This deep-fried jackfruit is encased in a beer batter that’s super crispy and crunchy. Start with a can of jackfruit packed in brine, a good IPA and malt vinegar. Serve with slaw, dill-kissed mayo and fries!
The last time I deep fried something was waaaaay back in September 2017. Due to health issues that started around then, I slowly started cutting down on refined carbs, sugar, processed and fried food as a part of trying to figure out how to pinpoint and reduce pain. Did any of these things have something to do with what was causing it? Probably not, although if it was as simple and clear cut as that that, I’d be happy to give them all up for good.
Restricting my diet in this way gave me a sense of control and clarity, when I was feeling neither one in my body or my mind. While it served that purpose, it also killed this creative outlet, making coming up with ideas here seem like more of a chore than a source of joy.
The inspiration behind this deep-fried jackfruit recipe
As things are slowly getting better, I’m bringing some of that joy back with this deep-fried, refined carb dish—and dipping it into vegan mayo just because. Inspired by a fish and chips recipe by Chef Adam Evans I found in an old issue of Bon Appétit, I subbed jackfruit for the cod and loved the results.
See that juicy looking texture? I got that by simmering jackfruit in broth and Old Bay, then freezing, defrosting and pressing before dredging and beer battering. Similar to tofu, this technique transforms texture, maximizes flavor and is super easy to do.
Over this past year, I am so grateful for those whose paths I’ve been lucky enough to cross as they support and share what they know about yoga, mindful self-compassion and meditation. I’m not sure where I would be emotionally and physically right now without all of these things. I’ll be incorporating some of these new-to-me concepts in some way in this space as I discover them, as it’s something that I’m trying to embrace as much now as I’m reconnecting with food again here. Stay tuned.
Check out these fishless recipes for more vegan seafood inspiration!
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Deep-fried Jackfruit
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This deep-fried jackfruit is made with an IPA and malt-vinegar beer batter. It’s super flavorful and crispy! This is made with jackfruit packed in brine to resemble the texture of white fish. Serve with slaw, dill-kissed mayo and fries for a vegan seafood feast! Inspired by Chef Adam Evans’s Fish and Chips with Malt Vinegar Mayo recipe.
Ingredients
for the garlicky-dill mayo
- 1 cup vegan mayo
- 4 tsp coconut vinegar (apple cider vinegar or lemon juice would work too)
- 1 TB chopped fresh dill
- 2–3 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane grater
- few pinches of salt
for the jackfruit
- 2, 20-oz. cans of jackfruit, packed in brine
- 4 cups water
- 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
- 1 tsp Old Bay
for the batter
- 1 cup AP flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 6 oz. beer (lager or IPA)
- 1/2 cup fizzy water
- 1 TB malt vinegar
- 1/2 cup finely ground corn flour, combined with 1 tsp each of Old Bay and dried dill
- canola or grapeseed oil, for frying
to garnish and serve
- fries or slaw
- extra malt vinegar
- lemon wedges
- chopped fresh dill/parsley
- chopped green onion
- flaky salt
Instructions
to prepare the garlicky-dill mayo
- Combine all ingredients. Adjust to taste if needed, then comfort and refrigerate until ready to serve.
to prepare the jackfruit
- Drain the jackfruit, removing any seeds.
- Add the bouillon and Old Bay to a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once dissolved, add the jackfruit to the pan. Allow to return to a small boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes. Drain.
- Allow to cool, then transfer to a baking sheet in a single layer. Place into the freezer for a few hours.
- Remove the jackfruit from the freezer and allow to defrost on the sheet. Once defrosted and at room temp, place the jackfruit, single layer, in between towels (I used a large bath towel). Press down with your hands to allow most of the moisture out. The jackfruit doesn’t need to be bone dry.
to prepare the batter
- Combine the AP flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and pepper into a medium-sized bowl.
- In another bowl, combine the beer, fizzy water and malt vinegar.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry and combine, taking care not to overmix.
to fry the jackfruit
- Place several inches into a medium-sized cast-iron pot. Heat over medium-high heat for several minutes. Test the oil’s readiness by inserting a chopstick into the oil so it touches the bottom of the pan. If bubbles form around the chopstick immediately, you are ready to fry.
- Working in small batches, dredge the jackfruit into the seasoned corn flour mix, then transfer to the batter.
- Make sure each piece is covered evenly in the batter, then carefully transfer to the oil, taking care not to overcrowd the pot.
- Once golden brown all over, transfer the jackfruit to a large plate lined with paper towels and repeat the process with the remaining jackfruit.
- Serve immediately with fries, slaw, lemon wedges, mayo, malt vinegar and chopped fresh herbs.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Boiled, Simmered, Battered, Deep Fried
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: vegan seafood, jackfruit, deep-fried jackfruit, vegan fried fish
Kristi says
Has anyone tried baking these, either in the oven or in the air fryer! Although I LOVE fried foods, I don’t like frying them myself. I know, I know…
Spicerk says
This recipe is so yummy. My friend and I wasn’t expecting it to be this flavorful and the texture is amazing
★★★★★
Julia says
I was very Intimidated on purchasing a jackfruit, now I m glad I did. I started out by buying a very small piece, and it is WONDERFUL…..the flesh of this fruit is very nice, my problem now is conquering getting the flesh out.
Deb Zak says
There are a lot of food blogs on the internet, but yours is above most of them. You truly are a chef and I love when your recipes come to my email. Always assume this will be great. Thank you for sharing. CANNOT wait to try this recipe.
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Thanks for your kind words, Deb. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Laura says
Oh. My. Gosh. I made these on Sunday to eat with Game of Thrones and we could barely pay attention to the show! That’s how amazing these are. Several times, my boyfriend and I commented, “wow, these are so good!” They’re a little bit of work, and definitely an unhealthy indulgence but worth every bit. The texture from the freezing/thawing/deep-frying is other-wordly. Thank you for this 🙂
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Laura, I love your comment so much, thank you … so happy the technique worked out and that you enjoyed! 🙂
Rachel Rocket says
My husband and I made these tonight – so good! We eat a lot of jackfruit, but had never heard of this freezing/thawing technique. I dug it – definitely added a “meatier” texture – and suspect it’ll become my default way to prep the stuff. Thanks for the recommendation/recipe!
PS – There’s no garlic listed in the “garlicky” mayo ingredients. 🙂 (I threw some garlic powder in ours.)
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Rachel, So happy that you enjoyed the technique — thanks for your feedback! Ooops on the garlic — sorry about that and thanks for catching … I updated with 2-3 cloves garlic, finely grated. 🙂
Jennifer says
Whoa so many steps for the jackfruit! I mean it is pretty hands off, I am just forgetful about the whole freezing thing. But it does look worth it from the photos.
CindyMac says
So, I am living in Riyadh right now and keep seeing GIANT Jackfruit at the market right now. I am curious if you could use fresh jack fruit here following the same method. Much of the jackfruit here is green and users have to allow it to ripen on the counter before eating as a sweet/fresh fruit.
Any recipes for FRESH jackfruit?? xoxoxo
erinwyso says
Cindy, I’ve only been able to get my hands on canned jackfruit so can’t say for sure how to use it fresh. But I would be super curious about how the yellow fruit part would taste!
Kourtnie says
Cindy, the huge fresh jackfruit you are seeing is ripe and very sweet. It’s the flavor Wrigley’s uses for Juicyfruit gum. You want to cook savory dishes with green/unripe jackfruit usually found in brine in cans. If it’s in syrup it will be ripe and sweet. Also cutting a fresh jackfruit is quite a bit of a chore.