At a glance
Drain, rinse and squeeze young green jackfruit, cut away the cores and pull the pieces into shreds. Toss them with oil and barbecue rub and smoke them on a tray at 250°F for about 1 1/2 hours. Then stir them into barbecue sauce and give them 20 to 30 minutes more. Serve them in buns with coleslaw.
Young green jackfruit has a mild flavor and a stringy texture that shreds just like pulled pork. On its own it tastes of very little, which makes it a blank canvas for smoke, spice and barbecue sauce. Smoked jackfruit is one of the most convincing vegan barbecue dishes you can make, and it is ready in about two hours.
Choosing jackfruit
Buy young or green jackfruit canned in water or brine. You will find it in Asian grocery stores and in the international aisle of many supermarkets. Avoid ripe jackfruit in syrup, which is sweet and soft and will not shred. Some stores also sell ready shredded jackfruit in pouches, which works too.
Getting the texture right
The key steps are rinsing off the brine, squeezing out the water and spreading the jackfruit in a thin layer in the smoker. As it dries, the edges crisp and the texture becomes chewier and more meat like. Stir it once halfway so it smokes evenly. If you like this, try our smoked tofu burnt ends.
Recipe
Smoked Jackfruit
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 2 hr
- Total
- 2 hr 20 min
- Makes
- 4 sandwiches
- Smoker 250°F (121°C)
- About 1 1/2 hours unsauced
- Then 20 to 30 minutes in sauce
Ingredients
Jackfruit
- 2 cans (20 oz / 565 g each) young green jackfruit in water or brine, not syrup
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp barbecue rub (check it is vegan)
Sauce
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) barbecue sauce
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable broth
To serve
- 4 buns
- Coleslaw and pickles
Equipment
- Smoker
- Perforated grill tray or grill mat
- Foil pan
- Two forks
Method
- Drain and rinse the jackfruit well, then squeeze out as much liquid as you can with a clean towel.
- Cut away the hard core from each piece, then pull the pieces apart with your fingers or two forks into shreds. Discard any hard seeds.
- Toss with the olive oil and barbecue rub.
- Heat the smoker to 250°F (121°C) with hickory, cherry or apple.
- Spread the jackfruit on a perforated tray or grill mat and smoke for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring once, until it is darker and the edges are slightly crisp.
- Mix the sauce ingredients in a foil pan, add the jackfruit and stir to coat.
- Return to the smoker for 20 to 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and clings to the jackfruit.
- Pile onto buns with coleslaw and pickles.
Notes
- Ripe jackfruit packed in syrup is sweet and soft. It will not work for this recipe.
- Leftovers keep for 4 to 5 days in the fridge.
Serving ideas
- In sandwiches with coleslaw and pickles.
- In tacos with pickled onions and smoked hot sauce.
- Over loaded nachos or baked potatoes.
Frequently asked questions
Does smoked jackfruit taste like pork?
Not exactly, but with smoke, rub and sauce, the flavor and texture are very close to pulled pork.
How long do you smoke jackfruit?
About 1 1/2 hours at 250°F before saucing, then 20 to 30 minutes in the sauce.
Can I use fresh jackfruit?
Only if it is young and unripe. Fresh ripe jackfruit is sweet and best eaten as fruit.