Crockpot Bulgogi Jackfruit
Enjoy this Crockpot Bulgogi Jackfruit recipe as a meat-free alternative to pulled pork. You’ll love the flavors, texture, and healthiness of this recipe!
How to Make Vegan Pulled Pork
It seems like every where I turn I’m seeing pulled pork recipes. It’s on tacos, nachos, sandwiches, you name it. And so I decided there needs to be a delicious, meatless version of pulled pork. You know, for people who actually like Babe?
Pigs are friends, not food. I know, I know. I’m getting my movies mixed up. But anyway, I came up with this recipe for Crockpot Bulgogi Jackfruit and it’s been a super big hit here. I hope you like it too!
Have you heard of Jackfruit? We buy it in a can and it makes a great meat replacement. The jackfruit actually comes from a tree that belongs in the mulberry family. Just like the one in my neighbor’s yard when I was a kid!
Jackfruit is becoming a popular meat replacement because it has a malleable flavor and stringy consistency after its cooked. I made this Bulgogi Jackfruit recipe and we’ve been eating it on nachos, as sandwiches, and even on tacos. Don’t worry, I have recipes for those coming up very soon.
How to Make This Recipe
I made this Bulgogi Jackfruit in a slow cooker but that doesn’t mean you have to. Feel free to make this in a big saucepan on the stove, just allow yourself some time for it to simmer.
What I love about putting it in a crockpot is I can add all the ingredients and walk away. The jackfruit needs to cook for a bit before it gets tender and flaky and starts looking like pulled pork. Besides, all these flavors simmer together and it’s like heaven in your kitchen.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- A pear
- 2 cans of Jackfruit (young green jackfruit works best)
- Tamari and Bragg (both gluten-free, but you can use soy sauce too)
- White wine
- Fresh ginger
- Fresh garlic
- Agave nectar*
- An onion
- Sesame Oil
That’s about it. And look at the results! You’re going to love having this flavorful Bulgogi Jackfruit on hand!
Now, let’s talk about Tamari and Bragg. They are both a sort of soy sauce flavored ingredient. So if you don’t want to use both, then use just one. I like the extra flavor offered by Bragg, but I also find if I use too much it can overwhelm a dish. That’s why I used both.
This dish definitely has a salty tang to, that’s because it’s a bulgogi! If you’re not certain what that is, it’s a tradition Korean dish which literally means “fire meat.”
What You’ll Love About This Crockpot Bulgogi Jackfruit Recipe
Jackfruit has a significant amount of fiber and has a nice, subtle flavor which means it’s perfect for adapting with the right spices. In this recipe I used some traditional Korean bulgogi flavorings to create a savory, sweet blend that can play well with other ingredients, say cole slaw, or can even be served on its own as a sandwich.
Jackfruit is also a great source of vitamin C, protein, potassium, calcium, and iron. Talk about a perfect meat replacement!
Besides, a recipe that calls for a crockpot is so nice. I love the idea of throwing everything in a slow cooker and letting it cook all day. Then when you get home from another day at the office, the delicious aromas of dinner are there to greet you. This recipe actually calls for a double batch, but you can easily halve it and make a single batch.
Serving Bulgogi Jackfruit
The next question you might as is how you serve crockpot bulgogi jackfruit. Great question! It’s delicious on sandwiches, but I also love it another way — Vegan Bulgogi Jackfruit Nachos! Talk about comfort food! I’ve also made Vegan Bulgogi Street Tacos with it too. OMG!
The big question, of course, is where do you find Jackfruit? Most Asian Grocery stores carry Jackfruit. So you can do a google search for Asian Grocery Stores in your area. If it’s a drive, you might want to call before you head there to make sure they have canned jackfruit.
Our local health food store carries cans of Jackfruit too. So, shop around to see if you can buy it locally as well. Of course, if you can’t find it nearby, you can always consider purchasing jackfruit online. I always buy jackfruit in a brine rather than the ones in syrup.
Crockpot Bulgogi Jackfruit
Ingredients
- 40 oz canned jackfruit (green jackfruit in brine) drained
- ½ cup tamari
- ¼ cup Bragg Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
- ½ cup agave nectar maple syrup, or honey
- 1 cup white wine or mirin
- 2 tablespoons fresh peeled ginger minced
- 8 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- 1 medium onion peeled and sliced
- 1 green pear cored and chopped
- ½ cup fresh cranberries , optional
- 4 tablespoons sesame oil
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Place the jackfruit in a crockpot. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
- Turn the heat to high and cook for another hour to help absorb any remaining liquid.
- Use a firm spatula to break apart the jackfruit into pieces. It should break apart easily at this point.
Recommended Equipment
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Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Enjoy!
Is the oil necessary or could it be substituted? I am oil free.
Hi Cathy. I think you’d be fine to make this without oil. I haven’t tried this myself, but I think it will be fine.
My husband and I became vegans recently. We had to make a drastic dietary changes for health reasons. There were a handful of meat items I would miss and bulgogi was one of them. I prepared it exactly as directed using a crock pot. I also placed on high for one more hour so it wouldn’t be so liquid-y. I presented it like the picture, as a sandwich. The taste is SPOT ON. Def fills the void I thought I would be missing when I became vegan. I suggest serving it over rice. The liquid gravy soaks into the rice making it just SO tasty!! Thank you so much. It’s a great recipe! Easy to make and low on fat! I really appreciate you sharing! I’m glad we have leftovers but my husband keeps going back for more with rice and I have a feeling it’s going to be gone soon.
Hi Lesley. Thanks so much! I’m glad you and your hubby like this recipe! It’s so nice to find vegan versions of our favorite recipes from before. I love the idea of serving it over rice!
After I made this I thought it was going n the trash, but I remembered someone said they crisped it up in a pan so I did that and it was excellent. There was far too much liquid so I boiled it down added a teaspoon of cornstarch and it made this excellent sauce to toss the jackfruit. It was a hit!
We LOVE bulgogi in our house! When we were stationed in Germany one of the wives from my husbands unit made this for my kids and I while our husbands were deployed to Afghanistan. She is Korean and made this with regular beef and kiwi and did not add any sweetener. It was outstanding! I’ve made Korean lentils but haven’t used jackfruit for bulgogi yet. The pear is interesting. I may give it a try and see how it compares to the kiwi. Thanks for the idea! Jackfruit is amazing! Thankfully it comes canned. A whole one is roughly $45 depending on the weight. It is delicious fresh too!
This looks fantastic, definitely going to give it a try! What are the little red things in the crockpot photo that look sort of like grapes?
Hi Craig! I added whole cranberries to this recipe. It is completely optional but I like the bit of tangy sweetness they add.
This looks so amazing! I’m new to vegan lifestyle and I’m hoping this recipe will convert my husband too. Thank you. I’m getting jackfruit! I live in a rural town (nothing but Walmart) so I’ll ahve to order online. Thanks agin
I grew up in a rural town and my sister lives in a rural near where we grew up so I totally understand! Walmart is getting more and more vegan products these days. This vegan beef stew is another one that wins over my meat-eating friends. Let me know if you’d like more recipes veganized!
Hi! What are your thoughts on cooking this in a pressure cooker/Instant Pot?
Hi Debbie. I confess, I have not yet engaged with using a pressure cooker/instant pot. So I did a little research in answering your post and learned that jackfruit does quite well in a pressure cooker. And the good news? It can be ready in a lot less time. Getting a pressure cooker is definitely on my to-do list for 2018!
Are you speaking of tamarind paste?
Hi Sandra. Thanks for your comment. I’m actually referring to Tamari, which is a gluten-free soy sauce. I use it regularly instead of soy sauce, but if you don’t have any on hand, soy sauce works. Thanks for your comment. I’ll add this as a note to the recipe.
As an alternative in the crock pot can it be cooked on high for a shorter cooking time?
As a note, the recipe is delicious but also a little sweet for us so i just use half the honey otherwise I wouldn’t change a thing!
Hi Kathy! Yes, I have made this in a pot on the stove before and it worked great. Just bring it to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Also, I love your alteration. I may add that as a note in the recipe post for others to consider as well!
I have made jackfruit pulled pork three times and have enjoyed more than the last. The texture is great, but I still want to make this recipe so it is not so sweet. Makes great sandwiches and burritos!
Hi Mary Beth. Thanks for your feedback. I think sweetness is one of those things that definitely can be adjusted in a recipe. I’m all for that kind of experimentation, so you can transform this foundation of a recipe into exactly the way you love it!