BBQ Jackfruit & Avocado Slaw Meal Prep! Easy BBQ jackfruit paired with a creamy avocado slaw for the perfect vegan and gluten free summer meal!
If you're thinking to yourself, What’s a jackfruit, anyway, you have come to the right place!
It’s a great question, especially because jackfruit is not very popular or well-known in Western countries. It is, however, increasingly used in plant-based recipes because it's an ingredient that is really versatile. Thriving mostly in India and Southeast Asia, the jackfruit is considered the largest tree-growing fruit in the world! They can grow up to 3 feet in length and 100 pounds each! The jackfruit also has a bumpy flesh on the outside, and when eaten fully ripe, has the flavor of mango, banana, or pineapple. Take a look...
The jackfruit is highly adaptable. In spite of its fruity, sweet flavor when raw, it actually soaks up any flavors it’s cooked with, and has a fabulous stringy texture! And that, friends, is why this BBQ jackfruit meal prep recipe makes for an on-point vegan summer food—it tastes just like BBQ pulled pork! For real!
BBQ and cole slaw. We can’t think of a more iconic duo? That’s why we’ve included a totally fresh take on slaw in BBQ jackfruit meal prep recipe! The earthy flavors of avocado, raw cashews, and optional (but always recommended) fresh cilantro and lime come together.
If you are a vegan or vegetarian, don’t worry! MPOF has you covered with this BBQ jackfruit meal prep recipe, so you don’t have to go hungry this summer while having family fun in the sun! Not to mention, you can have this meal anywhere, and at any time, and you won’t even need a barbecue grill to enjoy it!
BBQ Jackfruit & Avocado Slaw Meal Prep Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 2 (20-ounce cans) jackfruit in water
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup filtered water
- 1 cup BBQ sauce of choice (ensure vegan/gluten free brand)
- Himalayan sea salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 4 cups shredded cabbage (purple and green, or a mix)
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 ripe avocado
- ½ cup almond milk yogurt
- 1 lemon, squeezed
- Optional for serving: raw cashews, cilantro, fresh lime
How to Make BBQ Jackfruit and Avocado Slaw
This starts with canned jackfruit. Two cans of it! Cook it in a little avocado oil once you've drained the fruit from the cans. Add the seasonings and the barbecue sauce; pick your favorite and make it vegan/gluten-free if that's how you roll. It cooks quickly, which is super helpful. Then, you assemble the slaw, which is cabbage and carrots, mostly, shredded and tossed with some almond milk yogurt, lemon juice, and avocado. We love to add raw cashews, some chopped cilantro, and fresh lime wedges to really add some zing to this slaw.
How to Store and Serve BBQ Jackfruit and Avocado Slaw
Keep all this right in meal prep containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. The best part of a dish like this? You can eat it straight out of the fridge if you want to! Chilled barbecue anything (jackfruit or otherwise!) is delicious, and we kind of like to mix it all together. But you can eat it separately, too. Your call! We like the way the flavors mingle that way, though. We wouldn't recommend freezing the slaw, but you probably knew that, right? You can freeze the jackfruit part if you want, though, if you happen to have leftovers. Keep it in an airtight container. But honestly, this cooks so fast and is so easy, it's not a big deal to make it from scratch.
More Fun BBQ Recipes!
Ingredients
BBQ Jackfruit
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 14 ounces canned or fresh jackfruit
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup BBQ sauce of choice ensure vegan/gluten free brand, if needed
- Himalayan sea salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Avocado Slaw
- 4 cups cabbage shredded (green or purple)
- 2 cups carrots shredded
- 1 large avocado
- ½ cup almond milk yogurt we use Kite Hill Unsweetened
- 1 lemon juiced
For Serving, optional*
- raw cashews for garnish
- cilantro chopped, for garnish
- fresh lime juice for garnish
Instructions
- Drain and rinse jackfruit and shred with a fork.
- Heat the avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the jackfruit and cook for 2-3 minutes, until it starts to get some color.
- Next, add the jackfruit, smoked paprika, garlic powder, BBQ sauce, and ½ cup water. Stir and cover, then turn heat down to medium-low. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with Himalayan sea salt and black pepper.
- To make the avocado slaw, combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and smash until well combined. Refrigerate until ready for use.
- To assemble, divide BBQ jackfruit and avocado slaw between meal prep containers. Top with optional cashew, cilantro, and a lime wedge. Keeps in the fridge for 3-5 days.
