Sweet Potato BBQ Jackfruit Sliders are a fun appetizer! BBQ “pulled” jackfruit on top of roasted sweet potato rounds make an awesome healthy vegan “slider” for your football festivities.
It’s been far too long since we’ve enjoyed us a sweet potato round! Back in the day, I was obsessed with making appetizers out of sliced and roasted sweet potatoes, to the extent that I apparently needed a break from them.
It all started with these Sweet Potato Rounds with Herbed Ricotta and Walnuts (which essentially broke the internet, you’re welcome!), moved to Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds with Guacamole and Bacon (<- perfect for game day), then metamorphosized into these Sweet Potato Rounds with Goat Cheese and Cranberries (<- marvelous for holiday gatherings).
WELL it’s high time we revisit the topic, and for this round (<- get it? Round?) I’m thinking BBQ! First off, it’s football season, secondly, a great BBQ sauce is near impossible to beat, and thirdly: sweet potato.
What is Jackfruit?
I made these sliders with canned jackfruit. If you aren’t familiar, jackfruit is a bulby plant that comes from a tree related to fig trees.
They look like thorny mangos, but when you open them up, there’s a whole ‘nother world of bulby tentacle-like fruit, which actually tastes more tangy and savory than fruit-like.
Mixing jackfruit up with barbecue sauce and cooking it on the stove top results in a mock pulled pork type of gettup.
If you aren’t vegan, you can make these sliders with pulled pork or chicken.
The concept of using the roasted sweet potato rounds in place of bread lends itself to a gluten-free, healthier approach to appetizer-ing.
Whenever I’m in a food situation that warrants BBQ sauce, I like making my own.
Historically, I’ve always gone with my Maple Bourbon BBQ Sauce (seriously addicting stuff), but if you have a favorite store-bought or homemade recipe in mind, go for it!
Appetizer game strong!
Sweet Potato BBQ Jackfruit Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large sweet potatoes sliced into rounds
- 2 14-ounce cans jackfruit
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 3/4 cup Barbecue Sauce
- 3 stalks green onion chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the sliced sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Use your hands to toss everything together so that the sweet potato slices are well-coated. Arrange the slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast 20 minutes, flip, then roast an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until golden-brown and cooked through.
- Drain the jackfruit and remove any hard bulby bits.
- Heat a medium-sized skillet to medium-high and add just enough oil to lightly coat the surface. Add the jackfruit and chili powder. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the barbecue sauce and bring mixture to a full boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally for 20 to 30 minutes (the longer it cooks, the more barbecue-y the flavor will be).
- Top the roasted sweet potato slices with bbq jackfruit, and top with easy cabbage slaw and chopped green onion.
Make the Cabbage Slaw:
- Place all ingredients for the slaw in a mixing bowl. Use your hands to massage the cabbage with the lemon juice vigorously for a couple of minutes, until juices begin seeping out of the cabbage - this process helps break down the fibers in the cabbage and allows it to soften so that it’s easier to chew. Taste slaw for flavor and add more lime juice or sea salt to taste.Â
I have yet to try jackfruit. These are gorgeous and have talked me into trying. Maybe fresh. Have seen the huge jackfruit in WF.
They look so pretty and delicious on the photos!! Will sure make them!
I’m planning a “mystery dish” party with “guess the ingredient” appetizers. I love the idea of serving these – but in phyllo cups which seem less likely to get spilled on the carpet! Do you imagine this filling would be good that way?
Sounds fun! I think that’s an excellent idea! Hope your guests enjoy! xo
hi, wondering if anyone has served these cold? were they still nice? thanks