Smoky Jackfruit Chilli (Vegan + Gluten-Free)

This vegan jackfruit chilli offers up a speedy plant-based twist on the classic slow-cooked meal. Combining tender jackfruit chunks with tomatoes, beans, and delicious smoky flavours, it's a healthy and hearty dinner option that's also gluten-free.

Is jackfruit a good meat replacement?

Jackfruit is a large tropical fruit with a stringy, almost meat-like consistency that lends itself well to dishes such as this chilli. When young, it has a neutral taste that takes on the other flavours that you add to it.

If you're new to the world of jackfruit and want some more culinary ideas, take a look at my recipes for creamy jackfruit curry and jackfruit and black bean tacos.

How to make food taste smoky

This recipe uses a couple of ingredients to get a nice smoky flavour in the final dish:

• Smoked paprika imparts a rich smokiness along with a little extra heat.
• Liquid smoke gives a deep, intense smoky flavour. A little goes a long way, so start small and add more to suit your taste.

You could also replace the fresh chillies with dried chipotle peppers or chipotle powder.

What you'll need

The ingredients in this smoky jackfruit chilli include:

• Jackfruit to provide a meaty texture
• Mixed beans for some healthy plant-based protein
• Smoked paprika and liquid smoke to provide a rich, intense depth of flavour
• Cumin and oregano for that classic chilli taste

Which beans should I use?

It's entirely up to you which beans you use. I went for one tin of kidney beans – a popular choice when it comes to chilli – and one tin of pinto beans. Other options include black beans, white beans, borlotti beans, or other pulses such as chickpeas or lentils.

You could also use dried beans, which you'll want to soak and/or cook in advance before continuing with this recipe. To learn more, check out my Beginner's Guide to Pulses.

How to make smoky jackfruit chilli

Heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add the onion and green pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally (1). Once the onion and pepper have started to soften, add the garlic and chilli. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes (2).

After a couple of minutes, add the jackfruit pieces (3), cumin, smoked paprika, and tomato puree. Stir well for a couple of minutes, using a wooden spoon or potato masher to break apart some of the jackfruit (4).

Next, add the tinned tomatoes and break these apart with a spoon. Add a little water to each empty tomato can and swirl around before adding to the pan (5).

Once the tomatoes have been broken apart, add the drained beans, yeast extract (or tamari/soy sauce), dried oregano, bay leaves, liquid smoke, vegan stock (or water), salt, and pepper (6).

Mix well, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook on a low/medium heat for 20 minutes. You can either cover with a lid, or cook without a lid and add a little extra stock or water during cooking.

After 20 minutes, chop the coriander stems and stir these into the chilli. Simmer for another few minutes.

At this stage, you have the option to break the jackfruit pieces apart more with a spoon. Alternatively, you could use two forks to shred some of the pieces, or use a potato masher to mash the chilli (which will also help to thicken it).

Adjust the seasoning, adding extra liquid smoke if necessary, and serve.

Serving suggestions

This chilli is great with boiled rice, fresh coriander, and fresh sliced chillies. Other suggestions for toppings include vegan sour cream or crème fraiche, a squeeze of lime juice, sliced spring onions, homemade guacamole, crushed tortilla chips, easy pico de gallo, and grated vegan cheese.

If you don't want rice, you could try it with:

• Cajun-spiced potato wedges
• Baked potatoes
• Creamy vegan mashed potatoes
• Tacos
• Burritos
• Vegan rainbow slaw
• Nachos
• Roasted cauliflower

Variations and tips for jackfruit chilli

• Liquid smoke: If you don't have this, try adding a little more smoked paprika or simply leave it out.
• Add more veg: Include chopped celery and carrot at the start for a more flavourful base. Add peppers, mushrooms, courgette, kale, aubergine, or anything else you fancy (or want to use up).
• Other legumes: You can use any beans you like, or other legumes such as chickpeas or lentils.
• Dried beans: If using dried beans, these will need to be soaked and/or cooked in advance, with times varying depending on the type.
• Chilli powder: If you don't have fresh chillies, you can swap these out for approx. one tablespoon of chilli powder (the heat and flavour will vary depending on the powder).

Hey you – let me know what you think

If you made this recipe and enjoyed it – or did anything differently – I'd love to hear from you down below in the comments 👇

You can also find me and let me know on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook @thepeskyvegan 🌿

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You can also check out my full list of vegan mains.