Jackfruit adds moisture and a pull-apart texture to these incredible seitan-based vegan ribs. No one will believe they are fat-free!
I wish I had an interesting story behind this recipe, but the truth is, I saw a photo by Lacey, the blogger at Avocados and Ales, of seitan-jackfruit ribs in the very popular Facebook group “What Fat Vegans Eat” and just had to have some.
The texture looked so realistically “meaty” that almost as many of the group members were turned off by it as were tempted. You know vegans–we’re all different, and for every one disgusted by anything with the texture of meat there’s an equal number of us salivating over it. I have no problem with a meaty texture as long as no animal had to suffer for it, so I was immediately intrigued.
The idea of jackfruit-infused ribs stuck with me even though I had forgotten which group I’d seen the photo in. (Thanks, Lacey, for reminding me!) So I had to make up my own recipe, using my much-loved Barbecued Seitan Ribz as a base.
It took two attempts to get the texture just right, so my family has eaten a lot of barbecued ribs this week–and they are overjoyed! Homemade seitan is a rare treat in our house, and we devour even double batches of ribs as quickly as I can bake them.
Since adding jackfruit to my basic BBQ ribs recipe requires an additional cooking step, I saved a little time and bother by making them totally in the oven–no need to get out the grill. And because jackfruit adds so much tenderness, I was able to skip the nut butter, so there is no added fat in these ribs, yet they’re a little more filling than basic ribs.
Here’s how to make them:
Watch my quick video to see how easy they are to make.
Jacked-Up Vegan Ribs
Ingredients
- 10 ounces young green jackfruit packed in water or brine, (1 20-ounce can) rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten 150 grams
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked salt
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 3/4 cup barbecue sauce approximately
Instructions
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the rinsed jackfruit, 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, and 1/4 cup water. Lower heat, cover and simmer, stirring every few minutes and mashing jackfruit with a spatula or fork, until jackfruit is tender about 10 minutes. Remove cover and mash jackfruit, allowing water to evaporate. If any large or tough pieces of jackfruit remain, put them on a cutting board and chop with a knife. Allow the jackfruit to cool completely.
- Preheat oven to 375F. Oil a 8x8 or 9x9-inch Pyrex baking dish.
- Combine the vital wheat gluten and all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir well. Add the water, soy sauce, and cooled jackfruit. Stir or knead well until all ingredients are evenly distributed and all wheat gluten is absorbed. If there is not enough moisture, add one or two tablespoons of water, no more.
- Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Use a knife to loosen the seitan along the edges of the pan. Spread barbecue sauce evenly over the top and flip over in the pan. (It's easiest to do this if you divide the seitan in half first and flip one half at a time.) Coat the top with barbecue sauce and return to the oven. Bake for 15-20 more minutes, until ribs are firm and cooked in the middle but not hardening along the edges.
- Cut into 16 "ribs" and serve with additional barbecue sauce.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
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Happy Fourth of July to those who celebrate it!
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Sandra
Love the video!
Susan Voisin
Thank you, Sandra! I love making videos, but they are a whole lot of work!
JoAnn
Great video. They look delicious. Great timing with the 4th of July right around the corner. Likely, I have all the ingredients in my pantry!
Helyn
Oh man! I got so excited, then saw the VWG… can’t do it! I bet they’re delicious though! Thanks for sharing. :))
Bonnie
I clicked on the link for the Chaokoh jack fruit. Is that ONE can for $7.94?? If so I guess I need to make a trip to an Asian market since you think it should cost about $1.50.
Susan Voisin
Yes, the prices online are ridiculous! I just linked to it so that people can see what it looks like. I used a different brand in the video, so I wanted to make it clear which one I prefer.
Recently I saw jackfruit in a regular grocery store, so maybe eventually everyone will be able to get it locally.
Laurie
I come across this recipe and was thrilled when this recipe used jackfruit. I’m wanting to find out if theres a way fresh jackfruit can be used?? I avoid anything packaged for health reasons.
Susan Voisin
You could probably use fresh jackfruit if it’s still unripe, but once it’s had a chance to ripen, it would be too sweet–to my taste, at least.
Maria
Very cool, Susan! I loved the video and the composition of the ribs is ingenious! I will enjoy vicariously through your lovely photos, because so far seitan and I are not on good terms. But you make me more curious about jack fruit. Thank you! xo
cindy
I did some research on jackfruit and then did a cooking demo on it. My jackfruit 101 notes are here: http://www.veganaugusta.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Jackfruit-BBQ-101.pdf
Carlyn Kline
16 grams of sodium in one serving? I can only hope that is a misprint, as that would be about 9 days worth.
Susan Voisin
16 grams refers to the amount of sugar. I didn’t list the sodium because it varies so widely depending on the barbecue sauce you use.
Bryanna Grogan
Brilliant, Susan! Thanks for your perseverance! I’m going to try this very soon!
Cadry
Oh, this is really intriguing! I already love your ribs. Adding jackfruit to them is genius! I can’t wait to try it.
Danielle
Wow, these look great! Thanks for posting this. We’re traveling right now so I may have trouble finding jackfruit, but when I do THIS WILL BE THE FIRST THING I MAKE!!
I appreciate every one of your recipes and videos.
carrie
I am making these right now! I have been looking for a recipe that combined seitan with jackfruit. Yay! Can’t wait to “taste test!”
Susan Voisin
Please let me know what you think!
Jacqui
I found frozen young jackfruit. Will I do anything different in the preparation? The only canned I found was ripe in syrup.
Susan Voisin
I think if you thaw it, it should work the same, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you have to cook it longer to get it to soften. Canning pre-cooks it to some extent, so be prepared to add more sauce, water, and time to get it to flake apart.
Carlton Jackson
Can you make a gluten-free recipe or offer advise for experimentation? Your page is great and I have been using if for years.
Nina
I was thinking the same thing, Carlton! Was thinking that maybe mashed beans (or refried beans) might be a nice sub for the wheat gluten as a binder. Or maybe make something along the lines of a nutloaf (“meatloaf”) and put the jackfruit into that, maybe like this one. Not a clue if these will work because haven’t tried these yet. Will have to give it a go. 🙂
Ashley
Hi guys,
I made these this weekend for my families ribfest. Our cousin is vegan and i made sure she could be part of the fun. I couldn’t find any wheat gluten, so i experimented with a mix id rice bran flour and cassava flour. It turned out great! I think adding in the cassava flour really added to the texture and meat like flavor. Its a great gluten free alternative.
Joan
Would like to know the rice bran / cassava flour ratio.
Beth Baker
I made a gluten free version last night to take to a party. They turned out great! I actually used the recipe from the V-word for Chicken style V-meat. I used the spices from this recipe, instead of the ones listed in the v-chicken recipe. They turned out wonderful. I also under stand there is a wheat gluten replacer by Orgran, but I couldn’t find it. I am going to order some from Amazon to try.
Heidi
These sound great! Whatbrans or type of BBQ sauce do you rexommed? Or do you have a recipe that might work? Thanks! ☺
Susan Voisin
I look for natural brands of barbecue sauce at Whole Foods, ones that don’t have as much sugar. I just used up all the sauce I had in the house, or I would give you the brand name. Maybe it was Amy’s?
Sara Connor
I made these last night, and while they were ok, I think they would be better if you cut the amount of wheat gluten in half or double the amount of jackfruit.
Heidi
These sound great! What branda or type of BBQ sauce do you recommend? Or do you have a recipe that might work? Thanks! ☺
Jan Prebys
My mouth is watering!! Love your html!!
jan prebys
Bethery
Amazing – only 1.08 minutes to make them. :^D Still, they look easy enough.
Thanks for another innovative, great recipe.
Bethery
Lacey Siomos
Hey Susan, these look great!! I believe I’m the poster who had posted these in What Fat Vegans Eat a few weeks ago. Glad to see your adaptation to them!
Susan Voisin
I looked and looked for who to thank for the idea, so I’m glad you commented. Thanks for the inspiration! Your photo was mouthwatering!
Marina
Hey Lacey! Went to your site and couldn’t find your original recipe. https://avocadosandales.com/recipe-page/ Not sure if looking under American or searching for Ribs is the way to do it. Thanks!
Nancy
I don’t think we can buy jackfruit in our community. Can you suggest a substitute?
Rachel R.
For what it’s worth, I’ve used jackfruit and hearts of palm interchangeably in “crab” cakes before. Both shred and absorb flavor well.
Rachel R.
Made ’em tonight – fantastic! I’ve been a fan of your original ribz recipe for years, and the jackfruit does wonders for the texture and overall “meaty” experience. I think I’ll toss the leftovers on the grill this weekend and see if I can get a bit of a char…
Thanks, Susan!
Nancy
Thank you for posting this! I have one can of AROY-D left and I now know how I’m going to use it!
Shellie
I made this for dinner last night. Outstanding. The best vegan ribs we’ve had yet. Wish I could post a pic. 🙂
Shellie
Oops….posted this here by mistake. I was going to say I used the same brand, AROY-D. 🙂
Shellie
Can you delete this please. I’m sorry…..my cut and paste is all screwed up.
Shellie
I made this for dinner last night. Outstanding. The best vegan ribs we’ve had yet. Wish I could post a pic. 🙂
Susan Voisin
Me too! I would love to see them! I’m so happy you liked the recipe.
Debbie
These are absolutely the best, most delicious vegan ribs I’ve ever tasted and I can’t believe how quickly they went together. I use so many of ur recipes, but this one just leapfrogged up to the top. I can’t wait to take these to the cookout tomorrow where everyone else will be eating meat. The jackfruit adds such a meaty texture that they will be amazed. You outdid yourself this time. Many, many thanks!
Mary P
Hi! I’m making these today and don’t have smoked salt. Any suggestions to get a similar flavor? Or just go with regular salt?
Susan Voisin
You can use Liquid Smoke if you have it.
Maryp
How much would I use? Sorry, have never used either even though I do have the liq smoke on hand.
nfq
Take it easy with the liquid smoke a little goes a LONG way, you can ruin the dish if you add too much.
Susan Voisin
Just a teaspoon of LS should be enough–or a few drops, as someone mentioned in another comment.
Susan
how about using it for gluten free, any way to change it?
Nicola
Awesome recipe. Made it tonight and the family loved it.
Susan
can you tell how to make it a gluten free vegan rib? We are eating gluten free, but it looks great.
Susan Voisin
I haven’t tried to make gluten-free seitan, though I know that recipes exist. Do a google search for “gluten-free seitan” and see if there are any recipes that look like you could add jackfruit to them. I have to be honest–I have a hard time imagining a gluten-free version that won’t be like bread with strands of jackfruit in it. Or crumble apart. Gluten has a consistency that can’t be perfectly replaced.
Susan
Thank you I will try it looks great
Werner
Truth told, I have never had good luck with seitan. But these…well, these ribz are phenomenal! Easy, pantry ingredients, came together quickly without too much heat in the kitchen. I used a few drops of liquid smoke in place of the smoked salt, my jackfruit took awhile to soften, and had a little trouble with sticking while flipping the seitan. But good luck cutting them into 16 pieces without devouring half the pan! We all loved them, perfect texture. You hit this one out of the summertime ballpark, Susan!
Susan Voisin
I’m so glad you liked them! Yes, getting them out of the pan can be a challenge. I pre-loosened them before I shot the video. I wonder how a silicone pan would work.
shelly
I have recently appreciated parchment paper and it worked really well to keep anything from sticking to my pan. Easy cleanup too. Oh, and the “ribs” are great!
Werner
Great idea, Shelley. Thanks, will definitely try that next time. My family is still talking about these fabulous 4th of July ribz 🙂
Teri of NC
These turned out great! Even my carnivore husband and son liked them. I was amazed at how similar they turned out to ribs, only without all the grease. Thank you!!
Edith
Any substitute for smoked salt?
Susan Voisin
You can use a little Liquid Smoke or just leave it out. The smoked paprika adds some smokiness, but too much can make it bitter.
Tanya
Thanks, Susan! I made these for the 4th and had them on a bun. Finished them up for lunch today. I love how quickly, compared to other seitan recipes I’ve made, these come together. And that it’s enough for 4 servings as opposed to the ginormous amounts I’ve made before. Anyway, great recipe!!
Denise
Hi Susan:
This recipe looks awesome and I’m planning on making them tomorrow night. (Vegan pizza tonight! 😊)
I’ll make my own BBQ sauce – much easier to control the sodium.
I wanted to be sure to get the jackfruit you recommended (Chaokoh). Initially searched online and the prices were outrageous!
I checked out the local Indian grocery store and there I found the Chaokoh jackfruit in brine at $1.49 per can!!! 🎉👍🏼😊
I’ve always enjoyed your blog and recipes. As well, I loved your instructional video showing how to make these ‘Jacked up vegan ribs’!!
Thanks for all you do — it’s very much appreciated! 💕
Peace & Happiness,
Denise
Diane
I wish Denise could share her BBQ sauce! I have to watch sodium too and want to make these so much! 🙂
Susan Voisin
Diane, I have a couple of great BBQ sauce recipes. You might like this one on the ribs: https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/09/chipotle-barbecued-tofu.html
Edie
I made this but it took a long time in the oven to set up and then the middle was kind of soft. But I served only the outside pieces and, to my amazement, my guest liked it a lot and would consider having it again. I will try it again. Do they het up well the next day?
Susan Voisin
Sorry about the middle! It can be tricky getting the timing right, but I’ll bet you could cook the middle separately. They heat up great, just a few second in the microwave, if you use one.
MaryP
We made these on the 4th, and the flavor was very good, but mine came out rubbery, and was like having very fatty ribs. 🙁 I’m guessing I over mixed or under mixed. I tossed them in the food processor and crumbled them and now have a tasty sloppy joe like sandwich that is perfect. 🙂
What’s the secret to the texture?
Susan Voisin
I’m not sure. I barely knead mine at all, just a brief 30 seconds or so to distribute the jackfruit, so that could be the difference. But people can have different results with seitan, so it could be that you had a different brand of gluten or something.
Maryp
I may have mixed too long. Thank you! Still good as chopped ribs!
Gayle
I love these! I usually use jackfruit for “pulled pork”, so I was excited to use it with the seitan. These are so much better than plain seitan ribs. Left overs heat up great and I personally think they are better the next day. I’m making these again for a bbq tomorrow. Thank you!
Jan Prebys
Is that accurate? Only 10 oz for a 20 0z can?? I was going to bake a DOUBLE, but am dumbfounded that when drained, one gets only 10 oz!! I bought 14 oz cans and intended to use more, but would really appreciate more clarification….
I’m really looking forward to this!
Thank you.
jan
Susan Voisin
Jan, the cans I used indicated that they contained 10 ounces drained. I didn’t weigh them to find out if that was accurate. If you have a scale, you can weigh the contents of your can, drained, and see how it compares.
If you double the recipe, I suggest baking in 2 pans. I worry that it won’t get done in the middle if a double batch is cooked in one pan.
Nancy CB
I made these the other night and they were fantastic! When my husband got home from work , he said, “Those smell great!” When I pulled them out of the oven, he said, “Those look awesome!” When we sat down and ate them, he said “These are the best vegan ribs, ever! You can make these again.” (very high praise from him) 🙂
Thank you for the potato masher idea, it was brilliant! I didn’t have any smoked salt, so I used regular salt and several dashes of liquid smoke.
Time to hit the Asian grocery stores for more jackfruit.
Louise
Wow these are impressive!! They totally look like ribs and the recipe isn’t complicated. Thanks VERY much 🙂 Can’t wait to give them a go.
Lavonne F
I made the jacked up ribs for the fourth of July and they were amazing. Even my meat eating husband said they were “good”. Thanks for a fantastic recipe, can’t wait to make them again!