With summer right around the corner, it’s time for something that’s a little more bar-b-quey. And not just any ol’ bar-b-que thing but something a bit tropical. Something like Hawaiian BBQ pulled jackfruit sliders.
I’ve made jackfruit plenty of times before, from BBQ pulled jackfruit sandwiches to taquitos and tacos and even a Chinese 5-spice version served with snowy white steam buns. But then I made the Sweet and Savory Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos from the cookbook Vegan Eats World by Terry Hope Romero, I really liked the method used there, not to mention the very tasty results.
So I’ve adapted that recipe for these sliders. What I liked is the fairly easy prep, although you do have to plan ahead for the overnight marinate. And it’s a relatively short cooking time (for jackfruit) plus you can eat it as soon as it’s done cooking, all the more time to spend outside basking in the sunshine.
Below is the adapted recipe, to see the original jackfruit carnitas taco recipe click here.
Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Sliders
Makes about 8 sliders
Jackfruit preparation adapted from Vegan Eats World
1 20-oz can young, green jackfruit in brine
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup pineapple juice mixed with 1/2 cup water
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Drain and wash the jackfruit in several changes of water. After washing, squeeze out as much water as you possibly can and shred the jackfruit by hand. Place in a medium sized mixing bowl and add the brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste and mix well, rubbing the spices into the jackfruit.
Whisk together the pineapple juice water, garlic, ketchup, soy sauce, lime juice and liquid smoke. Pour over the jackfruit, mix well, cover and let it marinate in the fridge overnight.
The next day, dump the jackfruit into a pot and bring to a rapid simmer for a couple of minutes and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, partially covered and giving it a stir occasionally. There shouldn’t be any liquid left but it also shouldn’t appear to be dried out. The jackfruit should be moist and just right for putting on a bun.
While the jackfruit is cooking, make the mango salsa. You can also substitute a half cup or more of pineapple instead of the mango or use both mango and pineapple.
Mango Salsa
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon red onion, very small dice
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
A few sprigs of cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl, combine the ingredients, season to taste and gently mix together. Chill until ready to serve.
To serve, the jackfruit can be eaten as is or fried up in a skillet with a little oil (lazy me usually opts for as is). You can also toss the jackfruit in bbq sauce if so desired. Serve on buns with the mango salsa.
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I guess it’s barbeque season all of a sudden! I love the look of that jackfruit. I definitely haven’t played with the stuff enough, and I always find it so striking how it looks like a dead ringer for meat (no pun intended). I guess your recipe would be a prime place to start the experimentation. :)
I just started experimenting with jackfruit more myself, especially since it’s pretty cheap at the Asian supermarket. Now, I keep a can or two in the pantry. :-)
Ah, I’m jealous again of your amazing resources. I’m preparing to head back to Nowhere, CT in a few short days, and the number of Asian markets in the area could be counted on less than one hand. I may just need to take a road trip and load up the car with goodies so that I can have that same wealth in my pantry, too.
I had jackfruit poboy sliders once and they were amazing! I am kinda scared to try cooking it myself but I really need to :)
Good lord, these look so good. While I was reading this my husband looked over, and was like “LET’S MAKE THOSE.” I haven’t made anything with jackfruit in ages.
Growing up, one of my favorite foods used to be jackfruit curry. Oh yum! How I miss that. I haven’t had jackfruit in a long long time. I’ve got to find some and I wished I could find them more easily rather than having to make the trip to the Asian store. I guess I’ll have to make that trip after all. That mango salsa sounds perfect!
I love a good mango salsa on anything, but especially on burgers of any description. I’m a recent convert to the whole jackfruit carnita thing – it’s really hard to get jackfruit where I live (I’ve never seen any in any of the supermarkets near me!) so if I fancy some, it means going out to get some at a vegan Mexican place. Not that that’s a bad thing, of course!
Yum! I’m adding these to my list of things to make!