This Curried Jackfruit Burger will make you a fan -- and a star at your dinner table. It's kid-friendly and everyone-friendly, and also free of gluten, soy, and nuts.
I have for you today a recipe for Curried Jackfruit Burgers that's going to make you fall in love. And I don't say that lightly.
The curried jackfruit that goes into these burgers is rich and flavorful and incredibly delicious, and once you make it, I know you'll be making it again and again. Better still, it is quite foolproof, so no matter where you fall on the scale of culinary expertise, you ain't gonna screw it up.
Jackfruit, as a fruit, is easy to love. Jackfruit, as a veggie, is a revelation. This tropical fruit, in its raw form, has always been a popular ingredient in Indian kitchens, but in recent years it has made its presence felt in western plant-based cuisine to rave reviews. With a texture that emulates shredded meat, jackfruit can be a great substitute in recipes that call for pork or chicken. And although it lacks protein, it makes up in oodles with its other nutritionally beneficial qualities. It's low in calories, is a good source of potassium, has healthy fiber, and even has cancer- and high-blood-pressure-fighting abilities.
All in all, whether you're vegan or not, it's a food you really should include in your diet.
When I use jackfruit, I usually roast it first and then shred it. The roasting gives you a chance to build flavor into your jackfruit before you add it to whatever it is you're making, and it improves the texture too, especially if you're using it as a meat substitute. In fact, I have to warn you here that when you roast up the jackfruit for this dish, with a dash of salt and pepper and oil, you'll want to eat it straight off the baking sheet before you even add it to your curry. So exercise caution. Or roast up twice as much! 😉
This is the easiest jackfruit recipe I've created and it's one for any diet. There's no soy here, nor any nuts, and gluten-free eaters can use gluten-free buns or bread. And all you need, in addition to the jackfruit, are a handful of ingredients, along with any toppings you want for your burger or sandwich.
Seven ingredients for Curried Jackfruit Burgers:
- Jackfruit, I can only find this in cans here, so that's what I use.
- Onions
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Tomato paste
- Garam masala
- Vegetable oil
You need burger buns, of course, use whole wheat or gluten-free, or you can put this curried jackfruit inside a wrap. Toppings I love with this burger are slices of avocado and kimchi. Both provide a nice flavor and texture contrast to the jackfruit.
How to make and assemble Curried Jackfruit Burgers:
Making the curried jackfruit itself couldn't be easier. You need to roast the pieces of jackfruit after tossing them with salt, pepper and oil until they are golden-brown and crispy along the edges. Shred them after. Saute the onions, ginger, garlic and tomato paste, add the garam masala and jackfruit, warm through, and you're done.
To assemble the burgers, slather some vegan mayo on the buns, layer on the curried jackfruit followed by avocados and then kimchi (or cole slaw works just fine).
If you're not used to jackfruit, this is a great recipe to start with. Jackfruit is easily available at almost all supermarkets these days, in tinned or canned form, and I usually buy it at Trader Joe's. Be sure to drain and rinse your jackfruit before using, because it's usually packed in brine.
This is definitely a kid-friendly recipe, and one they'll love. Jay loves jackfruit and he especially loves these burgers. If you have a little one around, try it on him or her and come back and tell me all about it.
Now go, have a great weekend. But the recipe first.
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More delicious recipes from the archives:
- Jackfruit "Lamb" Tagine
- Whole Wheat Burger Buns
- Vegan Beet Burger with Chipotle Cashew Hummus
- Black Bean and Black Rice Burger
- Spicy Vegan Black Bean Burgers
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Curried Jackfruit Burger Recipe:

Curried Jackfruit Burger
Equipment
- Baking sheet and a skillet or wok
Ingredients
- 20 oz green jackfruit (canned)
- 1 medium onion (thinly sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (use a heaping tbsp)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (divided)
Additional ingredients:
- 3 burger buns (use whole wheat, regular or gluten-free or whatever your preference is)
- ½ avocado
- 3-4 tablespoon kimchi (cole slaw works too)
Instructions
- Crush the ginger and garlic into a paste using a mortar and pestle or mince them or grate them really fine. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Drain and rinse the jackfruit and pat dry. Toss with half the vegetable oil, salt and ground black pepper to taste. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast until golden and crispy at the edges, about 30 minutes. When cool enough to handle, use your fingers or a fork to shred the jackfruit.
- In a skillet or wok, heat the remaining oil. Add the onions along with a pinch of ground black pepper and salt and saute until the onion turns soft and begins to brown.
- Add the ginger and garlic and saute a minute longer, then add the tomato paste and saute a couple minutes, using your spatula to loosen up the tomato paste. Add the jackfruit and garam masala
- Stir to mix everything, then continue to cook 2-3 minutes longer until everything's well mixed. Check for salt and add more if needed.
Gomathi
Of I’m using fresh jackfruit how do I do this? Do I use the fruit or the fibrous white part?
Vaishali
Use the fruit.
hrins
Hi! I'm a longtime reader of your blog - love the vegan recipes! Just wanted to say that I live in the DC area and they are selling fresh jackfruit in Whole Foods. I got some the other day and they were really good. Going to do that again and try your recipe.
Vaishali
Hi there, Thanks for the tip! I did see fresh jackfruit the last time I was at Whole Foods -- amazing, except the sticker shock. 🙂 If you live around an H Mart -- there's one in Wheaton -- they usually carry fresh jackfruit too.
hrins
Thanks! I will check H Mart out too. Yeah, I took the smallest cut of jackfruit at Whole Foods 😀
Pam
Made this on the weekend as a treat for my husband on Father's Day. We loved it -- next time I'm going to double the recipe. Thanks for a wonderful treat.
Daniele
Hi Vaishali, can't wait to try these burgers, thanks for this recipe. How much tomato paste do you use? Best.
Vaishali
Oh, so silly of me -- I totally misunderstood the previous commenter's question. It's one heaping tbsp! Added now. Thanks. 🙂
Daniele
Thank you!
Janet
Hi, Your recipe is not complete, it's missing the tomato paste.
Vaishali
Hi Janet, it's there -- in step 5!
Vaishali
Sorry, realized it's missing from the ingredients, not instructions. 🙂 It's one heaping tbsp!