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Vegan Corned Jackfruit for St. Patrick’s Day

March 8, 2023 By Sarah 20 Comments

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Try my vegan spin on the New England St. Patrick’s Day classic with some Vegan Corned Jackfruit!  

overhead shot of vegan corned jackfruit with gold forks, text overlay

This post was originally posted in 2016. // As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Vegan Corned Jackfruit for St. Patrick’s Day

Growing up in New England (I was born in Boston!), corned beef was a traditional dish served every year for St. Patrick’s Day.  This dish was made popular during wartime rationing, sometimes called a “boiled dinner.”  Traditionally beef is “corned” by soaking it in a brine with pepper corns, allspice, and juniper (can be found in the bulk dried spice bins at the grocery store), along with other spices, for up to TEN days.  My jackfruit version just brines overnight—so much faster, and without the beef! I serve it with roasted veggies, including my new favorite—roasted cabbage.  So yummy!

plate of vegan St. Patrick's Day dinner with skillet of vegan corned jackfruit in background

A Perfect Vegan St. Patrick’s Day Dish

I first made this corned jackfruit in 2015, and it was a huge hit with my family….and still is!  My vegan spin on the traditional holiday dish reminds me so much of the meal I grew up with.  Jackfruit takes the place of the traditional beef—it’s amazing how much flavor it can absorb.  Remember to plan ahead, as the jackfruit needs to marinate in the brine overnight.

brining spices for vegan corned jackfruit

What is Jackfruit?

Jackfruit it is a tropical fruit grown in southeast Asia.  Young jackfruit is canned in a brine, or water, and has a very neutral, mild taste (don’t confuse it with ripe jackfruit that is canned in a syrup and is very sweet—same fruit, different preparation!).  It is perfect to use in dishes instead of chicken or other shredded meats.  I also use it in my Taco Soup, and in my Jackfruit Carnitas Enchiladas.  Delicious!  Corned Jackfruit would also make an amazing Reuben sandwich!  

skillet of vegan corned jackfruit

preparation for vegan corned jackfruit by separating the pods from the jackfruit meat

^^^ Remove the pod like pieces shown on the left, you will have the shredded pieces remaining, shown on the right.

What do you serve with Vegan Corned Jackfruit?

I like to keep things pretty simple when I make my vegan corned jackfrfuit.  Just a sheet pan full of roasted veggies does the trick!  If you haven’t tried roasted cabbage I highly recommend it—roasting it gives it a completely different flavor!

roasted sheet pan veggies to serve with vegan corned jackfruit

Perfect Side Dishes for Vegan Corned Jackfruit

However, if you want to go a bit fancier than roasted veggies, these easy sides will help you pull together a complete meal!  They might not be traditional Irish food, but they’re delicious!

  • Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary
  • Green Beans with Garlic
  • Vegan Classic Mashed Potatoes — Dairy Free!
  • Easy Vegan Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
  • Vegan German Potato Salad with Bacon

two plates of vegan corned jackfruit with gold forks, white background

Want more GREEN dishes?

Sometimes a color themed meal is just as festive! 

  • Peppermint Patty Brownie Cupcakes
  • Classic Pesto
  • Citrus Explosion Green Smoothie
  • Green Beans with Garlic
  • Vegan Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo
  • How to Make Air Fried Broccoli (3 variations)

plate of vegan corned jackfruit with gold forks

Let’s Make Vegan Corned Jackfruit

Give this a try for your St. Patrick’s Day feast—you’re going to love it!  Drop me a note in the comments below and let me know how you like it!

fried dandelions

Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Vegan Corned Jackfruit for St. Patrick's Day

Try my vegan spin on the New England St. Patrick's Day classic with some vegan Corned Jackfruit! (vegan, soy free, gluten free, nut free)
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Brining1 d
Total Time1 d 1 hr
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Irish American
Author: Sarah De la Cruz

Ingredients

For the Brine:

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 Tablespoon kosher salt try 2 teaspoons of regular fine grain salt
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar or sub maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 8 whole allspice berries found dried in the bulk spice section
  • 12 whole juniper berries found dried in the bulk spice section
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

For the Jackfruit:

  • 2 20 ounce cans YOUNG jackfruit in brine, NOT ripe jackfruit in syrup, found in Asian markets or online
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika optional, for color and smokey flavor

For the Roasted Vegetables:

  • 1 head green cabbage
  • 6 large carrots
  • 2-3 pounds Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For the Brine:

  • Place all of the brine ingredients into a small pan on the stove. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat. While the brine sets, begin to work on the jackfruit.

For the Jackfruit:

  • Open and drain the cans of jackfruit. Using your fingers, shred the triangular shaped jackfruit into meaty shreds, discarding the harder point of each wedge as well as any pods.
  • Place the shreds into a container with a lid, and pour the brine overtop.  Allow to brine in the refrigerator overnight.
  • The next day drain the jackfruit.  Heat a skillet (I like my cast iron) and drizzle a little olive oil on it.  Add the jackfruit shreds.  Sprinkle with paprika and toss to incorporate. Heat through, allowing the shreds to brown and crisp very slightly.  Remove from pan and serve.  I like to serve my corned jackfruit with roasted vegetables, see below.

For the Roasted Vegetables:

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Slice the cabbage from top to stem into large discs, about 1/2" thick, discarding core.  Carefully lay them onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • Peel and slice carrots on the diagonal, about 1/4" thick.  Dice potatoes into 1" cubes.  Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Roast both pans of veggies for about 45 minutes, carefully flipping the cabbage discs half way through, and tossing the potatoes and carrots.
  • Serve with corned jackfruit.

Notes

* Cook time does not include the overnight brining step. Be sure to plan ahead!

From the Blog Archives, 2016….

Last Friday my mom and I took the boys on a little day trip.  We rode the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island—just a 30 minute ride, but probably the highlight of our trip for Jonathan—”a boat, a boat, a boat!”  Once there we drove to the Bloedel Reserve—a 150 acre estate that has been opened to the public to walk the gardens.  It was beautiful.  Apparently Mr. Bloedel was color blind, so instead of colorful flowers he had plants in varying shades of green.  Washington State is known as the Evergreen State, and the name is quite fitting—because of our seemingly continuous rainfall everything stays green year round, and these gardens were no exception.

children exploring the Bloedel Reserve in Bainbridge, Washington

^^^ So many beautiful shades of green—my favorite color!

close up of green clovers

 

 

 

Filed Under: Entree, Recipe Tagged With: corned beef, gluten free, Irish, jackfruit, nut free, soy-free, St. Patricks Day

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. bestsubstitutes says

    March 13, 2023 at 12:17 am

    This would be a great jackfruit recipe idea! I will have to try this! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Paige says

    March 5, 2020 at 9:07 am

    Can I just use the McCormick pickling spice blend or do you think it would be drastically different from yours?

    Also have your tried boiling the jackfruit like you would with actual corned beef?

    Really excited to try!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      March 5, 2020 at 1:56 pm

      I’ve never used the pickling blend, and am not sure what the ingredients are in that. Are they the same as a corned beef brine? I’ve not boiled jackfruit, as it is very delicate and I think it would disintegrate, or get really mushy. I don’t think it would hold up. If you didn’t want to do it in a skillet you could probably roast it on a parchment lined baking sheet in the oven. You’d want to be drying it out, not adding more water. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

      Reply
  3. Tess R. says

    February 16, 2020 at 9:08 am

    We love this jackfruit recipe and enjoy it on St. Patrick’s day as well as many other times throughout the year. Don’t skip the cabbage steaks, they’re delicious too.

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      February 17, 2020 at 10:49 am

      Thanks Tess! I’m so glad to hear that you love it! I agree—roasting cabbage takes it to a whole new level!

      Reply
  4. Jade says

    March 16, 2018 at 4:37 pm

    I couldn’t find juniper berries anywhere. Can I get away without?

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      March 17, 2018 at 1:53 pm

      I got them in the bulk section of my natural market. If you can’t find them you can skip. It will add flavor, but it’s not the end of the world!

      Reply
  5. Jen says

    March 6, 2018 at 9:13 am

    I actually cut a fresh jackfruit 2 days ago- it is fairly ripe and sweet. Do you think I could use this instead of canned for this recipe? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      March 6, 2018 at 9:39 am

      You need green jackfruit for this, or “unripe.” The ripe jackfruit is very sweet. My husband actually uses it for an ice cream topping! For this recipe (and other savory “meaty” recipes) you’ll want green jackfruit in water or brine!

      Reply
    • Karen says

      March 15, 2020 at 3:20 pm

      Jackfruit has been my jam I love making dishes with it. This corned beef is going be great making for family and clients fingers crossed this goes well with my stuffed cabbage and irish soda bread.. will let you know how it turns out on Tuesday.. thanks for the recipe

      Reply
      • Sarah says

        March 15, 2020 at 8:56 pm

        Oh awesome! I hope they all love it! I love the versatility of jackfruit!!! It can blend into anything!!!

        Reply
  6. Mel | avirtualvegan.com says

    February 26, 2017 at 10:20 pm

    This sounds great. I’ve only tried jackfruit once and that was a fresh one. I cooked it in the slow cooker and it ended up overcooked, too soft and almost slimy. It put me right off. I need to try it again but I can’t seem to find it in cans around these parts and the fresh ones aren’t available often.

    Reply
    • Meghan says

      March 6, 2017 at 7:43 pm

      Amazon is your friend!

      Reply
  7. Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says

    February 23, 2017 at 8:04 pm

    Brad has been really into jackfruit lately, so we’ll have to try your recipe. It’s amazing what you can make with it!

    Reply
  8. Melissa says

    February 22, 2017 at 9:36 pm

    Oh, this looks wonderful! Corned beef was always a must for me on St. Patty’s Day. I haven’t had it on sooo long! I love your veganized version, and I’m going to give it a shot. 🙂

    Reply
  9. Dianne's Vegan Kitchen says

    February 22, 2017 at 6:32 pm

    I’ve actually never had corned beef, despite being Irish. I’d love to give this a try!

    Reply
  10. Mary Ellen @ VNutrition says

    February 22, 2017 at 3:14 pm

    This is such a great idea! I haven’t had corned beef in almost 10 years (since going veg) so I’m totally going to have to try this!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Vegan St. Patrick's Day Recipes » Spec Of Gold says:
    March 9, 2018 at 12:50 pm

    […] by frieddandelions.com […]

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  2. 50+ Delicious gluten-free Irish Dishes :: vegan, low-carb, & paleo options! says:
    March 5, 2018 at 3:00 pm

    […] Corned Jackfruit vegan […]

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  3. Gluten Free Irish Recipes - Cricket’s Confections says:
    March 1, 2017 at 4:11 am

    […] Corned Jackfruit – Fried Dandelions Jackfruit is a new favorite of mine, I had only ever had it in BBQ sauce before, but this recipe is genius. Vegan or not it’s a fun way to spice up that corned beef routine. […]

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