WrapsAmericanEasy

Pulled Jackfruit Barbecue Wrap

Name: Pulled Jackfruit Barbecue Wrap
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 20 oz (565 g) young green jackfruit in brine, canned, drained, rinsed, hard cores removed, shredded with two forks into bite-sized pieces; 1½ cups (355 ml) barbecue sauce (smoky or hickory-smoked style preferred); ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable broth; 2 tbsp (30 ml) apple cider vinegar; 1 tsp (2½ g) smoked paprika; ½ tsp (1½ g) garlic powder; to taste freshly ground black pepper; 4 each large flour or whole wheat tortillas, warmed; 2 cups (150 g) shredded coleslaw mix or fresh cabbage slaw; ¾ cup (180 ml) dill pickle slices or spears; ½ medium (60 g) red onion, thinly sliced

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender, shredded young jackfruit slow-cooked in smoky barbecue sauce, served in warm tortillas with crisp coleslaw, tangy pickles, and red onions. A satisfying vegetarian take on classic pulled barbecue that mimics the texture of slow-cooked meat while remaining entirely plant-based.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 3 hr
Total: 3 hr 15 min
Makes: 4 wraps

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Steps

Before you start

Drain and rinse canned jackfruit thoroughly, removing any hard cores or fibrous centers
Gather all ingredients and prep toppings ahead so assembly is quick
Have your slow cooker ready and empty

1
Prepare jackfruit
- Drain the canned young jackfruit in a colander and rinse under cool running water for 1–2 minutes until the brine is completely removed.
- Place the drained jackfruit on a cutting board.
- Examine each piece and remove any hard, fibrous cores or tough centers (they often cluster near what would have been the base of the fruit).
- Using two forks (one held steady, the other pulling), shred the remaining jackfruit into bite-sized fibrous pieces about 1–2 inches long, mimicking pulled meat.
- You should have roughly 2½ to 3 cups of shredded jackfruit.
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Ready when: Jackfruit is fully shredded into uniform, pulled-meat-like pieces; hard cores are discarded
Tip: Remove all hard cores thoroughly—they don't soften during cooking and will ruin the texture.
2
Layer slow cooker
- Pour the vegetable broth into the bottom of a 5-quart slow cooker.
- Add the shredded jackfruit, barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
- Stir well with a large spoon until all ingredients are evenly combined and the jackfruit is fully coated with sauce.
- Season with a pinch of black pepper.
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Ready when: Mixture is homogeneous and jackfruit is fully coated
Tip: Don't skip the broth—it keeps the jackfruit from drying out during the long cook.
3
Slow-cook the jackfruit
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 3 hours (180 minutes).
- The jackfruit should become very tender and the sauce should reduce and darken slightly.
- Stir the mixture once halfway through cooking, around the 90-minute mark, to ensure even cooking and prevent sticking on the bottom.
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Ready when: Jackfruit is very soft and easily breaks apart with a spoon; sauce is thickened and glossy
Tip: If your slow cooker runs hot, check at 2.5 hours to avoid over-reducing the sauce.
4
Warm tortillas
- About 10 minutes before serving, warm the tortillas.
- If you have a gas stove, hold each tortilla over a medium flame with tongs for 15–20 seconds per side until pliable and lightly charred.
- Alternatively, wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds.
- Stack them in a warm serving basket or plate covered with a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm.
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Ready when: Tortillas are warm, pliable, and lightly charred or steamed through
Tip: Warm tortillas hold together much better than cold ones and won't tear when rolling.
5
Assemble wraps
- Lay a warm tortilla flat on a serving plate.
- Spoon ¾ to 1 cup of the pulled jackfruit and sauce into the center of the tortilla.
- Top with a handful of coleslaw (about ½ cup per wrap), a small pile of pickle slices (about 3 tablespoons), and a few slices of red onion.
- Fold in the sides of the tortilla and roll tightly from the bottom up, keeping the filling compressed.
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Ready when: Wraps are tightly rolled and filled evenly; toppings are visible at the top
Tip: Don't overfill—4 wraps should use about 3 cups of pulled jackfruit. Extra can be stored for reheating.

Good to know

Tips

Young green jackfruit in brine (found in the Asian or health foods section) is key—mature jackfruit is too fibrous and sticky. Look for cans labeled 'green jackfruit' or 'young jackfruit,' not ripe jackfruit.
The texture of the pulled jackfruit depends on shredding it properly. Use two forks in a pulling motion rather than chopping, and remove hard cores entirely before cooking to avoid chewy pieces.
If your sauce is too thin after cooking, mash a few pieces of cooked jackfruit against the side of the slow cooker to release starch, which will thicken it. Alternatively, leave the lid off for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Serve the wraps immediately while the jackfruit is warm and the tortillas are still pliable. Room-temperature wraps can be assembled but won't have the same appeal.

Make ahead

Prepare the jackfruit and sauce in the slow cooker up to 12 hours ahead, refrigerate, then reheat on low for 1 hour before serving. Slice onions and pickles 2 hours ahead. Store coleslaw separately in the fridge until assembly.

Storage & reheating

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The pulled jackfruit and sauce keeps well; the tortillas, coleslaw, and pickles are best assembled fresh. To reheat, warm the jackfruit in a small saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave (1–2 minutes) until steaming, then assemble fresh wraps. Shredded jackfruit can be frozen in the sauce for up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat gently.

Substitutions

barbecue sauce (smoky or hickory-smoked style preferred) → homemade barbecue sauce made with ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and smoked paprika. Use about 1¼ cups homemade sauce combined with the vegetable broth and apple cider vinegar listed.
young green jackfruit in brine, canned → king oyster or oyster mushrooms, shredded. Use 1 pound (450g) mushrooms; they have a similar fibrous texture when cooked down. Reduce slow-cooking time to 2 hours and stir more frequently.
shredded coleslaw mix or fresh cabbage slaw → shredded green or red cabbage mixed with a bit of mayonnaise and vinegar. Toss 2 cups shredded cabbage with 2 tablespoons mayo and 1 tablespoon vinegar just before serving.
large flour or whole wheat tortillas → kaiser rolls, brioche buns, or soft flatbread. Warm and hollow slightly if using rolls; the assembled sandwich becomes more of an open-faced option.