BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches from Cook the Pantry – dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes!
Update 10/28/15: Congratulations to Natalie T. She is the randomly selected winner of the Cook the Pantry Giveaway. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to enter and congratulations again to Natalie!
Every once in awhile I like to save some money and “shop” from my pantry for a week instead of heading out to the grocery store. I generally will still buy a few fresh ingredients to round things out, but I try to keep it simple. Not only does this save us some money, but it also makes dinner time quicker and easier! If this sounds like something you would like to try, I’ve got the perfect cookbook for you!! Robin Robertson’s new cookbook, Cook the Pantry; Vegan Pantry-to-Plate Recipes in 20 Minutes (or Less!). Did you catch that last part? 20 minutes or less! I’m pretty sure that is something we could all get on board with! I made her BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches the other day, and to say they were a HUGE hit would be an understatement! Keep reading for this amazing recipe and to find out how you can WIN your very own copy of this new book.
Robin Robertson
Robin Robertson (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) has been a restaurant chef, caterer, cooking instructor and food writer. In her free time (ha!) she has authored over 20 cookbooks. A few of my favorites are Quick Fix Vegan, Vegan on the Cheap, and The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Book. In this new book, Cook the Pantry,  Robin teaches us how to use what we already have on hand to make quick and easy, healthy and delicious, meals. Some of you may be thinking “My pantry and freezer are bare, I have nothing on hand.” That’s okay, too, because in the very first chapter, Pantry Perfect Cooking, Robin tells us how to stock our pantry, freezer and fridge and how to maintain it. You will never again need to reach for that takeout menu! Now you can create your very own meals in less time than it takes to wait for the delivery guy…guaranteed to be healthier and yummier too!
Inside Cook The Pantry
Let’s take a look inside at the other chapters:
Soups, Stews, and Chilis – Chipotle Corn Chowder, Tortilla Soup, Everyone’s Favorite Black Bean Chili
Salad Savvy – Five-Minute Couscous Salad, Asian Noodle Salad w/ Peanut Dressing, Taco Salad w/ Corn & Black Bean Salsa
Pizza, Burgers, Sandwiches – Artichoke Muffaleta Po’ Boys, White Bean & Spinach Quesadillas, Jalapeño-Hummus Pizza, and of course these BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches
Stovetop Suppers – Cheesy Grits & Greens w/ Smoky Mushrooms, Layered Tortilla Skillet, Jerk Tempeh w/ Coconut Quinoa
Pantry Pasta Plus – Giardiniera Mac and Cheese, Penne & Broccoli w/ Red Bell Pepper-Walnut Sauce, Rotini w/ Creamy Pumpkin Sauce & Walnuts
Sweet Treats – Easy as Chocolate Pie, Ginger-Walnut Rum Balls, Pecan Pie Squares
Drooling yet???
What is Jackfruit?
I have been meaning to try jackfruit for years. Years! That is not an exaggeration! I have no idea what my holdup was, but when I saw these BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches were okayed by Robin to share with you today, I KNEW what I’d be making. Jackfruit is a tropical fruit that can be used in sweet or savory dishes. In savory dishes, it’s the young green unripe fruit that is used. It has a unique texture that shreds easily when cooked, making it the perfect stand-in for dishes normally made with shredded pork or chicken. Friends, my hubby who isn’t really on the plant based bandwagon had TWO of these huge sandwiches in record time. All three of my kids gobbled them down too. Jackfruit contains lots of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, B vitamins, potassium, iron and more! And, of course, it contains NO saturated fats or cholesterol.
I’m so glad I made a more than double batch of these. I’ll be having more leftovers today! Yum!
BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches
You guys are  going to love these BBQ Jack Sandwiches. If you try them please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback. You can also find me on social media. Be sure to tag @veggie_inspired and #veggieinspired so I’m sure to see it. Enjoy!
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 (16-ounce) can water-packed jackfruit, drained and shredded or thinly sliced
- 1 (4-ounce) can chopped mild or hot green chiles, drained
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 4 sandwich rolls (split and toasted)
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the jackfruit and chiles and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the barbecue sauce, tamari, mustard, paprika, liquid smoke, onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, to heat through and blend the flavors, about 8 minutes.
- Mix well, adding a little water if the mixture is too dry.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.
- When ready to serve, spoon the mixture onto the rolls and serve hot.
Now it’s your turn to start making some amazing, yet easy, meals! Click below to enter to win your very own copy of Cook the Pantry by Robin Roberston. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will run through October 28, 2015. The winner will be notified by e-mail. Good luck!
*Update 10/28/15: This giveaway is now closed. The winner has been selected and notified. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to enter.
If you just can’t wait to see if you’ve won and want to guarantee yourself a copy, you can order the book here: Â Cook the Pantry by Robin Robertson.
Photo used with permission from Robin Robertson and Vegan Heritage Press.
More Delicious Meatless Sandwiches to Love:
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Love that you can make these without having to go back to the store! I usually have all the ingredients on hand. Plus I go to the store at least 5 times a week. I don’t want to go again! I will have to see if I can find some jack fruit!
LOL! I am the same way. I just got back from the store a few minutes ago and I was just there yesterday! (and two days ago, etc. HA!).
the one thing I always have in my pantry is unsweetened shredded coconut.
That’s a good one! I usually have that too!
I always have oats. So versatile 🙂
Oh, yes, oats! I use so many oats!! Thanks, Natalie! Good luck!
Dried beans, organic grains, and canned tomatoes
All great to have on hand! Thanks for stopping by, Karen!
Artichoke hearts. =)
Mmmm, that’s a good one! I don’t buy artichoke hearts nearly enough!
We have lots of vinegars!
I love vinegar too!! I could drink the stuff! LOL! Good luck, Lydia!
Amazing review and I’d be a total jack*** not to try these BBQ Jack Sandwiches! AMAZING!
LOL! Levan, you always know just want to say! Thanks!
Yess, very drooling!! 😀
But I never heard of Jack Fruit before, to be honest. It sounds almost as cool as rocket, hahaa
Maybe I should make a Jack Fruit Rocket Salad one day!!
HaHa, go for it!! If anyone can do it, you can! 🙂
Jenn, you make those sandwiches look ridiculously delicious! I have no choice but to get a can of jackfruit and try them.
Thank you, Gin! And they are ridiculously delicious! No choice…go make them! 🙂
Always pasta!
Yes, always! 🙂
These sandwiches are perfect for game day! Pinning for later 🙂
Yup! I might experiment with throwing it all in a crockpot to keep them warm! Thanks for pinning, Mary!
Nutritional yeast. It’s a MUST around here! ;-D
Oh, yes, I forgot about that. I always have one of those huge canisters of nooch! Good luck, Patience!
I always have rice and chicken broth, to name a couple things
Thanks for stopping by, Carolsue! Good luck!
I’m not very familiar with this fruit and this sounds like a super delicious way t use it. (I always have rice in the pantry!)
Thanks, Valentina! Good luck in the giveaway!
This sandwich looks amazing, Jenn! 🙂 I absolutely love pulled jackfruit!
Thanks, Sina! Now that I’m comfortable with jackfruit, I’ll be trying lots of things with it. I’d like to try your sandwiches too…they look so good and I love having different variations of recipes I love.
I would dearly love to get hold of some Jack Fruit. I have searched high and low here and have only found the sweetened version in a can. When I do eventually get some I will be going Jack Fruit crazy!
This recipe looks great and so does the book. It’s fabulous that the recipes are all under 20 minutes!
Amazon, Mel! You can get everything on Amazon! 🙂
Not from Amazon.ca you can’t! They have some tins in syrup and it’s $64!!!!! We get ripped off here in Canada! I’ve ordered from Amazon.com before and got stung for duty etc. It’s not fair!
Oh my gosh, you’re kidding?! That’s crazy! Yeah, totally not worth it then…and very unfair!
This looks and sounds amazing, Jenn. I had no idea jackfruit comes in a can. 20 minutes or less and from the pantry sounds like my kind of cooking, especially since we live remotely and don’t always have the opportunity to drive to the shops as often as we need to…
It’s a great find, Audrey! I will be stocking up from now on!
I absolutely love Jackfruit! I grew up eating it and wish it was still a staple in my kitchen!
Nowadays, we ALWAYS have chickpeas, lentils, rice and coconut milk in our pantry at all times!
I always have no less than three bags of lentils in my pantry at all times! Love them! Good luck, Dini!
hmm, my pantry staples include chickpeas, tahini, and CHOCOLATE.
Oooh, chocolate…..good one, Kristina!
I always have soup and noodles 🙂
We always have noodles too. When in doubt, do with pasta! 🙂
Though I’m not a vegeteren at all I would die for these tasteful looking sandwiches! Seems like a perfect challenging recipe 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
You don’t need to be a vegetarian to enjoy these sandwiches! Use the bbq sauce you enjoy the most and you will love these!
Where has jackfruit been all my life?! This looks and sounds like an incredible combination!!
I know, right?! I can’t believe I waited so long to try it!
sounds like a great book
It’s definitely a keeper!
So many great ideas here. From cooking from the pantry (where I always have beans) to using jackfruit, which I actually just tried in a vegan restaurant and loved. This all looks fabulous!
Thanks, Kelly! I WISH I had a vegan restaurant around here like that. How awesome!
20 minutes or less?! Like, truly??! Haha! That sounds amazing….I love quick meals!! Like I said earlier, need to try jackfruit!!
Truly! And honestly, you can probably get away with even less. Such a quick, easy, and delicious meal!
I always have a jar of hot peppers
Oooh, that’s a good one!
I always have different types of beans for soups and bean dips.
Olive oil and vingear
I always have a variety of vinegars too! Love them all! Thanks, Sydney.
Ive tried jackfruit a few times. The first was when someone else made it and I was not a fan of the consistency, it was too mushy/soft/slimy for me. But the second time I made it, and I marinated it then put it on a cookie sheet and baked it until it was crispy and kind of dried out. I really liked it like that! It’s so versatile, I just need it to be baked to get the right consistency! I actually have a recipe on my list for the blog with this method, I should revisit it soon!
Hmmm, mine wasn’t soft or slimy at all. It actually had a little bit of a bite left, which I liked. Maybe it was the brand? And did you get the unripe green jackfruit? You could always use one of the subs Robin suggests. I happen to think cauliflower would make an awesome sub too!
Yup, I used the right jackfruit. I’m just really picky with texture. It worked great though just to bake it!
Just caught this comment in the spam folder…weird! Anyway, I’m looking forward to your baked version!!
Cannellini beans….I always have a can around!
Yes! Just used some of those today!
This book looks amazing. I just love Robin’s books!
You will love this one too, Nicollette! Good luck!
One thing that is always in my pantry is whole wheat pasta. It is a quick meal option when pressed for time or dinner ideas.
Oh yes, we do a ton of pasta over here, Candy! Good luck!
I always have rice and beans
Great ones to have on hand, Sandy!
Beans! Dried for when I have the time and canned for when I’m in a hurry.
I always have a mix of both too, Terri!
I keep jars of dried beans and legumes on display on my open shelves both as staples and as decoration. Lots of varieties so very colorful and eye-catching, as well as nourishing and delicious!
What a great idea, Ann! Dried bean and lentils are so pretty!
I ALWAYS have dried legumes in my pantry. I cook up mounds of beans and freeze them in 1 1/2 cup portions. I have beans whenever I need them!
I love it, Melissa! I like to do that too. Beans at the ready!
I always have cake baking ingredients
Mmmmm, those are good ones to have!!
I always have canned chickpeas, pasta, and canned tomatoes on hand.
Always good to have those staples. Thanks, Gail. Good luck!
I LOVE BBQ jackfruit. I have a bbq jack recipe on my blog from last year and it’s a favorite in my house. I need to order some jackfruit from Amazon and make some this weekend! Thanks, Jenn.
I know, there are recipes for these all over, Linda. I can’t believe I haven’t tried them until now! I’ll have to check out your recipe too. Love trying new variations on things I love.
I always have a few cans of beans, diced tomatoes and pasta sauce as well as different pasta shapes. I also currently have 4 cans of Jackfruit in my pantry!!
Sounds like you need these sandwiches in your life, Gloria!! I am going to be stocking jackfruit for sure from now on!! And yes, always beans and canned tomatoes in my pantry as well! Good luck!
I want jackfruit to always be in mine 😉 It’s on my next amazon order…finally!
But my pantry is always stocked with flours, grains, tomatoes, and vinegar!
Oh yes, vinegar! I could drink vinegar, I love it so much! 🙂 And I never want to run out of canned tomatoes either!
I always have ginger on hand. Liquid, Fresh, Powdered, Candied, Dried. Love love ginger!
LOL, Kristin. Gotta love ginger! Love that warming spice!! Good luck!
I always have olives in my pantry. I love adding them to salads.
Hi, Janel! I have to say olives are the one thing I almost never have in my pantry…much to my husband’s and son’s dismay. They love them, I can’t stand them. There is an awesome paella recipe in the book that calls for olives. It’s actually on the front cover which you can see in this post. You would love it! Good luck!