Vegan BBQ Jackfruit Sliders
Meatless BBQ jackfruit 'pulled pork' sliders make the perfect sandwich or taco filling. With a chewy texture that shreds perfectly, there’s no need for meat with jackfruit.
What is jackfruit?
A large tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia, jackfruits are massive fruits—the largest tree-born fruits in the world—that can weigh up to 100 pounds.
Consumed in Asian and Indian cuisine for millennia—both the ripe and unripe jackfruits—it’s the unripe jackfruit that you’ll find seasoned and marketed as a meat substitute.
The giant fruits are related to breadfruit and mulberries, and have yellowish green skin. Since they can grow so large, the shape of the fruit can vary widely, but they’re generally oblong, lumpy-looking fruits that slightly resemble the durian, another popular South-Asian fruit delicacy. And like durian, jackfruits have little seed pods inside the skin that are eaten.
Jackfruit Nutrition Facts
Because jackfruit can be consumed at different times of maturity, the nutrition profile of the fruit may change with the stages of ripeness. But generally speaking, a 100-gram serving size contains 95 calories and about 25 percent of the Daily Value for vitamin B6. In its raw state it contains a notable amount of vitamin C (10-19 percent), and it’s also a good source of potassium, B1, B2, folate, vitamin E, magnesium, manganese, iron, calcium, and dietary fiber.
Does jackfruit taste like meat?
For jackfruit pulled pork, you’ll want jackfruit in brine or water. Jackfruit in syrup should only be used if being eaten as dessert as it will not work for jackfruit pulled pork. Some vegan chefs swear by jackfruit in water but jackfruit in brine will produce similar results, the brine being a bit more flavorful.
The difference between fresh jackfruit and canned jackfruit is the canned jackfruit is an unripe “young jackfruit.” Young jackfruit has a meaty texture while fresh ripe jackfruit is more tender and sweet. If you plan to use fresh jackfruit, be sure to buy an unripe one. You can tell it is not yet ripe by checking that it isn’t fragrant and is still firm.
Get the full recipe for vegan BBQ jackfruit pulled “pork” sliders here.
