These sweet, sticky and delicious Jackfruit Burgers are sure to become a staple in your home! Not only can they be prepared vegan pulled pork style, but they can also be formed into jackfruit burger patties for that classic burger experience. Versatile, delicious, and perfect for Summer BBQs.
Why This Recipe Works
This easy recipe for Jackfruit Burgers has to be a new favorite in my kitchen! Not only is it full of smoky BBQ flavor, but it is so stinking easy to make! It is ready in literal minutes and requires just one skillet. This means it’s absolutely perfect for those busy weeknights (who am I kidding, weekends are busy too!) or any time I just want something quick and easy.
These jackfruit burgers can also be prepared vegan pulled pork style OR as burger patties. I know right!? Two totally different styles of burgers, all in one recipe. Talk about simple!
So whether you feel like a warm, sweet, smoky bite of a vegetarian pulled pork style burger with all the fixings; OR a classic jackfruit patty with all the signature flavors wrapped into a traditional burger, I’ve got you covered!
If you’re new here, you might not know that I’m all about intuitive eating. In fact, I’m an intuitive eating dietitian. I encourage you to practice gentle nutrition to nourish both your body and your soul through food that tastes great. And yes, that can even be done while practicing Veganism! Even though I’m not a vegan myself and eat a wide of variety of foods from all of the food groups, I love a good vegan recipe for switching up the flavors and textures and finding new favorite foods to love and enjoy!
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Ingredients
- Jackfruit: You’ll need 1 can of jackfruit (about 20 ounces), drained and chopped into pieces so it resembles pulled meat.
- Olive oil: This helps brown the jackfruit burgers, giving it a drool-worthy texture and color.
- Seasonings: You’ll need some pretty standard BBQ seasonings like paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt.
- Liquid smoke: This adds a lovely smokiness that absolutely rocks my world in the flavor department!
- BBQ sauce: Use your favorite store bought sauce, OR if you’re feeling creative you could always make a homemade version.
OPTIONAL: If you want to make jackfruit burger patties, you’ll need some vital wheat gluten (the same ingredient I used in my Seitan Chicken recipe) to form the mixture into solid rounds.
For Serving
- Burger buns
- Coleslaw mix
- Red onion
- Avocado slices
How to Make This Recipe
Step one: Add a large skillet to a heating element and heat over medium heat. Add the oil, and heat until simmering.
Step two: Drain the jackfruit and chop into bite-sized pieces. Add to the pan with the hot oil. Sauté for 2 minutes.
Step three: Add in the seasonings, liquid smoke, and BBQ sauce. Mix well to combine.
Step four: Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, or until everything is heated through.
Step five: Use a pair of tongs to add the jackfruit pulled pork to a bun and top with coleslaw.
Step six: Add a few slices of red onion.
Step seven: Top off the burger with a few slices of avocado.
Step eight: Top with another bun and serve with more BBQ sauce if desired. You could also serve open faced if you prefer!
How to Make a Jackfruit Burger Patty
If you would prefer to make jackfruit burger patties, you can absolutely do that! Just one extra ingredient and one extra step easily transform these burgers into solid patties. Here’s what you do:
- Add 1 cup of vital wheat gluten to the pan and stir well.
- Take the thickened jackfruit mixture and form into 4 patties.
- Cook in a hot skillet or grill pan for 3-5 minutes per side, or until grill marks appear on each side and they are warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
While jackfruit has a similar texture as many meats, it doesn’t taste exactly like any one meat in particular. BUT, the magic of jackfruit is that it can take on the flavors of pretty much anything you add to it. That means a few seasonings and a little BBQ sauce can go a long way to give jackfruit a meat-like taste and texture.
Jackfruit burgers pair well with anything you would pair a standard burger with. A few great sides include coleslaw, potato salad, french fries, roasted sweet potato cubes, a great salad, or even a handful of potato chips.
Jackfruit has an awesome texture, and can take on the flavors of anything you add to it. To give jackfruit a BBQ like flavor, add seasonings like paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, and a bit of liquid smoke. Some BBQ sauce added into the mix gives it an ultra savory flavor and is perfect for serving on burger buns, or even stuffed into a baked potato.
Most commercially available brands are actually vegan! They often use liquid smoke for flavor, which is made with water and the smoke from burning fragrant woods like hickory or applewood. You can always check the label to verify that the ingredients are plant-based, or look for the “V” or vegan symbol on the packaging.
Expert Tips
- Make sure you chop the jackfruit after draining it. You want it to resemble pulled meat (think pulled pork), so cut it into bite sized pieces and separate any huge chunks.
- If you want to make this recipe in the slow cooker, you totally can. Just add all of the ingredients (leave out the vital wheat gluten) to a slow cooker and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until warmed through. I don’t recommend making patties if you go with the slow cooker method. Instead, serve it vegan pulled pork style with buns, coleslaw, and slices of red onion and avocado.
- Most store bought BBQ sauce brands are vegan (I know, surprise!) but if you want your sauce to be vegan, just make sure to check the label first to verify that it is.
If you love this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating on the recipe card and leave a comment below!
Don’t forget to pin it on your Pinterest board for later, or tag me on IG @no.food.rules if you try the recipe and love it!
Jackfruit Burgers
Ingredients
For The Burgers
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 can jackfruit 20 oz roughly chopped so it resembles pulled meat
- 1/4 cup bbq sauce more if desired
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp liquid smoke
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten optional, for formed burgers
For Serving
- 2-4 burger buns
- 1 cup coleslaw mix
- 1/4 cup red onion diced
- 1/2 avocado sliced
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat EVOO.
- Drain jackfruit and add to the hot oil. Sauté for ~2 minutes.
- Add BBQ sauce, paprika, garlic powder, salt, chili powder, and liquid smoke.
- Cook for ~5-7 minutes until heated through.
- OPTIONAL: If desired you can add 1 cup of vital wheat gluten to the pan. This will make a nice thick mixture that you can then use to make formed patties.This will make 4 patties. If you plan to do this, form your patties and then cook on a hot stove top grill pan for ~3-5 minutes per side. Be sure to take a peek and flip it when you see grill marks.
- To assemble your burgers, place ½ of the mixture (if not adding vital wheat gluten) on a bun and top with ¼ cup of coleslaw mix, 1 tbsp of red onion, a few avocado slices, then top with the other half of the bun. (If you’re using the vital wheat gluten to make formed patties, place your patty on the bun, top with coleslaw mix, 1 tbsp of red onion, a few avocado slices, then top with remaining half of bun.)
Video
Notes
- Jackfruit Prep: Chop the jackfruit after draining it. You want it to resemble pulled meat (think pulled pork), so cut it into bite sized pieces and separate any huge chunks.
- Slow cooker: Add all of the ingredients (leave out the vital wheat gluten) to a slow cooker and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until warmed through. I don’t recommend making patties if you go with the slow cooker method. Instead, serve it vegan pulled pork style with buns, coleslaw, and slices of red onion and avocado.
- BBQ sauce: If you want this recipe to be vegan, make sure to use a vegan BBQ sauce.
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