There are days when all I want is a dish that feels comforting yet playful — something soft, saucy, a little messy, and full of big flavours. These Vegan Pulled Jackfruit Bao buns are exactly that. Think of them as the best of both worlds: pillowy Asian-style steamed bao filled with smoky, gently spiced, pull-apart jackfruit that tastes unbelievably close to slow-cooked meat… except it’s completely plant-based.
As someone who loves exploring global flavours through a vegetarian and vegan lens, this recipe brings me so much joy. It’s the kind of dish that turns into a conversation starter at the table — especially when you reveal that the “pulled meat” is actually young green jackfruit simmered in a sticky, aromatic sauce. The bao buns soak up the flavours beautifully, making each bite soft, juicy, and deeply satisfying.
I based my bao bun dough on an excellent recipe by Seonkyoung Longest, whose Soft & Fluffy Bao Buns guide has helped countless home bakers achieve that perfect, cloud-like texture. seonkyounglongest.com
Her method of combining warm milk, water, yeast and sugar, and then, carefully forming a dough — makes the bao surprisingly simple and reliable. She also shares helpful tips for proofing and steaming to get them soft but stable.
Adapting her recipe has given my vegan pulled jackfruit bao the pillowy base it deserves — big thanks to her for the inspiration.
Whether you’re planning a cosy weekend meal, looking for a crowd-pleasing vegan appetiser, or experimenting with Asian street-food flavours, these bao are guaranteed to win hearts. And once you try homemade pulled jackfruit, you’ll wonder why you didn’t cook with it sooner.
Vegan Pulled jackfruit bao
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Combine warm water, warm milk, two table spoons of oil, sugar and active yeast in a mixing bowl and mix well.
- Cover and let the mixture rest for 20-25mins or until the yeast is activated.
- Combine the flour, the remaining sugar, salt and baking powder in another bowl and mix well
- Add the dry ingredients to the proofed yeast mixture and mix well and knead the dough for 5-6 mins or till the dough turns slightly elastic. The dough should be soft but at the same time it should not stick to your fingers.
- Cover the dough with wet cloth or cling wrap and let it rest for 2-3hrs or till the dough doubles in size.
- Transfer the risen dough to a clean work surface and divide the dough into 7-8 equal sized portions.
- Using VERY LITTLE dough to dust, roll out each portion into small discs of 5-6 inches in diameter.
- Lightly brush or spray some oil on the surface of the rolled discs and fold it in half.
- Gently press the folded bao with a rolling pin and repeat the process with the rest of the dough.
- Place the prepared dough in a lightly greased parchment paper lined steamer and steam for 10-12 mins on medium heat.
- Turn off the heat and allow the bao buns too cool in the steamer for a couple of minutes before removing them from the steamer.
- Repeat the process for the rest of the rolled dough.
- Pressure cook the Tender jackfruit pieces along with salt and half a cup of water for one to two whistles
- Turn off the heat and allow the pressure cooker to dissipate completely before before opening the lid.
- Drain the cooked jackfruit and shred the tender jackfruit with your fingers or with fork.
- Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped garlic and saute till they are slightly brown
- Add the chopped onion and green chilies and fry till the onion turns translucent.
- Add the soya sauce, vinegar, schezwan sauce, salt, pepper and brown sugar and mix well.
- Stir in the shredded jackfruit and quarter cup of water and allow the mixture cook for 2-3minutes
- make a slurry of corn starch and water and add the slurry to the jackfruit mixture and allow the mixture to thicken.
- Garnish with spring onion greens and set aside.
- Open a Bao gently, and line it with a lettuce leaf and top it 2-3 table spoons of jackfruit mixture garnish with more spring onion greens and serve immediately.
- Repeat the process with rest of the bao buns.
- You can add sliced cucumbers, herbs or sesame seeds for some variation.