This Jackfruit Chili is slow-cooked in a crockpot to bring out all of its delicious flavors. Jackfruit takes the place of meat in this plant-based vegan chili. It’s the perfect cozy meal for cooler weather.
Chili is a staple for me once things get a bit chilly (do you like what I did there?). It’s so easy to make and can be really comforting too.
Comfort food is my life – if it’s yours too, check out my Cashew Mac & Cheese, Pumpkin Mac and Cheese and Vegetable Bean Casserole.
I usually just throw any veggies I have on hand into my chili and cook them up but this time around I wanted to try something different. I had some jackfruit on hand so I figured why not try a Jackfruit Chili in the slow cooker?
People use jackfruit in place of pulled pork so I thought it might work as a meat substitute in chili.
The Slow Cooker/Crockpot – My weekend Friend
Is it odd that I am just now embracing my slow cooker? For some reason crockpots used to make me nervous.
I thought I’d forget it was on and would burn right through the countertop. Needless to say that never happened.
I love waking up on a Sunday and making crockpot chili on a cold day. It’s ready by lunchtime (or dinner if I put it on in the afternoon).
The slow cooker really brings out the depth of flavor of all the veggies and leftovers are even tastier!
Jackfruit – the “Meaty” Fruit
“That jackfruit is so hot right now” said in the voice of Mugatu from Zoolander. Who else knows what I’m talking about…besides my sister? Jackfruit does seem all the rage with vegans so I wanted to give it a go too.
I first had jackfruit at Native Foods in Chicago when I visited there a few years ago. I was nervous to try it at first because it looked a lot like meat.
I’m so glad I did though because it was delicious. Side note, I also just realized I used “nervous” twice in this post, I guess I’m just a nervous type of gal (although not with hot spices or rollercoasters – bring that stuff on!).
When I use jackfruit I like to take out the harder parts and seeds out and just use the stringy part when I cook to keep it smooth but feel free to use if you like.
How to make Jackfruit Chili
- Add all ingredients to a crockpot
- Cook on high for 2.5-3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours
Vegan Jackfruit Chili
This jackfruit chili is perfect on its own but I’ve also had it over rice, pasta, and quinoa and it’s tasty that way too.
Other reasons I love my Jackfruit Chili:
- it’s hearty, spicy, and warming
- slow cooker/crockpot cooking is easy
- it’s perfect for football season
- cook once and have tasty leftovers for lunch the next day
- it’s really unique so you’ll impress family and friends with your cool jackfruit knowledge
If you make this Jackfruit Chili recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below.
Check out these up other cozy soup recipes:
- Roasted Tomato Chickpea Soup which is creamy and cozy for cooler evenings. One of my readers’ favorites.
- Vegan Colcannon Soup not just for St. Patrick’s Day! This tasty potato and kale soup is tasty any time of year!
- Creamy Vegetable Soup made in the Instant Pot for an easy meal.
- White Bean & Tomato Soup which is packed with flavor and makes for a healthy weeknight meal that’s ready in about 30 minutes
If you make this recipe and LOVE IT, please give it 5 stars ★★★★★!
📖 Recipe
Jackfruit Chili
Ingredients
- 20 oz jackfruit (in water or brine – not syrup)
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 red pepper chopped (about 1/2 a cup)
- 2 20oz cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 10 oz can tomatoes with chili peppers
- 4 oz diced green chili peppers (I used canned)
- 1 cup corn (preferably organic)
- 1 15.5 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- juice of one lime
- 1.5 TB garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 0.5-2 TB chili powder (depending on how spicy you like things)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 TB maple syrup
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Toppings (optional)
- vegan sour cream
- vegan cheese shreds
- scallions
Instructions
- Rinse and drain jackfruit. Pull apart a bit. If you’re not into the seeds you can discard them. Another option is to add the jackfruit to a food processor and process a few times until it resembles pulled pork.
- Add all ingredients to crockpot.
- Cook on high for 2.5-3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
What are some of your favorite cozy meals?
Mary Ellen Valverde MS, CNS, LDN is a Licensed Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Specialist who empowers vegans to feel confident creating sustainable habits that align with their values and health goals. She shares easy plant-powered food to nourish your body + satisfy your tastebuds. Mary Ellen’s recipes and nutrition info have been featured on Yahoo News, Parade, VegNews, LIVESTRONG, Dr. Axe, Greatist, LIVEKINDLY, Brit+Co, Well+Good, and more. She lives in NJ with her husband & two sweet shih tzus, Firenze & Sophie.
Adela says
Just finished putting in crockpot can’t wait to try!!!
Mary Ellen says
I hope you enjoy!
Benjamin says
I made this for the first time last night, and it turned out ok, but I deviated a bit from some of the ingredient proportions in order to use whole cans of stuff. I want to make it again, but would definitely need to make some tweaks before doing so.
1. The Native Forest organic jackfruit I got from Amazon came in 14 oz. cans, so I used 2 cans, but I probably could’ve used 3 because it didn’t seem like there was much in the mix! Also, I didn’t remove the seeds or “hard parts.” I’m not sure why that’s recommended since the seeds are edible and tender, and the hard parts really weren’t that hard. I crushed them up a bit by hand and once cooked, they had a decent, almost meaty texture.
2. The Simple Truth organic crushed tomatoes I used came in 28 oz. cans, so I put in 2 whole cans which made the mix too “tomato-y,” mostly just overly tart from the tomato acidity, so would definitely cut back next time. I might even go so far as to only use one 28 oz. can.
3. My wife isn’t crazy about the texture of whole beans so I blended the black beans into a paste. This helped make the base a bit more creamy, but even so I might have added another can of beans (or maybe not if using less crushed tomatoes).
4. For both the tomatoes with chili peppers, and the diced green chili peppers, I bought the “mild” variety, and only used 1 TB of chili powder, but even still, it turned out REALLY spicy. And I prefer things on the spicy side, so I know this was hot, and I had to warn my wife because she prefers stuff more mild. So the chili powder definitely needs to be taken down a few notches. Serving with some cheddar cheese and/or rice helps tame the spice a bit too.
5. Brown sugar!! To help counter the acidity, I added 4 heaping tablespoons of brown sugar to tame the tart. If I cut back on the tomatoes next time, I’ll still add brown sugar but probably not as much.
Overall, I like this recipe and look forward to making it again (with the tweaks). Thanks!
Mary Ellen says
Hi Benjamin! Thanks for your feedback. I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’ll make a note about the spiciness. 🙂