August 4, 2016
Vegan ‘Pulled Pork’ Sliders
I have a little secret. I fucking love BBQ. You know what else I love? Sliders. Put the two together and you’ve got one happy girl.
Now, I know what you’re all thinking.
What the hell is that? How did she make fake pork?
The answer is jackfruit, my friends. It’s this amazingly versatile fruit that takes on pretty much any flavor and looks exactly like shredded meat. When seasoned and cooked properly, it also tastes almost exactly like shredded meat. Save a pig’s life and buy some jackfruit every now and then. It’s worth it, I promise.
Since summer is in full effect, Ashlee and I decided it’s the perfect time to make these vegan pulled pork sliders. If you can recall, we used jackfruit awhile ago to make tacos al pastor. The end result was amaaaazing, so we decided to make a BBQ version.
Before becoming vegan, we used to make pulled pork sandwiches with crispy onion strings often, so I used those sandwiches as my inspiration for these vegan pulled pork sliders. Instead of onion strings, we decided to make thick, beer battered onion rings for a little extra crunch. Plus, I was drinking beer while cooking and I thought, Eh what the hell. Nothin’ better than beer, BBQ, and onion rings all in one little slider.
Ashlee makes a mean coleslaw, so you know we had to incorporate that somehow. I mean, it’s not officially BBQ without a decent coleslaw to accompany it.
These vegan pulled pork sliders are the real deal. They’re spicy, sweet, savory, crunchy and absolutely delicious. The sweetness from the coleslaw balances the spiciness and tanginess from the BBQ perfectly. The beer battered onion ring gives these sliders the perfect crunch!
If you try this recipe, make sure to post a picture and tag us on Instagram at Eat_Figs_Not_Pigs. We love to hear your thoughts and opinions, so please feel free to comment! Til next time, guys!!
- 2- 20 oz canned jackfruit in water or brine (NOT IN SYRUP)
- 1 cup favorite vegan BBQ sauce
- ⅓ cup BBQ dry rub (store bought or homemade)
- 2 TBS canola oil
- 3 cups coleslaw/cabbage mixture
- ¾ cup vegan mayonnaise
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 TBS vegan sugar
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Canola oil for frying
- 1 yellow onion, sliced into one inch rounds
- 1.5 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1.5 cups ice cold beer (we used a light lager)
- 2 cups tempura batter
- 1 TBS Salt
- 2 TBS red pepper flakes
- 2 TBS paprika
- 8 slider buns
- Dill pickle rounds (optional)
- 2 slices vegan provolone cheese, quartered (optional)
- Mix all ingredients (except cabbge mixture) together and set in refrigerator to cool
- In a large bowl, mix together bread crumbs, salt, red pepper flakes and paprika
- In another large bowl, add tempura batter mixture and slowly pour in ice cold beer until it becomes a thick, gravy-like consistency
- Dip sliced onion rounds into tempura mixture first, then bread crumb mixture
- Lay battered onion rings on a plate and freeze for about 15 minutes
- Fry on medium hight for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown
- Place on a paper towel top drain oil and set aside
- Drain, rinse and dry jackfruit
- Sprinkle jackfruit with dry rub seasoning and toss to coat
- Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Once hot, add oil and seasoned jackfruit
- Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, tossing occasionally
- Using a potato masher or forks, begin shredding jackfruit until it because a meat-like texture
- Add BBQ sauce, stir and reduce heat to medium-low
- Cover and cook for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Toast slider buns
- Place generous portions of BBQ jackfruit on bottom buns, followed by cheese, slaw, onion ring and pickles.
- ENJOY
I made this tonight for my hubands birthday. I had to make a few adjustments. For the coleslaw I used about a tbsp of apple cider vinegar. I actually made it following the directions first and had to rinse it off. The vinegar was much to strong for my taste, and more importantly, the birthday boys’. I also used about 6 cups of shredded cabbage and about a 1 1/4 cup of veganaise and after a little while, I drained it. And for the jack fruit I couldn’t find canned, I found boxed. It was sealed in a bag though. And it said to boil it for about 10 minutes and drain before shredding or mashing so that’s what I did. To that I added sauteed onion and garlic and bar b q sauce. Also, I baked sweet potato slider buns last night (though not vegan, I used pasture raised hen eggs). I just have to say, this was bomb. So so so yummy. Both of us weren’t raised vegan so we do have a taste for meat. Though we avoid it at all costs. No matter what, we miss it! This is not only just like pulled pork, it’s better. You don’t have that brick in your stomach from meat, it completely satisfies your “meat tooth” (TM lol) and the best part is no guilt from eating the flesh of a living being. The Cole slaw added a crunchy delicious complexity. The pickle was the perfect sour crisp. And the onion rings? OMG. Mouth watering, soul comforting deliciousness. The bun was the perfect envelope for this delivery of tantalizing tasty tingles for the tongue. It was a bit of work. But-Absolutely. Worth. Every. Minute. 5 radiant and shining stars! Thank you so much for this recipe. And for all your recipes. I’m going to try the menudo next! I miss it so.
I’m so happy you all enjoyed it! I should have mentioned in the recipe that we really love the acidity of vinegar in the coleslaw. Thank you for your feedback and the review!!!