulls apart. The pulling apart is the whole point. Young green jackfruit, with its dense fibrous flesh, was practically engineered to be that something. Steamed and pulled with two forks, it has the exact stringy mouthfeel of slow-cooked pork shoulder.
The smoke comes from smoked paprika and a splash of liquid smoke. The sugar from molasses and a hint of bourbon. The acid from cider vinegar and the slaw. Pile it on a buttered, griddled brioche bun and you've got a sandwich that holds its own at any backyard cookout — and no creature spent its last hours in a feedlot.
Ingredients
What you'll need
BBQ jackfruit
- •2 cans (560g each) young green jackfruit in water/brine, drained
- •2 tbsp olive oil
- •1 small onion, finely diced
- •3 garlic cloves, minced
- •1 tbsp smoked paprika
- •1 tsp ground cumin
- •½ tsp cayenne
- •1 cup BBQ sauce (or see homemade below)
- •½ cup vegetable broth
- •1 tsp liquid smoke (optional but recommended)
- •1 tbsp bourbon (optional)
- •Salt and pepper
Quick homemade BBQ sauce
- •1 cup ketchup
- •3 tbsp molasses or maple syrup
- •2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- •1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- •1 tbsp soy sauce
- •1 tsp smoked paprika · 1 tsp garlic powder · ½ tsp onion powder
Apple slaw
- •3 cups thinly shredded green cabbage
- •1 carrot, grated
- •1 tart apple, julienned
- •3 tbsp vegan mayo
- •1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- •1 tsp Dijon
- •1 tsp maple syrup
- •Salt, pepper
To assemble
- •4 brioche or potato burger buns
- •Vegan butter for toasting
- •Dill pickles
- •Pickled red onions (optional)
Method
Step by step
- 1
Drain the jackfruit, then squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Pull apart with two forks, discarding any hard core pieces and removing seeds if firm.
- 2
If making homemade BBQ sauce, whisk all ingredients in a small pot, simmer 10 minutes, set aside.
- 3
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion, cook 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic, paprika, cumin and cayenne. Cook 1 minute.
- 4
Add the shredded jackfruit and stir to coat. Cook 5 minutes, pressing it into the pan to develop colour.
- 5
Pour in BBQ sauce, broth, liquid smoke and bourbon. Bring to a simmer.
- 6
Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and cook 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the jackfruit further with the back of a wooden spoon. The texture should turn glossy, sticky and pull-apart.
- 7
Meanwhile, toss all slaw ingredients in a bowl and chill.
- 8
Butter the cut sides of the buns and griddle them face-down in a hot pan until golden.
- 9
Pile the bottom bun with jackfruit, top with slaw and pickles, crown with the top bun. Press down. Serve with extra napkins.
The Veganisation
Traditional → Plant-Based, swap by swap
Original
Pulled pork shoulder
Plant-based
Young green jackfruit
Original
Bacon fat / lard
Plant-based
Olive oil + smoked paprika
Original
Mayo from eggs
Plant-based
Vegan mayo (aquafaba-based)
Chef Notes
Get it right the first time
- →Squeezing the jackfruit dry before cooking is the single most important step. Wet jackfruit becomes mushy.
- →Resist the temptation to add liquid smoke too early — it can taste chemical if it cooks too long. Add in the last 10 minutes.
- →The slaw isn't a garnish — it's structural. The acidity and crunch are what cut through the sweetness of the sauce.
- →If you have time, finish under the broiler for 3 minutes after simmering to caramelise the edges.
- →Leftovers are fantastic on baked potatoes, on top of nachos, or stuffed in tacos.
Serve with
Cornbread · Baked beans (use maple instead of bacon) · Sweet potato fries · Cold IPA or sweet tea
One Plate, Two Wins
Delicious tonight. Kind every night.
Every traditional dish has a plant-based soul waiting to be uncovered — you just have to listen to the spices, not the meat.
Hungry for more world flavors?
Explore another dish from our global vegan kitchen.