If you’ve dipped your toes into plant-based eating, you’re probably familiar with meat substitutes such as lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh, and seitan. They each tend to shine in different recipes — beans and lentils lend themselves well to veggie burgers, for instance, and tofu shines in stir-fries. But when you’re trying to replicate the texture of pulled pork or another shredded meat, jackfruit reigns supreme.
What Is Jackfruit?
Jackfruit is a tropical tree fruit usually grown in Asia, Africa, or South America, per the Cleveland Clinic.
As an ingredient, jackfruit can be used in both sweet and savory dishes, but people typically use it as a meat substitute. Jackfruit tends to take on the flavors of the spices and sauces you cook it with. “Its texture, similar to that of shredded meat, makes it a good meat substitute for the vegetarian and vegan population,” says Kristin Gillespie, RDN, a Virginia Beach–based nutrition support dietitian for Option Care Health and an advisor for Exercise With Style.
You can find different versions of jackfruit at the grocery store. “The ‘meat’ of the fruit is available in fresh, canned, or dried versions,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, the New York City–based author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You From Label to Table.
Some Notes on Cooking With Jackfruit
Replacing meat with plants offers several health benefits. When compared to conventional diets, plant-based diets have a positive effect on weight, metabolism, and inflammation, according to a September 2019 systematic review published in the journal Translational Psychiatry. People who follow a healthy plant-based diet tend to eat higher amounts of nutrient-rich foods, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes, according to an August 2019 research article published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. These foods are rich in potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate, and they’re lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than the foods typically found in a meat eater’s diet. Per the 2019 research article, plant-based diets have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular disease mortality, and mortality in general. They may also lower body mass index, blood pressure, HbA1C levels, and cholesterol levels, according to other past research.
Just keep in mind that jackfruit doesn’t have as much protein as meat. “Three and a half ounces of jackfruit supplies 1.7 grams (g) of protein, whereas animal protein like fish or poultry gives about 21 g for a similar portion size,” Taub-Dix says. “Unlike animal protein, however, jackfruit has no cholesterol or saturated fat.”
RELATED: What Are the Best Plant-Based Sources of Protein?
Jackfruit is also mainly carbohydrate-based, so keep that in mind if you’re trying to lose weight. “Since jackfruit contains nearly 40 g of carbs per cup, you’ll want to watch your portion size and the foods you pair with the fruit,” says Kelsey Lorencz, RDN, with Graciously Nourished in Saginaw, Michigan.
You might be intimidated by the look of this giant, prickly fruit, but it’s a worthy addition to your plant-based diet. These 10 recipes will make you want to give jackfruit a try.
Jackfruit Tacos
Lorencz suggests heating and seasoning jackfruit as you would chicken, then adding it to tacos. Jackfruit has a fairly neutral taste, but it takes on flavors easily, so it will taste like the tacos you’re used to when you add some go-to taco seasonings, such as onion, garlic, and spices.
This recipe from Simple Vegan Blog calls for you to cook sliced jackfruit in a skillet and smash it until you achieve a shredded texture. Then, load it into a tortilla and top with corn, avocado, red onion, cilantro, and lemon or lime.
One serving of the recipe has 211 calories, 8.2 g fat, 36.1 g carbs, and 4.1 g protein.
RELATED: Creative and Nutritious Taco Recipes
BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches With Avocado Slaw
These tasty sandwiches from Minimalist Baker look more complicated than they are — the recipe takes 30 minutes from start to finish, and it only features 10 ingredients (most of which you likely already have in your kitchen).
The jackfruit mimics the flavor of pulled pork, thanks to barbecue sauce and seasoning, and the avocado slaw topping adds extra flavor and crunch.
The fat count is mainly made up of HDL (“good”) fats — polyunsaturated and monounsaturated — courtesy of the avocado. Per the American Heart Association (AHA), polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats both help lower your risk of heart disease and stroke, as opposed to saturated fat and trans fat, which negatively impact health.
One sandwich (before the bun) has 193 calories, 8.7 g fat, 27.8 g carbs, 4.6 g protein, and 7.5 g fiber.
However, keep in mind that, as written, one sandwich also contains 1,371 milligrams (mg) of sodium. That’s more than half of your daily value (DV) of salt, per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. You can reduce the amount of salt used by leaving it out of the BBQ seasoning, opting for unsalted roasted cashews, and adding less salt or no salt to taste.
Easy Vegan Jackfruit Tacos
Lean into the plant-based lifestyle with these vegan tacos from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken. The recipe calls for ingredients you’d find in a traditional taco recipe: onion, garlic, spices, lime, cilantro, avocado, and taco shells.
The jackfruit is the twist. You’ll smash it with a potato masher to achieve the shredded texture that imitates chicken, beef, or pork.
One taco has 265 calories, 8 g fat, 49 g carbs, 2 g protein, and 5 g fiber.
BBQ Jackfruit Pizza
When your usual pizza toppings aren’t cutting it anymore, try this recipe from This Healthy Kitchen.
You’ll shred the jackfruit in a food processor, then heat it with a homemade barbecue sauce. After that, you’ll pile it on top of a multigrain flatbread along with vegan mozzarella cheese and red onion.
Bonus: As written, this recipe is vegan-friendly, thanks to the use of dairy-free mozzarella cheese. Following a vegan diet can keep your cholesterol levels in check, according to previous research, which suggested that avoiding animal products can lower your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels by up to 25 percent.
One-quarter of the pizza has 390 calories, 4 g fat, 60 g carbs, and 5 g protein.
RELATED: Plant-Based Recipes You Can Make in 30 Minutes or Less
Vegan BBQ Pulled Jackfruit
While most of the recipes on this list call for canned jackfruit, this one from Alpha Foodie requires you to work with the fresh fruit. And be warned: Working with a whole jackfruit is more complicated. You’ll need to cut open the jackfruit and pull the “meat” out while removing the seeds.
Then, you’ll take the fruit and sauté it with onions and spices, before adding vegetable broth and barbecue sauce. After the jackfruit simmers in this liquid for 30 minutes, it’ll soften and can be easily pulled into pieces. From here, it’s ready to add to sandwiches or grain bowls, or you can bake it in the oven to add a crispy texture.
One cup of this prepared jackfruit has 346 calories, 7 g fat, 74 g carbs, and 5 g protein.
Jackfruit Enchilada Bowls
This recipe from Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen calls for canned jackfruit, which you’ll sauté in enchilada sauce before baking.
Then, you’ll mix it with rice, corn, beans, and your choice of toppings (cheese, cilantro, and lime juice are great options!) to build your bowl.
Each serving has about 360 calories, 3 g fat, 71 g carbs, and 13 g protein, depending on the toppings you decide to add.
Crispy Jackfruit Carnitas
This 20-minute vegan recipe from Feasting at Home also calls for canned jackfruit. Wring it out in a kitchen towel to remove as much moisture as you can before cooking — this will give the jackfruit carnitas a crispy, caramelized texture.
Once you’ve prepared the jackfruit carnitas (which looks a lot like chicken), you’re free to add it to whatever dish you’re in the mood for. Tacos, burritos, and enchiladas are all good options.
A half-cup serving of the jackfruit carnitas has 169 calories, 7.8 g fat, 25.5 g carbs, and 2.8 g of protein.
BBQ Jackfruit
This recipe from Food With Feeling seems complex, but it calls for fewer than 10 ingredients, including one that makes this recipe stand out from the rest: liquid smoke, which is a cooking sauce made from smoke that’s been condensed into liquid form. That’s the secret to replicating the smoky, meaty flavor you get when biting into a pulled pork sandwich.
Having trouble sourcing liquid smoke? Colgin Liquid Smoke is the highest-rated option on Amazon ($11, Amazon.com), and Stubb's Hickory Liquid Smoke is another one that’s received positive reviews online (and their website lists places you can purchase it in your area).
This BBQ jackfruit is the perfect addition to a sandwich, but you can also serve it on top of a salad, pizza, or baked potato, or as the “meat” in nachos.
One serving of the jackfruit has 241 calories, 4.1 g fat, 49.7 g carbs, and 1.2 g protein. As written, each serving offers 1,169 mg of sodium (or just over half your DV); you can limit that amount by omitting salt from the marinade and opting for a low-sodium BBQ sauce.
RELATED: 10 Veggie-Loving Instagrammers to Inspire Your Plant-Based Diet Goals
Jackfruit Tinga Quesadillas
Tinga is usually made with chicken, tomatoes, and onion, but Hot for Food’s recipe calls for holding the meat and using jackfruit instead.
You’ll bake the jackfruit until lightly caramelized, and then pile the jackfruit, refried beans, and cheese into quesadillas. Serve the quesadillas alongside guacamole and a squeeze of lime juice.
Cutting out meat and eating jackfruit instead is a heart-healthy choice, and so is adding avocados to your diet. As mentioned earlier, avocado contains fat, but it’s the “good” kind, which helps lower your “bad” cholesterol and triglyceride levels, according to the AHA.
Each quesadilla, before guacamole, has 667 calories, 25 g fat, 66 g carbs, and 12 g protein.
Spicy Jackfruit With Coleslaw
The secret to the tangy heat in this jackfruit recipe from Simone’s Kitchen? Tabasco sauce and lime juice.
You’ll also get your veggie fix with the coleslaw, which features grated carrots, cabbage, and onion. And don’t worry if you don’t have coconut aminos on hand; you can sub in soy sauce instead.
Thanks to the jackfruit and cabbage in this recipe, you’ll take in 41 mg of vitamin C, which is about 54 percent of the DV for women and 45 percent for men, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Vitamin C is an antioxidant that boosts collagen production in the body and improves the body’s ability to absorb iron, also per the NIH.
One serving has 241 calories, 13 g fat, 32 g carbs, and 2 g protein.
RELATED: Recipes That Can Help Strengthen Your Immune System
Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES
Medical Reviewer
Lynn Grieger is a registered dietitian-nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, certified personal trainer, and certified health and wellness coach. She completed requirements to become a registered dietitian at Valparaiso University in 1987 and completed a dietetic internship at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois, in 1988.
Lynn brings her expertise in nutrition, exercise, and behavior change to her work in helping people reach their individual health and fitness goals. In addition to writing for Everyday Health, she has also written for websites and publications like Food and Health Communications, Today's Dietitian, iVillage.com, and Rodale Press. She has a passion for healthy, nutrient-dense, great-tasting food and for being outdoors as much as possible — she can often be found running or hiking, and has completed a marathon in every state.
