I first came across jackfruit a few years ago when my sister mentioned this new fruit that, if cooked correctly, can mimic the texture of pulled pork. At the time, the vegetarian and vegan ‘fake meat’ offerings were largely of a similar calibre: highly processed, brown and soy based. So, the idea that we could take a fruit and turn it into ‘meat’ was exciting. It varies among non-meat eaters but for me, I didn’t stop eating meat because I didn’t like the taste, I did it because of the animal cruelty. So I jumped at the chance to turn a healthy fruit into a ‘meat’ substitute!
What can I expect?
Jackfruit seems to have peaks and troughs in its popularity with the public. However, it always seems to be going strong in vegan/vegetarian restaurants. As a result, I wanted to create a recipe that was delicious enough to be served in a restaurant while being simple enough to be made at home with ingredients that most people have to hand. Fortunately, jackfruit is quite widely available at supermarkets and specialty stores alike. So, if you can buy a tin or two, then I highly recommend giving this recipe a shot! And if you can’t find it anywhere, this BBQ sauce will still work really well with any other meat alternatives that you like – tofu, seitan, tempeh etc.
It’s all about the sauce!
Jackfruit is a bit like tofu, tempeh and seitan in its ability to absorb the flavours of a marinade. In this instance, we’re making a sweet, smoky & zesty BBQ sauce that will glaze the jackfruit pieces perfectly! When you break up the jackfruit, you’ll see how the strands resemble pulled pork. This is exactly the texture we’re going for here. We’ll be using the tinned variety sold in brine, but you can also find it in syrup. I recommend washing off the syrup just to avoid too much additional sweetness. Unfortunately, fresh jackfruit does not work in this recipe, so do try and seek out the tinned variety, if possible. (Fresh jackfruit can be peeled and eaten like any other tropical fruit!)
Serving the benefits of Jackfruit
I tend to serve BBQ jackfruit in a tortilla. I’ve included a bonus method for turning a shop-bought tortilla into a softer, pillowy laffa-style wrap! Of course, you can always serve this in a burger bun, bao bun, on top of a salad or as a side – the possibilities are endless! Even better, jackfruit is low in calories, fat and sodium-free and contains lots of vitamin A, C & Potassium! It’s also rich in fibre, helping you to feel fuller for longer!
You can find this recipe, and all my other quarantine cooking here on our blog, or you can watch a step-by-step video guide over on our Instagram.
BBQ Jackfruit Tortillas
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- Knife
- Saucepan
- Tongs
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 Clove Garlic
- ¼ tsp Paprika
- ½ tsp Ground Cumin or Curry Powder
- Pinch Cayenne Pepper
- 100 ml Tomato Ketchup
- Juice ½ Lime
- 3 tbsp Brown Sugar
- Salt & Pepper
For the Jackfruit
- 1 Tin of Jackfruit
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard (optional)
Tortillas
- Tortillas
- Water
Instructions
- To begin, you want to drain the jackfruit. Now, tear up the jackfruit with your *clean* hands and place in a bowl. It should resemble shredded “pulled pork”. For any tougher segments, like the core, use a knife to chop into little pieces.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium sized saucepan. Add the jackfruit and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring regularly.
- When the jackfruit has turned slightly grey – this can be quite hard to spot but should happen within the 3-5 minute cooking time – add the mustard and stir thoroughly.
- Take the saucepan off the heat and remove the jackfruit, placing it back in the bowl you used earlier.
- Using the same saucepan, add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and heat on low. Add all the spices, sugar and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly. You’ll see the oils start to release from the spices as the ingredients come together into a fragrant paste.
- Now add the ketchup, stirring well to create a sticky BBQ sauce.
- Lastly, squeeze over the lime juice and stir before tipping in our pre-cooked jackfruit.
- Stir well to fully coat the jackfruit, remove from the heat and set aside.
To Serve
- Heat a large, dry saucepan over a low heat.
- Under a running tap, rinse the shop-bought tortilla in the water for about 10 seconds, fulling coating the wrap in water. You don’t want the tortilla to turn soggy, just lightly soaked.
- Carefully place the damp tortilla into the hot saucepan. Toast each side for 20-30 seconds. You’ll see some smoke from the pan as the water evaporates. Using tongs, carefully lift and flip over the tortilla to cook the other side. The wrap should now have little toasted spots all over and is ready for filling! (Repeat this process for however many tortillas you wish to serve.)
- Place the BBQ jackfruit inside the warm, soft tortilla. Serve and enjoy with any other fillings that you like!