Easy BBQ Jackfruit

Do you love BBQ? It’s a favorite for my family. But since I’m the lone vegan, I make my own. I even make my own coleslaw, and then we have shared sides. Jackfruit itself is an intimidating item, but buying it canned really simplifies this dish. It took me a couple of tries to get this right, but adding the sliced onions really boosts the flavor. Simmering the jackfruit long enough to break it down makes a big difference in the texture, giving it a stringy, chewy, yet tender bite similar to, well, slow cooked BBQ!

Ingredients:

• 1 T olive oil 
• 1 onion, peeled, cut in half, then thinly sliced
• 1 can Trader Joe’s jackfruit in brine, drained
• Your favorite vegan BBQ sauce (I like Stubbs spicy)
• Salt to taste

Directions:

• In a medium saucepan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. 
• Add in the sliced onion, salt to taste, and saute until they start to brown. 
• Add drained jackfruit, stirring to combine with onions.
• Pour ½-¾ cup of BBQ sauce over the mixture, stirring to combine.
• Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
• Uncover, stirring to break up pieces of jackfruit. 
• Serve on a bun with vegan coleslaw! (recipe follows)

Vegan Coleslaw:

I don’t really follow a recipe for this, but generally I divide a pack of pre-cut coleslaw cabbage into 2 portions, ⅔ for regular slaw for my family, and ⅓ to make vegan slaw for me. To the cabbage I’ve reserved for my vegan slaw, I mix in 1T spicy mustard (dijon or brown work equally well), 2T apple cider vinegar, a healthy dash of seasoned salt, and enough vegan mayo to make it the desired consistency, usually about ⅓ cup, give or take. 

Leftovers are easy to store in the fridge for up to a week and reheat later!

Have you ever tried making BBQ jackfruit? If you try my recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Post pics and tag me @annecreates on Instagram! As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.