Have you experienced the awesomeness of Jackfruit? I used it for the first time last year to make vegan tacos. I was so pleasantly surprised and have been pretty obsessed with it since. Jackfruit is found in the rainforests. It is popular in India, south east Asia, the Philippines, and Brazil. The texture is similar to pulled pork, which is why it’s become so popular in vegan dishes. It takes on flavor really well, too! The taste of raw jackfruit is mild; It reminded me of artichoke heart.

I’ve been really into big, mixed flavors lately. So, when I was thinking of the perfect vegetarian sandwich, I wanted to infuse layered flavor. This is what I came up with and I hope you love it as much as I do!

BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions, Pickled Jalapeños, & Raw Slaw

Ingredients
1 can of Jackfruit (You can get this at Trader Joes. Rince the brine off)
1 bottle of BBQ sauce
1 large sweet yellow onion
10 jalapeños
1/4 head Red Cabbage
1 medium carrot
1 jicama root
Vegetable broth (optional)
1 clove of garlic
Lemon
Olive Oil
Vinegar
Sugar
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne

How to Prepare the Jackfruit

On medium heat, boil jackfruit in one cup of water or vegetable stock for 20 minutes– allowing it to absorb all liquid and adding more if needed. Jackfruit will be tender and tear easily when cooked. If over cooked, it will become tough.

In the original pot, after it has boiled, shred with a fork and coat with BBQ sauce. Place on cookie sheet and cook in oven on 400 degrees for another 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and add more BBQ sauce. I like mine really saucy, but you may not. So add your desired amount.

How to Caramelize Onions

Add your sliced onions to a dry pan (or deglaze with EVOO) and sprinkle with salt. With a spatula, stir to make sure onions are coated. The key to caramelizing an onion is doing it slowly. Keep the heat low, stirring every so often so that they don’t burn. (If you stir too often, they won’t brown) Cooking them slowly allows the natural sugars to come out of the onion and give them that deep brown coloring. Caramelization may take up to 30 minutes. If you notice the onions burning, add a little water.

How to Pickle Jalapeños

The picking process is actually quite easy. Combine 3/4 cup water, 2 TBSP sugar, 1 TBSP salt, 1 clove of minced garlic, 1/2 cup white vinegar, and 10 jalapeno rings in a pot. Bring to a boil. Once jalapeños turn bright green, they are done. Let cool for 10 minutes and then transfer jalapeños and the pickling liquid into a mason jar. Store in refrigerator. 

Ingredients for Raw Coleslaw

For this slaw I’m using red cabbage, carrots, and jicama. Lightly toss in fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. This adds a great crunch to an overall soft sandwich.

Assembly

Using your favorite type of bread or roll, put two tongs worth of the bbq jackfruit on one half. Top with caramelized onions, pickled jalapeños, and raw slaw. Top with the other half of bread or roll. Don’t want to indulge in carbs? Serve everything over a bed of lettuce for a low-carb lunch or dinner!

It may not seem like a meal prep friendly recipe, but because you can store all of the cooked ingredients separately, you can make sandwiches or salads for the week pretty easily!