Pulled Jackfruit and Mushroom Sandwich

A super tasty plant-based twist on the classic pulled barbecue sandwich – perfect for family get togethers and backyard BBQ’s.

We love a good barbecue. It’s probably evident with all of the recipes I have posted about plant-based carrot dogs, potato salad, carrot salad, backyard baked beans, sloppy joes, my favorite veggie burgers, andouille sausage, and chili dogs. Or maybe it’s because it’s summer; but what’s not to love? These foods are all fun to eat and delicious! Bonus! They can all be made ahead of time which makes them perfect for gatherings. Less stress, more fun.

And to be honest, now that all of our recipes are plant-based, we enjoy eating all of our favorite backyard BBQ foods even more. This is because we know that we are fueling our bodies with healthy nutrient-dense foods. There’s no guilt, no sugar overloads, and no heart burn. Just loads of flavor and fun!

This Pulled Jackfruit and Mushroom BBQ sandwich contains only the most delicious vegetables: onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, jalapeño, garlic, and jackfruit.

I’m sure you’ve had all of these many times before, except perhaps the jackfruit. Have you ever had jackfruit? If so, what do you like to make with it?

If you haven’t had jackfruit before, it’s an unusual and exotic fruit native to South India and Malaysia, though it’s cultivated around the world today. And it has completely different tastes and purposes, depending on whether it’s ripe or green. For starters, ripe jackfruit is yellow, sweet, and fruity; while green jackfruit is not sweet at all. So while ripe jackfruit is delicious in a smoothie or fruit bowl, green jackfruit is perfect in savory dishes – like this Pulled Jackfruit and Mushroom BBQ.

You see, green jackfruit is considered young or unripe. When cooked, you can shred it apart so that it mimics some of my old favorite foods. While I’m not exactly an advocate of vegan meat replacements, I do enjoy eating healthy plant-based foods that mimic what I have always enjoyed eating, regardless of what it’s made of. I like the flavor, texture, and essence of the dish – not necessarily what is is comprised of.

It’s the same principle of eating plant-based carrot dogs. I like hot dogs; so when I want a hot dog, carrots come to the rescue and make a delicious plant-based alternative for me to enjoy. Ergo, if we want something resembling pulled pork without jeopardizing our lifestyle and food choices, I make this Pulled Jackfruit and Mushroom BBQ Sandwich instead. It tastes delicious and allows us to enjoy an old favorite.

While you can absolutely use a fresh green jackfruit, it is not always easy to come by. One of my good friends gave me half of a ripe jackfruit once because she knows how much I love them. (Thank you, Tina!!) It was such a sweet gesture. I immediately dug into it and placed the sweet yellow pods into large freezer bags so that I could use them in smoothies. That jackfruit was fantastic!

But because the jackfruit was so ripe, it was too sweet to make any savory dishes like this one. That’s the only downside to jackfruit – it’s perfect for one use or the other. You can not use one jackfruit for all of your sweet and savory recipes. You either buy a ripe jackfruit for sweet goods or a green jackfruit for savory goods – it solely depends on what you’re trying to make.

So, most of the time, when I want green jackfruit, I buy a can. But even that isn’t always available – I haven’t been able to find a grocery store that carries jackfruit where I currently live – fresh or canned. I guess there isn’t a demand for one here. So when I visited my daughter recently, I went to Trader Joes specifically to grab a can of jackfruit – I was craving a Pulled Jackfruit and Mushroom BBQ Sandwich. It’s such a healthy and simple, yet completely satisfying recipe.

To make pulled jackfruit, start by opening the can. Then drain the liquid or brine, and rinse the jackfruit pieces well in water. Then, shred each piece between your fingers by applying a little pressure until it gives way and shreds apart. The more woody or solid parts that don’t shred between your fingers can easily be cut into thin strips with a sharp knife, as indicated in the photo above.

You can now use the shredded jackfruit in a myriad of recipes that call for shredded anything. This can go into wraps, salads, chili, tacos, pasta dishes, soups, stews, and so on. And it should go without saying, pulled jackfruit makes the most incredible Pulled Jackfruit and Mushroom BBQ sandwich. I mean, just look at the gorgeous mouth-watering deliciousness….

I have served these on rolls, hamburger buns, english muffins, in pita bread, and over rice. It doesn’t require any type of bread at all, but that’s how we prefer it. I like that english muffins are so much more substantial than a commercial hamburger bun. Though both are fantastic.

Let’s dig in!

Vegetable Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 1 green bell pepper 
• 1 jalapeno
• 8 ounces mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 20 ounce can of green jackfruit

Sauce Ingredients

• 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• ¼ cup vinegar*
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp molasses
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce**
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• Dash red pepper flakes
• Salt to taste (optional)

Pulled Jackfruit and Mushroom BBQ Sandwich

• English muffins, Hamburger buns, or large sandwich rolls

Instructions

1. Chop the onion and bell pepper, minced the jalapeno, and slice or chop the mushrooms.
2. Drain, rinse, drain, and shred the jackfruit.  You want the jackfruit to resemble strands.  For the pieces that don’t shred easily, cut them into thin strips.
3. Over medium heat, sauté your vegetables until cooked.  Add vegetable broth or water as needed to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan.
4. Add the shredded jackfruit and stir to combine.
5. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and cook until the sauce has thickened quite a bit, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.
6. Scoop some of the Pulled Jackfruit and Mushroom BBQ filling onto a toasted English muffin or hamburger bun.

Notes

* Feel free to use any vinegar – I used pomegranate vinegar because I like the flavor; but it isn’t always available.  Apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, white, or red wine vinegar all work great in this recipe.

** Lord Sandy’s Worcestershire sauce is vegetarian and is available at most grocers.

This Pulled Jackfruit and Mushroom BBQ sandwich is also awesome with a layer of Cole slaw inside.

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