Slow-Simmered Jackfruit BBQ Burgers with Red Cabbage Slaw
Shredded young jackfruit is seared, then slow-simmered in a smoky, tangy barbecue sauce until it pulls apart like pulled pork. Piled onto toasted vegan buns with a crisp, creamy red cabbage slaw, it makes a hearty plant-based burger.
- Prep
- 27 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 2 min
- Wait
- 5 min
- Total
- 1 hr 34 min
- Makes
- 6 burgers
Steps
Before you start
- Buy young green jackfruit packed in brine or water, not ripe jackfruit in syrup. The syrup kind is sweet and will not shred into a savory filling.
- Check the labels on your barbecue sauce, buns and mayonnaise. Some barbecue sauces contain honey or Worcestershire sauce (which has anchovies), so choose vegan versions.
- Plan for about 1 hour 30 minutes. The slaw can chill while the jackfruit simmers. Everything is cooked on the stovetop, so you don't need the oven.
- Use a heavy 12-inch (30 cm) skillet with deep sides, or a wide heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, so the sauce reduces at a steady rate.
Prep the jackfruit
- Drain both cans of jackfruit in a colander and rinse under cold running water for 30 seconds to remove the brine flavor.
- Cut off the hard, fibrous core tip from each piece and set the tender, triangular strands aside.
- Squeeze handfuls of jackfruit firmly to wring out as much water as you can, then pat dry with a clean towel.
- Pull the pieces apart with your fingers into rough shreds about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long.
- Finely chop any soft parts of the cores and add them to the pile.
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Ready when: The jackfruit looks like loosely pulled pork, with no large wedges or hard core pieces left.
Tip: Squeeze the jackfruit dry. Wet jackfruit steams instead of browning and makes a watery filling.
Make the slaw
- In a large bowl, whisk the vegan mayonnaise, 1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp (10 ml) maple syrup and ¼ tsp salt until smooth.
- Add the red cabbage, carrot and scallions and toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Cover and refrigerate while the jackfruit cooks.
- The cabbage will soften slightly and turn a deep magenta.
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Ready when: The cabbage is glossy and evenly coated, with no pooled dressing at the bottom of the bowl.
Tip: Shred the cabbage as thinly as you can, using a sharp knife or a mandoline. Thick pieces stay tough and make the burger hard to bite.
Soften the onion
- Heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) deep skillet or heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers.
- Add the diced onion and a pinch of the salt from the sauce portion.
- Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes.
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Ready when: The onion is soft and translucent with only the faintest golden edges.
Bloom spices and paste
- Add the garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder and tomato paste to the onion.
- Stir constantly for about 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan, so the spices toast and the tomato paste darkens slightly.
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Ready when: The mixture smells fragrant and the tomato paste turns brick red. The garlic should not turn brown.
Tip: Move straight to the next step if the garlic starts to brown. Burnt garlic tastes bitter.
Sear the jackfruit
- Raise the heat to medium-high.
- Add the shredded jackfruit and spread it into an even layer.
- Let it sit for 2 minutes without stirring, then stir and repeat for 3 more minutes, 5 minutes in total.
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Ready when: Some edges of the jackfruit are golden brown and the pan looks dry.
Tip: Browning adds a savory, meaty flavor that you can't get by simmering alone.
Add the sauce
- Pour in the broth, barbecue sauce, 1 tbsp (15 ml) cider vinegar, maple syrup, soy sauce and liquid smoke (if using).
- Add the remaining salt (about ½ tsp total with the pinch used earlier) and ¼ tsp pepper.
- Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Bring to a boil, which takes about 4 minutes, then reduce the heat to low.
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Ready when: The sauce is bubbling steadily across the whole surface of the pan.
Tip: Liquid smoke is strong. Measure it carefully, as too much tastes harsh.
Simmer covered
- Cover the pan with the lid slightly ajar and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
- Stir every 10 minutes, scraping the bottom so the sauce doesn't catch.
- The jackfruit will absorb the sauce and soften.
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Ready when: The jackfruit is tender and breaks apart easily when pressed with a spoon. The sauce should be bubbling gently, not boiling hard.
Tip: If the sauce looks dry before 30 minutes, add 2 tbsp (30 ml) of water.
Shred and reduce
- Remove the lid and raise the heat to medium-low.
- Mash the jackfruit with a potato masher or press it against the pan with the back of a wooden spoon to shred it into fine, pulled-pork strands.
- Simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce reduces and clings to the jackfruit.
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Ready when: A spoon dragged across the bottom of the pan leaves a trail that stays open for 2 seconds. The mixture is thick and glossy, not soupy.
Tip: Don't over-mash. Leave some texture so the filling doesn't turn to mush.
Rest and season
- Turn off the heat and let the jackfruit rest in the pan for 5 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly more.
- Taste it and add salt, a splash of vinegar or a little more barbecue sauce if needed.
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Ready when: The filling holds a mound on a spoon instead of running off it.
Toast the buns
- Brush the cut sides of the buns with the vegan butter.
- Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat and toast the buns cut-side down for 1 to 2 minutes, working in batches.
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Ready when: The cut sides are golden brown and crisp.
Tip: Toasting creates a barrier that keeps the buns from going soggy under the saucy filling.
Build the burgers
- Pile about ⅔ cup (roughly 130 g) of hot BBQ jackfruit onto the bottom half of each bun.
- Top with a generous handful of slaw and pickle slices, if using, and set the bun tops in place.
- Serve right away, with napkins.
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Tip: Add the slaw just before serving so it keeps its crunch.
Good to know
Tips
- Don't skip rinsing and squeezing the jackfruit. Brine flavor and extra water are the most common causes of bland, watery results.
- For a spicier burger, add ¼ tsp cayenne or 1 tbsp of chopped chipotle in adobo with the spices.
- Simmer gently. A hard boil can scorch the sugars in the barbecue sauce before the jackfruit has softened.
- Serve with extra barbecue sauce on the side, since the jackfruit soaks up a lot of the sauce.
Make ahead
The BBQ jackfruit can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cool it, refrigerate in an airtight container, and reheat gently with a splash of water. The slaw can be mixed up to 4 hours ahead. For longer storage, keep the dressing and cabbage separate and toss them together just before serving.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: keep the jackfruit, slaw and buns separate. The jackfruit keeps up to 4 days and the slaw up to 2 days in airtight containers. Freezer: freeze the cooled jackfruit in an airtight container for up to 3 months and thaw it overnight in the fridge. To reheat, warm it in a skillet over medium-low heat with 1 to 2 tbsp of water, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes until hot throughout.
Substitutions
- young green jackfruit in brine or water → Shredded king oyster mushrooms or 2 cans (15 oz) of drained hearts of palm. Cooking times differ. Mushrooms need about 15 minutes of simmering, and the texture will be a little chewier.
- vegan mayonnaise → Unsweetened plain vegan yogurt. The slaw will be tangier and lighter. Add an extra ¼ tsp salt.
- red cabbage → Green cabbage or a bagged coleslaw mix. The flavor is the same, but you lose the vivid color.
- liquid smoke → An extra ½ tsp smoked paprika. This gives a gentler smoky flavor without the sharpness of liquid smoke.