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.
This is a great one to batch-cook and keep in the fridge for lunches or dinners throughout the week. Simply serve with boiled rice and fresh coriander, or add any of your other favourite chilli toppings.
To make it a one-pot meal, try adding sweet potato cubes and cooking for slightly longer until soft. You can also check out my recipe for sweet potato and black bean chilli.
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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. Once the onion and pepper have started to soften, add the garlic and chilli. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes.
After a couple of minutes, add the jackfruit pieces, 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.
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.
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.
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
Recipe FAQ
Jackfruit is often available in international supermarkets, smaller specialist shops, and of course online. I've also started to come across it in several of the larger supermarket stores here in the UK. Check in the sections where you'd find other tinned items.
You'll want a variety that's labelled as 'young' or 'green' and comes in water (or brine) as opposed to syrup. If buying in a UK supermarket, it's likely to be the 'young' or 'green' version even if the label doesn't state this.
Liquid smoke is often available in specialist food shops, some larger supermarkets, and online.
If you need to ensure that this recipe is 100% gluten-free, use a vegan stock and yeast extract (or tamari/soy sauce) that are certified or labelled as such. You'll want to make sure that any additional toppings or sides are also gluten-free.
Refrigerate for up to four days, before reheating in the microwave or in a pan with a splash of water.
Store this chilli in the freezer in sealed containers or resealable bags for up to six months. Defrost before reheating in the microwave or in a pan with a splash of water.
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).
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More vegan recipe ideas
If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:
- Creamy Jackfruit Curry with Coconut and Lime
- Jackfruit and Black Bean Tacos
- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chilli
- Easy Vegan Chilli
- Lemony Butter Bean Stew
- Vegan Sausage Casserole
- Spicy Tofu Jalfrezi
- Easy Vegan Chana Masala
You can also check out my full list of vegan mains.
Smoky Jackfruit Chilli (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 green peppers, deseeded and diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2-3 fresh chillies, finely sliced (or 1 tablespoon chilli powder)
- 2x 14 oz (400 g) tins young jackfruit, drained and each piece roughly chopped a couple of times
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree
- 3x 14 oz (400 g) tins plum tomatoes
- 2x 14 oz (400 g) tins mixed beans of your choice, drained (I used kidney beans and pinto beans)
- 1 tablespoon GF yeast extract (or 2-3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano or mixed herbs
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke (plus more to taste – optional)
- 1 cup (240 ml) vegan stock (or water)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Small bunch fresh coriander (stems and leaves)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add the onion and green pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the onion and pepper have started to soften, add the garlic and chilli. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes.
- After a couple of minutes, add the jackfruit pieces, 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.
- 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.
- 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. 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 with rice and fresh coriander (see post above for more serving suggestions).
Notes
- Creamy Jackfruit Curry with Coconut and Lime
- Jackfruit and Black Bean Tacos
- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chilli
- Easy Vegan Chilli
- Lemony Butter Bean Stew
- Vegan Sausage Casserole
- Spicy Tofu Jalfrezi
- Easy Vegan Chana Masala
Nutrition
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Very yummy!!! 😋😋😋
This was certainly not the last time I made this. Next time maybe with sweet potatoes
Glad you enjoyed, thanks very much for the review!