What Is Jackfruit?
Everything this tropical fruit has to offer — plus why it’s a superstar for plant-based cooking.
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By Alice K. Thompson for Food Network Kitchen
Alice is a contributing writer and editor at Food Network.
Jackfruit is big in more ways than one. Not only is it the largest edible fruit on the planet, it also has a number of tasty things to offer cooks. One of its hottest tricks is serving as a meat substitute in dishes like pulled pork sandwiches and tacos. Much of the world already loves jackfruit, but if you’re new to it we’ve got everything you need to know, from what it tastes like to how to cut one up to the best recipes for cooking with it.
What Is Jackfruit?
Jackfruit is the world’s largest tree fruit, and it can be eaten ripe for a sweet, floral-scented treat, or it can be cooked while unripe and starchy, and flavored with spices for a popular meat substitute.
Growing to weights of 40 pounds or more, jackfruit is native to parts of Asia, Africa and South America, and can be found in markets worldwide. The massive fruits are oblong and covered with thick, bumpy green skin. When green and unripe the ivory flesh is dense and neutral in flavor, perfect for absorbing the flavors around it. As the fruit cooks it softens and pulls apart in meaty shreds. The flesh of ripe jackfruit turns yellow, sweet and juicy with soft pods about the size of walnuts that can be plucked out.
Since buying an entire fruit that’s typically double the size of a watermelon may be daunting, the fruit is often sold in precut wedges, and also in cans packed in water and sometimes frozen. Many grocers also sell prepared, heat-and-eat products flavored to resemble everything from pulled pork to ground taco meat to chicken teriyaki.
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Jackfruit vs Durian
Jackfruit and durian are both tropical fruits that look similar at first glance but aren’t closely related and have different culinary uses. Both have thick green skin, but while jackfruit is bumpy, durians (pictured above) are downright spiky. And whereas jackfruits are famously massive at 20 pounds or more, a durian is typically a more manageable 2 to 6 pounds, similar to cantaloupes.
Both these fruits have yellowish flesh, but while jackfruit is dense and stringy, durian is soft and custardy. Jackfruit can also be eaten ripe or unripe, while durians are only enjoyed ripe for their rich, sweet and fragrant flesh. And, talk about fragrant: A very ripe durian can omit a skunky, lingering smell that’s made it banned in some public spaces in Southeast Asia. Jackfruit suffers no such funky reputation.
What Does Jackfruit Taste Like?
Jackfruit is neutral and starchy when green and unripe, making it perfect for taking on the flavors of foods around it during cooking. As it ripens it turns softer and yellow, becoming sweet, honeyed and mildly floral. The flavor of ripe jackfruit is sometimes compared to bananas, pineapples or pears. But if you’ve ever tried Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum you’re likely to find it kindred to jackfruit: mild and sweet, with a pleasantly fruity taste.
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How to Cut Jackfruit
While breaking down a whole jackfruit is straightforward, the fruit is known for its unwieldly size and thick skin; be prepared to use a little strength to cut and split it. If it’s your first time cutting one up yourself you may want to opt for a smaller one, or ask your fruit seller to half or quarter it for you first.
How to Cut Green (Unripe) Jackfruit
Step one: Prepare your workspace. Have a heavy knife and a cutting board ready, or if the fruit is very large you may want to lay it on newspapers on a work surface.
Step two: Oil your knife and hands. Rub a neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil very lightly over the knife blade and your hands (don’t use so much your hands might slip); jackfruit has a sticky sap that you don’t want pulling on the knife or your hands.
Step three: Cut into slices, then wedges and chunks. Trim off the stem end of the fruit. Cut the fruit into slices about 2 inches thick. Split each slice into 4 wedges, then trim out the central thick, white core. Cut off the green skin. Cut each wedge into chunks.
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How to Cut Yellow (Ripe) Jackfruit
Step one: Prepare your workspace. Have a heavy knife and a cutting board ready, or if the fruit is very large you may want to lay it on newspapers on a work surface.
Step two: Oil your knife and hands. Rub a neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil very lightly over the knife blade and your hands (don’t use so much your hands might slip); jackfruit has a sticky sap that you don’t want pulling on the knife or your hands.
Step three: Quarter lengthwise. Trim off the stem end of the fruit. Cut down through the skin, making a cut from tip to tip. Once the skin is split, use your knife to cut down again through the incision, this time splitting the fruit in half from stem to tip.
Step four: Remove core and fibers. Working with half the fruit at a time, cut out the tough white core in the center. Use a paring knife to help you pluck out the soft fleshy yellow pods of fruit. Remove the seeds and any white fibers.
How Do You Eat Jackfruit?
Ripe jackfruit can be enjoyed just about any way you would eat other tropical fruits. You can eat it raw with a fork, add it to fruit salad, top it with yogurt, spoon it over oatmeal or ice cream or add to a green salad. You can also cook the ripe fruit for a compote or sauce.
Unripe (green) jackfruit is neutral-tasting and is best when cooked to absorb the flavors around it. It can be used in curries and stir-fries, sautéed with Mexican-inspired spices for a taco filling, or simmered with barbecue flavors for a plant-based version of pulled pork or pulled chicken.
Where to Buy Jackfruit
Look for fresh jackfruit at groceries specializing in Asian ingredients or at supermarkets with extensive fruit options. You may not need to buy a whole jackfruit; it’s sometimes sold cut into wedges of several pounds. If you don’t see smaller portions be sure to ask.
You can also look for green (unripe) jackfruit in cans in supermarkets or online. It’s usually packed in brine and ready to use as a meat substitute. You can also find heat-and-eat seasoned products with barbecue flavor, teriyaki and more. It’s sometimes sold frozen either ripe or unripe.
Nutritional Value of Jackfruit
According to the USDA, 1 cup of sliced jackfruit contains 157 calories, 2.8 grams protein, 1 gram fat and 2.5 grams fiber.
Jackfruit contains significant amounts of several vitamins and nutrients, including vitamin C, B vitamins, folate and potassium. Although it’s higher in protein than most fruits, there is a caveat for those using it as a meat substitute: At just 3 grams per cup, it’s significantly lower in protein than things like tofu, beans and lentils. If getting enough protein is a concern for you, consider rounding a jackfruit meal out with a high-protein grain like quinoa, or adding another protein source.
One group who should avoid jackfruit are those with birch pollen or latex allergies. Although rare, people in the group have had allergic reactions to the fruit.
Jackfruit Recipes
Renee Comet
If you're new to cooking with this versatile fruit, canned green jackfruit is a great place to start. Here, it's sautéed with spices, then simmered with barbecue sauce until it becomes soft and shreds like pulled pork. Serving it in potato buns adds to the appeal.
Fragrant, layered rice biriyani is reimagined here with jackfruit in place of chicken or other meat. The versatile recipe can be made with either canned drained green jackfruit or with fresh. It gets lots of flavor from a fleet of spices plus cashews, raisins, mint and cilantro.
Cooking jackfruit with Mexican-inspired spices and loading it into tacos is one of the most popular ways to use this fruit as a meat alternative. Made with frozen jackfruit, these colorful tacos are super easy to pull together on a weeknight (or anytime).
Teri Lyn Fisher
These sweet, crunchy Filipino treats are stuffed with a combination of canned jackfruit in syrup and ripe plantains for lots of fruit flavor. Serve them hot out of the fryer by themselves or with coconut ice cream.
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