Smoky Barbecue Jackfruit Sandwiches
Young green jackfruit has a mild flavour and a stringy texture that pulls apart into tender shreds, which makes it ideal for soaking up a sticky, smoky barbecue sauce. Piled into soft rolls with a crunchy, tangy slaw, it makes a generous lunch or a relaxed dinner.
By Vegan Cook. Published 1 November 2026
Ingredients
Serves 4.
- 2 tins (400 g each)young green jackfruit in water or brine, not in syrup
- 1 tbspneutral oil
- 1red onion, thinly sliced
- 2garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tspsmoked paprika
- 1/2 tspground cumin
- 150 mltomato ketchup
- 2 tbspsoft dark brown sugar or maple syrup
- 2 tbspcider vinegar
- 1 tbspsoy sauce
- 1 tspmustard, such as Dijon
- 150 mlvegetable stock or water
- 1/4red cabbage, finely shredded, for the slaw
- 1carrot, coarsely grated, for the slaw
- 3 tbspvegan mayonnaise, for the slaw
- 1 tbsplemon juice, for the slaw
- 4soft bread rolls or burger buns
Cookware
- Large frying pan with a lid
- Sieve
- Two forks
- Mixing bowl
Method
Read each step end-to-end before starting.
- 01
Prepare the jackfruit
Drain the jackfruit in a sieve and rinse it well under cold water to wash away the brine, which would otherwise make the dish taste sour and salty. Pat the pieces dry, then cut away the hard central core of each wedge, because it stays firm and will not shred. Pull the softer flesh apart roughly with your fingers.
- 02
Cook the onion and spices
Heat the oil in the frying pan over medium heat. Add the red onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until soft, then add the garlic, smoked paprika and cumin and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 03
Simmer in the sauce
Add the jackfruit, ketchup, sugar, cider vinegar, soy sauce, mustard and stock, and stir until everything is coated. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook gently for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, so that the jackfruit softens and absorbs the sauce.
- 04
Shred and reduce
Uncover the pan and use two forks to pull the softened jackfruit apart into fine, tender shreds. Turn up the heat and cook for 5 to 8 minutes more, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened and clings to the jackfruit and a few edges have caught and caramelised. These darker edges carry much of the smoky flavour.
- 05
Make the slaw
While the jackfruit cooks, toss the cabbage and carrot in a mixing bowl with the vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. The cool, sharp crunch of the slaw balances the rich, sweet sauce.
- 06
Assemble
Split the rolls and toast them lightly. Pile in the warm jackfruit, top with a spoonful of slaw and serve straight away.
Allergen profile
Every recipe here is fully plant-based. Cross-contamination risk depends on your kitchen, so check all packaging.
Swap note
The bread rolls contain gluten, and the soy sauce contains both soy and gluten. Use gluten-free rolls with tamari to remove the gluten, or coconut aminos in place of soy sauce to remove the soy. Some soft rolls contain dairy and some vegan mayonnaise contains soy, so check the labels if you are cooking for someone with an allergy.