Hello, I am Anyka & I’ve been working with jackfruit for under a year. Recently, I have been using jackfruit often because I am following an allergen free diet right now (except I still eat some nuts) so I can’t eat soy, corn, sugar or gluten. I will discuss 3 ways how to prepare jackfruit & how to cook jackfruit by baking, air frying, and pan cooking the jackfruit.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Introduction to Jackfruit

So, what is Jackfruit? Jackfruit is a fruit and it grows and populates in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Brazil. Jackfruit can weigh up to or around 100 pounds, according to Better Homes & Gardens. When I was shopping around my local Asian market, there were cans of jackfruit (in syrup or green young jackfruit), small pieces of jackfruit wrapped in plastic, & the real big thing. Fortunately for us, we can buy jackfruit simply in a can. In this post we will be talking about how you cook jackfruit & how to prepare jackfruit. Cooking jackfruit may be difficult and/or a long process. If you prepare Jackfruit right, you will have an easy time cooking it. It also depends on how skilled you are in the kitchen.

How to Prepare Jackfruit

1. Grab a (1)colander, (2)clean reusable towel (or many sheets of paper towels), a (3)fork (or use your hands), a (4)clean bowl, a (5)food processor (if you do not want to do it by hand), and of course running water.
2. Make sure there are no dishes in the sink, and that if you have a drying rack clean that out too (makes it easier when cooking a meal).
3. In the sink, place colander and add the jackfruit to it. Wash the jackfruit for 30 seconds to rinse it.
4. Place the clean reusable towel on the table and place the jackfruit onto the middle of the towel. I saw this technique from Gaz Oakley, formally known as Avant Garde. In his video where he is cooking his “Unbelievable Vegan Steamed Buns“, (time 12:28) he placed the jackfruit in a towel to remove the access water from the jackfruit by squeezing it. Other food creators also use this technique for cucumbers to make tzatziki sauce, and more. Wrap the jackfruit with the towel to strain the water from the jackfruit, squeeze until no water is left to drip.
5. Now, you can either use your hands, fork, or food processor to shred the jackfruit. I personally use my hands because I think it is easier for me, and no other tool to clean. Some brands, their jackfruit is hard and I have to use the food processor or fork. When using a food processor make sure to pulse instead of letting it blend by pressing low or high speed. Pulsing the jackfruit is efficient and it creates more of a shredded chicken look. Be careful not to pulse to much, because we don’t want mushy jackfruit. Only Pulse it 2-3 times until it looks like the texture we want.

How do you cook Jackfruit

Perfect question. There are many different ways to cook jackfruit. My favorite types of cooking jackfruit must be (1) baking & (2) air frying it. I like cooking it on a pan, but it takes more of an effort to watch it every 5 minutes or so. When cooking on a pan, I like to dehydrate it by cooking it more than 20-30 minutes. Dehydrating it does not lose moisture or texture, it simply gives it more of a meaty texture. I know dry jackfruit is not appetizing but it can never be to dry for me, depending how you cook it.

Jackfruit raw has a sweet & bitter taste to it. The raw texture is more like chewy and very juicy and slimy/stringy.

How to prepare the jackfruit is more of a process than cooking jackfruit. When cooking jackfruit there is more of a waiting time & different ways, then a step-by-step process.

Air frying your jackfruit is something else I might add. I know many people don’t have an air fryer but its the best. I remember I failed making jackfruit Filipino adobo(by only pan cooking it) & so I didn’t post it on my blog because of its texture. Anyways, I put the jackfruit in the air fryer, and let me tell you… It was Heaven on earth. It was crunchy, still full of flavor, and decadent. I still want to revise the recipe.

Baking Jackfruit

1. Set the oven to the desired temperature. I recommend 375-410 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a big bowl, mix in the marinate/sauce and seasonings that are needed to make the specific flavor for the jackfruit.
3. Gather a baking pan, spray or spread the oil around the surface of the pan. Flatten the jackfruit on the pan as much as you can. Bake and half way flip it.

Air Frying Jackfruit

1. Gather your air fryer.
2. If you are like me living with non-vegans, I use foil but it is more eco-friendly to use a silicon sheet/reusable heat resistant sheet. I just reuse my foil until it is not good anymore. *you can totally clean foil, I do it!*
3. In the air fryer, put the foil or reusable sheet and spray or spread the oil around the foil to prevent sticking. The same as baking, flatten the jackfruit until there is no space to fill. Fry according to the directions for specific recipe. I prefer 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-10 minutes depending how much there is to cook and how compiled the jackfruit is bunched up together. There will be a little burning to some thin pieces.

Pan Cooking Jackfruit

1. Pan cooking involves a long process that you have to look out for. So more labor since you can’t leave it to burn.
2. I typically cook Jackfruit around 20-30 minutes. Every brand of jackfruit is the same so the less dry it is the faster it will cook, the more moisture to the jackfruit the more time to cook.
3. Turn on the fire to low to medium or medium heat because high heat will burn it faster instead of cooking it thoroughly.
4. Cook the jackfruit without a lid, so while it is cooking it will evaporate the moisture from it.
5. For a faster way to marinate jackfruit is to marinate it in the pan. If you have time you can marinate it for at least 1 hour or over night!

Overall Best Way to Cook Jackfruit

My personal favorite can vary at times. When I want something that is fast and gives me results that is meaty but still moist I like to do pan cooking. Sometimes it can be quick and and gives a nice char flavor as well. When I want to sit down and relax I like to bake jackfruit. Also, there are settings on the oven to either bake, broil, or to cook at high temperatures. When I air fry jackfruit it taste so meaty creating a nice crunchy texture on the outside and moist in the inside. So you choose depending on your situation. Air frying must be my favorite since it creates a unique texture that pan cooking or baking can not fulfill.

I have a few recipes of mine listed below that have jackfruit. Try them out!

So now we gone through how to prepare jackfruit and how to cook jackfruit. You are a pro!

I am still testing out varies types of jackfruit brands so I will update you guys on my Instagram with the new post updates!