About the Recipe
BBQ Pulled Jackfruit is one of the most common and beloved jackfruit recipes worldwide—it’s how many people were first introduced to using jackfruit as a meat alternative.
Ingredients
50 g Ofene dried jackfruit, diced
75 ml BBQ sauce
2 cups water (500 ml)
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar (any type)
1 tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tbsp soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free alternative, and coconut aminos or fermented fava bean liquid for soy-free.)
Salt and pepper as needed
To serve, tortillas or burger buns, pickles, salad greens, fresh herbs, creme fraiche
Preparation
1. Rehydrate the jackfruit
This step is essential.
Boil the jackfruit for 20 minutes - if boiling, change its water the halfway.
or
Soak it in warm water for at least 3 hours. After the first hour, change the water and continue soaking in fresh warm water for another 2 hours. This method helps remove any potential bitter aftertaste completely. Once it’s done, rinse very well under running water. Jackfruit is ready to use in the dishes
2. Shred the jackfruit
Once rehydrated, pull the jackfruit apart using two forks to create strips if desired. Alternatively, mash it lightly with a potato masher or the edge of the spatula until it breaks into a pulled or shredded texture.
PS: Ofene diced jackfruit is great in texture and doesn’t require much breaks like canned ones. Just make sure that sauce is evenly distributed between the chunks so make some mashing moves with the edge of spatula
3A. Quick pan method
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok. Once hot, add the minced garlic and shallot and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Add the shredded jackfruit to the wok along with another tbsp olive oil, 2 cups water, soy sauce, vinegar, and sauté for 2-3 minutes, once it absorbed all water content, stir regularly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Once fragrant, add the BBQ sauce and cook for 1-2 minute on medium heat.
This is the fastest method.
Or
3B Oven method
Spread the shredded jackfruit evenly on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes at 166 C with fan. Remove the tray, mix in 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, and stir to coat. Return to the oven for 7–10 more minutes, until golden, slightly caramelized, and with a few crispy edges. If needed, stir in another 1/4 cup BBQ sauce for extra juiciness
4 Serve
Pulled jackfruit is delicious in rolls, wraps, tacos, or burgers. Serve with salad or slaw and mayonnaise or crème fraîche, fresh herbs, sliced avocados, lime, thinly sliced onion, pickled cucumber for the delicious finish.