Easy Jackfruit "Chicken" Quinoa Bowls
This jackfruit "chicken" recipe features young green jackfruit cooked in a rich and buttery cashew butter sauce. It's seasoned with cumin and smoked paprika and served alongside sautéed spinach and quinoa.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 2 tbsp cashew butter
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
Jackfruit
- 2 20-ounce cans young green jackfruit
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4-5 cremini mushrooms sliced
- salt, pepper to taste
Bowls
- 1 cup quinoa or brown rice
- 2 cups salted water
- 4 cups sautéed greens like spinach kale, etc (optional)
Instructions
- Make the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the almond butter, cashew butter, soy sauce, maple syrup, and sesame oil. Add the ground cumin and smoked paprika and stir until fully combined. Set aside.
- Cook the quinoa. Add the dry quinoa and water to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until almost no water remains and the quinoa is tender. Drain any excess water and cover the saucepan with a lid to keep it warm. Note: while the quinoa is cooking, prepare the jackfruit.
- Prepare the jackfruit. Rinse and drain the jackfruit. Cut off the hard core part and discard. Using your hands, slightly shred the jackfruit into small pieces. You can even use a fork to slightly mash it and give it a meatier texture.
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced onion and garlic. Cook for 3-5 minutes until onions are soft and start to caramelize – this is important to add flavor.
- Add the mushrooms. Next, add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the jackfruit. Add the shredded jackfruit and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the skillet. If needed, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to prevent sticking. Then, pour in the almond and cashew butter sauce and toss to coat. Continue to cook for one more minute. Remove from the heat.
- Assemble the bowls. Divide the quinoa into 3 serving bowls, top with the jackfruit “chicken” and a squeeze of lemon juice. You can also serve it with your favorite greens like spinach, kale, chard, or arugula on the side.
- You can store the cooked jackfruit for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
Trim the jackfruit.
No one likes hard-to-chew pieces of jackfruit, so do not forget to trim away the firm parts of your jackfruit chunks. These are typically found near the spiky corner of the chunks.Double the sauce!
This recipe makes enough sauce to coat the jackfruit chunks, but it doesn't result in a super saucy consistency. If you prefer a very saucy dish, double the sauce!Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 447 kcal | Carbohydrates: 60.6 g | Protein: 16.6 g | Fat: 16.5 g | Fiber: 16.4 g | Sugar: 4.1 g