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This Vietnamese-inspired braised jackfruit dish features juicy chunks of jackfruit simmered in a sweet-and-salty black pepper sauce. A hearty dish that’s packed with flavor and ready in just 30 minutes. Serve it with steamed rice, noodles, or quinoa!
If you have seen those cans of young green jackfruit at the store and thought, “What on earth can I do with this?”, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!
This recipe draws inspiration from a dish called “mít non kho”, which I first discovered during my very first trip to Vietnam. Back then, I was volunteering at a pagoda near Vũng Tàu, a city in the south. One day, I got served this intriguing dish that, at first glance, looked like big chunks of braised beef. But surprise…it was jackfruit! It was unbelievably tender and juicy, and served in a sweet-and-salty black pepper sauce. Hands down one of the best jackfruit dishes I’ve ever had!
A few years later, my wife, Vân, taught me how to recreate it at home. Not only is it super easy, but it tastes exactly like the one I remember eating a few years ago. Bonus point: you don’t even have to shred the jackfruit!
❤️ Why It’s Worth Making
- Jackfruit like you’ve never tried. You may have used jackfruit to make jackfruit dumplings or tacos before, but have you ever simmered it in a clay pot? As it simmers, the chunks of jackfruit absorb the sauce, becoming soft and juicy and turning surprisingly meaty!
- Tweaked to be accessible to everyone. The original recipe calls for fresh young jackfruit, which Vietnamese people can typically buy at a local farmer’s market. The thing is, it’s impossible to find it outside Asia. So, instead, this recipe relies on canned jackfruit, which you can get at any well-stocked Asian supermarket. And although it doesn’t yield the exact same texture, it’s a pretty good alternative!
- Made in one pot. One clay pot is all you need to make this stew, although it also works with a regular saucepan or a Dutch oven if that’s all you have.
📘 What Is Jackfruit
Grown mainly in tropical regions of Asian, such as Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, jackfruit is a massive fruit roughly the size of a watermelon. Its thick, yellow-green skin is covered with small bumps, giving it a slightly spikey appearance.
Jackfruit can be eaten either ripe or unripe. The unripe fruit has a firm, fibrous texture reminiscent of pulled pork, and a neutral flavor, making it perfect for savory dishes. Once ripe, the fruit turns yellow and becomes very sweet.
🧄 Grab These Ingredients
To make this braised jackfruit, you will need just one pot and these 9 ingredients:
Young green jackfruit
The main ingredient here is unripe green jackfruit. Unlike the ripe yellow kind, green jackfruit is not sweet and has a light beige color. It’s also naturally fibrous, giving it a meaty texture.
Where to buy: You can get green jackfruit online or buy it in most Asian stores, as well as some grocery stores. It’s typically sold canned in brine.
Sugar
Like most Vietnamese dishes, sugar is a key seasoning ingredient, along with salt and pepper. Since you will need to caramelize the sugar, I highly recommend using granulated white sugar. Coconut sugar would burn and yield a bitter flavor.
Why caramelize the sugar? Simply because it will bring a deeper flavor and a more appetizing color to the sauce!
Garlic and shallot
No shallot? Feel free to replace it with half of a medium onion.
Soy sauce
You can use regular soy sauce or coconut aminos for a gluten-free option. For a more authentic flavor, try using vegan fish sauce in place of soy sauce in the same amount.
Sweet chili sauce
Optional, for some heat.
Recommendations: I recommend Vietnamese brands like Cholimex or Chin-Su, which you can find online or in well-stocked Asian supermarkets. Otherwise, feel free to use homemade sweet chili sauce!
Black pepper
Preferably, freshly ground black pepper for a better flavor.
Green onions
For the topping, green onions add freshness and a pop of color!
🥣 How to Make It
Clay Pot or Saucepan?
Both work! The advantage of using a clay pot is that it keeps the jackfruit hot longer and enhances the flavor of the dish, adding a subtle earthiness and deeper notes. Another benefit of using a clay pot (if glazed) is that it’s almost non-stick, preventing the aromatics from sticking to the bottom.
While I like using a clay pot for cooking this dish, a regular saucepan with a lid will work just as well.
Refined Sugar-Free Option.
If you want to make this recipe refined sugar-free, skip the caramel step. Instead, sauté the garlic and shallot in a teaspoon of oil, then add a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup when adding the rest of the liquid ingredients.
Make It Extra Spicy.
Love things spicy? Chop half of a Bird’s eye chili and add it to the pot along with the jackfruit before simmering.
- Make the caramel. First, you will need to make a caramel. To do so, heat the sugar and water for 4-5 minutes, or until the sugar starts to turn golden brown. Be careful not to burn the caramel!
- Add the aromatics. Once the sugar has caramelized, add the minced shallots and garlic, and sauté for about 2 minutes.
- Deglaze. Next, deglaze the pot with water and add the soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, ground black pepper, and jackfruit chunks.
- Let simmer. Finally, cover with the lid and let simmer for about 20 minutes. This will allow the jackfruit to soak up some of the sauce and become super juicy!
🍚 What to Serve It With
This braised jackfruit is delicious served over white rice, but can also be served with noodles, quinoa, couscous, or even cauliflower rice! For a lighter option, serve it with sautéed greens like pak choi, spinach, or broccoli!
❄️ Storing and Reheating
- To store: You can keep this stew in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To freeze: Once completely cool, transfer the leftovers to a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- To reheat: Reheat gently in a saucepan or clay pot over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. If the jackfruit has absorbed too much of the sauce, feel free to add a splash of water to make it saucy again.
💬 FAQ
If you have access to it, then definitely, yes! You will want to use about 9 ounces (255 grams) of jackfruit. Ensure that the jackfruit you are using has been fully cooked (boiled) before. Generally, the unripe jackfruit that you can find in local Asian markets has already been boiled.
Whether you are new to cooking with jackfruit or not, this recipe is a must-try! It yields incredibly tender and juicy jackfruit that is perfectly sweet/salty/spicy! A delicious plant-based side dish!
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Braised Jackfruit
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp (37 g) sugar
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) water
- 1 medium shallot minced
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) water
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) soy sauce (or vegan fish sauce)
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp (22 ml) sweet chili sauce (optional)
- 1/2 tsp (2 ml) dark soy sauce (optional, for color)
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 19-ounce can (540g-can) young green jackfruit drained and rinsed
- 3 tbsp chopped green onions
Instructions
- Make the caramel. Add the sugar and water to a medium-sized clay pot or saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar starts to bubble. Keep heating without stirring until the sugar caramelizes and turns golden brown.
- Add the aromatics. As soon as the sugar turns golden brown, add the minced shallot and garlic, and cook for two more minutes. Pour in the water and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the caramel has melted.
- Deglaze. Next, add the water, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce and dark soy sauce (if using), and ground black pepper. Add the jackfruit chunks (the whole jackfruit pieces) as well.
- Let simmer. Cover the pot with the lid and let it simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
- Before serving, top with chopped green onions! Serve over white rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice!
- You can keep this stew in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Clay Pot vs. Saucepan.
You can use either of them. The advantage of using a clay pot is that it keeps the jackfruit hot longer and enhances the flavor of the dish, adding a subtle earthiness and deeper notes. Another benefit of using a clay pot (if glazed) is that it’s almost non-stick, preventing the aromatics from sticking to the bottom. While I like using a clay pot for cooking this dish, a regular saucepan with a lid will work just as well.Refined Sugar-Free Option.
If you want to make this recipe refined sugar-free, skip the caramel step. Instead, sauté the garlic and shallot in a teaspoon of oil, then add a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup when adding the rest of the liquid ingredients.Make It Extra Spicy.
Love things spicy? Chop half of a Bird’s eye chili and add it to the pot along with the jackfruit before simmering.Note: This recipe was first released in May 2022 and updated with new process shots and detailed instructions in November 2025. You can see the older photos below.
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
Leave a Comment
Made it today and it was a hit! Definitely saving this recipe.
The recipe was very delicious!! Also where did you get your clay cooking pot?!
Thanks Ridge!
Oh I got it at my local Asian store 🙂
Reading my post,I realize I said woundered and not WONDERED,Sorry!:Excuse-dyslexia or that this is a German keybord,or both!!!
Always woundered what I could do with Jackfruit,and now I know…Thankyou.I shall start working my way through ALL your ideas.Stay safe…….Alexandria
Thanks Alexandria! 😉