Jackfruit Chilli

Learn how to make this delicious chilli made using green jackfruit. A healthy, hearty one pan meal that's full of bold flavours, spicy and delicious. It's so good that it's perfect for vegans, vegetarians and even meat eaters.

Nothing beats a homemade chilli, in my humble opinion. There's something about homestyle cooking that is superior to what's in the supermarket.

I've been making my own homemade chilli for a few years now and it always goes down a treat with family and friends.

It's one of those meals that works for both meat eaters and non meat eaters because I like to use shredded jackfruit in my version.

Shredded jackfruit is a great alternative to soy(a) as not everyone cares for the taste nor do they always want that as there only pseudo meat option.

Jackfruit is meaty in texture but tasteless so the key is to season it very well.

I find it works really well in a sauce recipe that requires some form of simmering which makes it all the more fitting of this vegan chilli recipe.

Reasons to make this recipe

• Perfect for weeknights
• It makes a large enough quantity for up to 6 people
• You can freeze any leftovers and/or eat the rest for meal prep
• Most of the ingredients are pantry staples
• It's a must try go to meal to impress your non vegan family/friends
• It does require any soy(a) products
• It's a one pan dish which means less clean up

Ingredients you will need

• Olive oil - use for sauteing the base ingredients (onion, garlic and bell peppers) however, coconut oil works just fine.
• Onion/garlic/bell peppers - these are what I refer to as the "base ingredients" which form the foundation for the recipe.
• Spices - I used a medley of spices to yield a great balance of flavour. This included oregano, cumin, garlic/onion granules, cinnamon, chilli powder, black pepper, pink salt and smoked paprika.
• Coconut sugar - this helps to counterbalance the acidity and any tangyness from the chopped tomatoes.
• Black beans - you can cook them from their dried form in advance (that's what I did) or use 1-2 cans, just make sure it's in water and NOT brine.
• Tomatoes - I used a combination of canned chopped tomatoes and passata which is also known as tomato sauce.
• Vegetable broth - some people refer to it as stock, I like to use my homemade version of this.
• Green jackfruit - the star of the show! Green jackfruit is the savoury kind, it comes in some water. Drain it off and then shred and core the jackfruit ahead of time.

The steps

• Add olive oil to a preheated frying pan/skillet on medium heat.
• Saute the onion, garlic and bell peppers until soft and translucent.
• Add the jackfruit followed by the seasoning - smoked paprika, oregano, cumin, onion/garlic granules, cinnamon, chilli powder, black pepper, pink salt and coconut sugar.

• Continue to cook for a few minutes until the jackfruit yields a brown hue.
• Proceed to add the black beans then stir for a few minutes while folding it into the jackfruit mixture.
• Pour in the chopped tomatoes, passata/tomato sauce and vegetable stock into the frying pan.

• Bring the pan to a rolling boil then reduce the heat to medium-low.
• Simmer for 40-45 minutes with the lid on or until the chill thickens up.
• Once cooked, add black pepper and pink salt to taste and stir.

Notes and tips

• Any leftovers can be refrigerated (stored in an airtight container) for up to 3 days.
• This is a freezer friendly meal, can be frozen for up to 3 months.
• This is the recipe that you will need for my homemade Vegetable Broth.
• If you decide to use storebought broth, make sure it is gluten free and low sodium.
• The amount of pink salt that you will use, will be subjective to whether you use storebought or homemade broth.
• If you would like to make my meat version of chilli, see my Lamb Chilli Recipe.
• This chilli is quite spicy, so feel free to reduce the amount of chilli powder to suit your preference.
• This dish should serve up to 6 people.
• Don't forget to add any additional pink salt and black pepper to taste, do a taste test towards the end of cooking.
• Make sure you are using YOUNG/GREEN jackfruit not the sweetened version that is in syrup.
• Be sure to core and shred the jackfruit ahead of time.

More vegan recipes to try

• Jackfruit Stew (Brown Stew Jackfruit)
• Curry Jackfruit Run Down
• Curried jackfruit
• Vegan Rasta Pasta (With Coconut Milk)
• Vegan Cuban Black Beans (Frijoles Negros)
• Black Eyed Peas Curry (Stovetop or Instant Pot)
• Vegan Caribbean Plantain Curry
• Curry with Soya Chunks (Curry Veggie Chunks)
• Jamaican Stew Peas (Vegan, Gluten Free)

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