Pulled pork is a favorite among many, especially Southerners, so it’s no surprise that when I went to my once-favorite vegan restaurant, they offered a plant-based version of barbecue pulled pork topped with slaw. Unfortunately, since switching to their new “inclusive” menu, they no longer offer soy-free vegan options, which were already super limited before the change. Ironic, right? No worries, though; I recreated the recipe at home with jackfruit.

If you’re plant-based or vegan, you’ve probably used jackfruit as a meat substitute. When cooked and prepared correctly, jackfruit has a meat-like texture and can taste like whatever you season it with.

Note: If you’ve never had jackfruit before and have a latex allergy, jackfruit may not be suitable for you. Jackfruit is a potential trigger for those with latex-fruit syndrome and may cause cross-reactivity due to similar proteins in natural rubber latex and in certain foods, such as jackfruit. If you have a known latex allergy, it is important to be professionally evaluated for possible food allergies to fresh fruits, such as jackfruit.

Now that we have that out of the way, let me introduce my barbecue jackfruit tacos topped with slaw. This recipe can be made free from coconut, dairy, gluten, grains, nuts, and soy, and with a few minor tweaks, it can even be whole-food plant-based (see recipe notes for details).

INGREDIENTS

• 20 oz. can young jackfruit in brine (rinsed and drained; I use Native Forest’s Organic Young Jackfruit)
• 2 tbsp. oil of choice (I use cold-pressed avocado oil)
• 1 tbsp. liquid smoke (I use Wright’s Hickory Liquid Smoke)
• 1 tsp. smoked maple rub (I use Watkin’s Organic Grilling Smoked Maple Rub)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 pack of taco shells or tortillas (I use local organic corn tortillas)
• Coleslaw (I make my homemade restaurant-style sweet coleslaw)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the jackfruit by taking one piece at a time, squeezing it onto a paper towel to release the remaining water, then using a fork to shred the fruit while removing any seeds or hard pieces.
2. Add oil to a frying pan over medium-high heat. As the oil gets to temperature, season the shredded jackfruit with liquid smoke, smoked maple rub, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and chili powder to the jackfruit. Mix to combine.
3. When the oil is ready, fry the jackfruit for about ten minutes or until it’s mostly dehydrated and reaches a slightly browned color (this is important for texture purposes).
4. After the jackfruit has reached the desired color, reduce the heat to low-medium, add the barbecue sauce, cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes. Be sure to remove the lid and occasionally stir to avoid any sticking.
5. If you’re making homemade coleslaw, you can do so while the jackfruit is simmering. 
6. Then, when the jackfruit is done cooking, warm the taco shells or tortillas according to package instructions before loading them with barbecue jackfruit and topping them with coleslaw.

NOTES

• To make whole-food plant-based, you can make your own barbecue sauce (recipe coming soon) and tortillas.
• If you wish to omit the oil, you should still be able to cook it in a pan by swapping the oil 1:1 with vegetable broth. (I haven’t tried this method, so if you do, let us know how it goes.)

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Barbecue Jackfruit Tacos Topped with Slaw

My plant-based and vegan-friendly take on pulled pork topped with slaw featuring savory barbecue jackfruit topped with sweet coleslaw to create an explosion of flavor. This recipe can be made free from coconut, dairy, gluten, grains, nuts, and soy, and with a few minor tweaks, it can even be whole-food plant-based. It takes 10 minutes to prepare, 40 minutes to cook, and makes about 6 servings.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Servings 6

Recipe by: Sarena-Rae Santos (The Holistic Hipppie)

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• 20 oz. can young jackfruit in brine (rinsed and drained; I use Native Forest's Organic Young Jackfruit)
• 2 tbsp. oil of choice (I use cold-pressed avocado oil)
• 1 tbsp. liquid smoke (I use Wright's Hickory Liquid Smoke)
• 1 tsp. smoked maple rub (I use Watkin's Organic Grilling Smoked Maple Rub)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 pack of taco shells or tortillas (I use local organic corn tortillas)
• Coleslaw (I make my homemade restaurant-style sweet coleslaw)

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Prepare the jackfruit by taking one piece at a time, squeezing it onto a paper towel to release the remaining water, then using a fork to shred the fruit while removing any seeds or hard pieces.
• Add oil to a frying pan over medium-high heat. As the oil gets to temperature, season the shredded jackfruit with liquid smoke, smoked maple rub, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and chili powder to the jackfruit. Mix to combine.
• When the oil is ready, fry the jackfruit for about ten minutes or until it’s mostly dehydrated and reaches a slightly browned color (this is important for texture purposes).
• After the jackfruit has reached the desired color, reduce the heat to low-medium, add the barbecue sauce, cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes. Be sure to remove the lid and occasionally stir to avoid any sticking.
• If you’re making homemade coleslaw, you can do so while the jackfruit is simmering.
• Then, when the jackfruit is done cooking, warm the taco shells or tortillas according to package instructions before loading them with barbecue jackfruit and topping them with coleslaw.

Notes

• To make whole-food plant-based, you can make your own barbecue sauce (recipe coming soon) and tortillas.
• If you wish to omit the oil, you should still be able to cook it in a pan by swapping the oil 1:1 with vegetable broth. (I haven’t tried this method, so if you do, let us know how it goes.)

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