Smoky Shredded Marinated Jackfruit

Step 1

Thoroughly rinse and drain jackfruit. Then begin sorting. The pieces come in chunks or triangle shapes. Cut off the center "core" portion of the jackfruit that's tougher in texture and separate it from the rest of the fruit. Then chop core into smaller pieces. Use your hands or two forks to pull the remaining portion of the jackfruit that appears more stringy into small shredded pieces. You're aiming to get the jackfruit into small, shredded/chopped pieces. Once shredded, rinse once more in a colander, drain, and thoroughly dry.

Step 2

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil (or water), onion, and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until onions are golden brown and softened. Set aside.

Step 3

To a small or high speed blender, add sautéed onion and garlic, vegetable broth, cashew milk, chipotle in adobo, maple syrup, lime juice, salt, coconut aminos, and paprika.

Step 4

Blend until completely combined, then taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more lime for acidity, chipotle pepper for heat, paprika for smokiness, maple syrup for sweetness, coconut aminos for depth of flavor, or salt to taste.

Step 5

Add jackfruit to a medium mixing bowl and toss with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Then add all of sauce and stir to combine.

Step 6

At this point your prep is done. It just needs to marinate. You can get away with as little as 15-20 minutes. But for deeper flavor we recommend at least 2 hours and up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Step 7

To cook, heat a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a little oil to coat the pan and add desired amount of jackfruit, leaving a bit of the sauce behind. For even more flavor, sauté thinly sliced shallot or onion along with the jackfruit. Cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown, adding more of the reserved sauce for extra flavor while cooking.

Step 8

Enjoy as is, on top of salads or nachos, or in enchiladas, burritos, or tacos! It would also be delicious alongside roasted vegetables or fresh or sautéed greens.

Step 9

Store marinated jackfruit up to 5 days in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer. If cooking from frozen, let thaw before cooking as instructed above.