Pulled Jackfruit 'Pork' Sandwich

Pulled Jackfruit 'Pork' Sandwich

This is one of those recipes we keep coming back to again and again, especially when we want something that properly satisfies. Pulled jackfruit is honestly one of the best things to happen to plant-based cooking. Once you roast it with that smoky spice rub, it gets these incredible crispy edges and a texture that genuinely pulls apart just like slow-cooked pork. Load it into a soft bun with slaw and sauce and you've got something that'll impress absolutely everyone at the table, plant-based or not. Trust us, make this tonight and you will not be disappointed.

Cook: 35 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • 2x baking sheets lined with parchment paper
  • 2x mixing bowls
  • 2x forks
  • Box grater or mandoline
  • Colander

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 5 tsp BBQ Spice rub
  • 4 tbsp BBQ sauce
  • 2 x 400g can(s) of jackfruit
  • 2 tsp BBQ sauce
  • 200g red cabbage
  • 1 carrot
  • 3 spring onions
  • 50g plant-based mayonnaise
  • 1 lime
  • Tabasco
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • lettuce - optional
  • 4 bread rolls good quality

Method

1

Prepare the jackfruit

  • Open, drain, rinse and pat dry the jackfruit. Put the olive oil and spice rub in a mixing bowl and stir to combine
  • Loosely pull the jackfruit pieces apart with two forks so the fibres of the fruit separate
2

Coat the jackfruit and cook

  • Put the jackfruit in the mixing bowl and stir to combine and coat
  • Spread the jackfruit out on the baking sheets then put the sheets in the oven and roast for 30 minutes
3

Add the BBQ sauce

  • Take the tray out of the oven, carefully mix the BBQ sauce into the roast jackfruit pieces (you can do this on the tray with a wooden spoon), put the tray back in the oven and roast for a further 5 minutes
4

Prepare the rest of the ingredients

  • While the jackfruit is roasting, make the slaw
  • Shred the cabbage
  • Trim, peel and ribbon the carrot
  • Trim and ribbon the spring onions
  • Put the mayo, BBQ sauce, lime juice and a few drops of Tabasco in a bowl and mix to combine
  • Add the cabbage, carrot, spring onions to the bowl and toss to combine and coat (this recipe makes double the slaw you need but it's darn good and will keep for 2 days in the fridge)
5

Time to build your sandwiches

  • To make one sandwich, add a good portion of the jackfruit to a sandwich roll. Add a dollop of slaw and some lettuce and tuck in

Tips & Variations

  • Get it really dry: We cannot stress this enough. After you drain and rinse the jackfruit, give it a really good pat down with kitchen paper. The drier it is, the better it crisps up in the oven.
  • Pile on the toppings: We love this with a simple apple and red cabbage slaw, some pickled jalapeños, and a big spoonful of vegan mayo. The crunch and creaminess next to the smoky jackfruit is a game changer.
  • Make a bigger batch: Henry always doubles the jackfruit and keeps the leftovers in the fridge. It reheats brilliantly in a pan and is ace stuffed into tacos or on top of a jacket potato the next day.

Why This Works

The trick is patting the jackfruit really dry before it goes in the oven. Any extra moisture is the enemy of those crispy, caramelised bits that make this so good. The spice rub does a lot of the heavy lifting too. Getting it well coated and then roasting it hot means you get proper flavour all the way through, not just on the surface.