Bowls are such an easy way to build a meal and this Whole30 Plant-Based BBQ Bowl has so many delicious flavors. You will want to make it again and again! It’s not only gluten-free and dairy-free, but vegan and nut-free too.
The Protein: Jackfruit + Beans
The protein starts with canned jackfruit. This can be shredded by hand, with the tough pieces chopped by knife. Or, you can shred it in a food processor. If you shred it in a food processor, be sure to only pulse a few times – don’t over mix it.
Once shredded, the jackfruit is combined with beans for added protein. It’s then cooked in oil and simmered in BBQ sauce to get that delicious BBQ flavor. We love using our simple Homemade Plant-Based BBQ Sauce. But, you can use whatever compatible BBQ sauce you prefer!
We used pinto beans for this recipe. However, you can use whatever beans you have on hand or enjoy! Black beans would also be delicious.
The Veggies
We roast sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and red pepper together for this bowl. To help them cook at all the same rate, we steamed the dense sweet potato before roasting. We love doing this by putting the chopped sweet potato in a reusable zip-top bag like Stasher bags. Add ¼ cup water and seal the bag most of the way. Then microwave for 4 minutes, until just starting to get tender. Or, use whatever steaming method works for you!
We toss them with oil, season with salt or garlic salt, and roast them at a high temperature to get them crispy. You can also air fry them, if your air fryer basket is big enough. Air fry at 425, stirring regularly, until browned and crispy. Length of time will vary depending on the size of your air fryer, but start with 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.
The Toppings
We top this Plant-Based BBQ Bowl off with optional but delicious: chopped or sliced red onion, chopped cilantro and avocado and serve it with ranch. We use our Whole30 Plant-Based Ranch. Keep in mind, if you are meal prepping, don’t add the dressing on top of the bowl. Keep it to the side until you are ready to serve.
Plant-Based BBQ Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes diced into small ½” pieces and steamed for 4 minutes
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts halved lengthwise
- 1 large red bell pepper seeded and cut into strips
- 1/2 cup olive or avocado oil divided
- 2 (15) oz cans young jackfruit drained and shredded
- 1 can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1.5 tsp salt or garlic salt divided
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 cup compatible BBQ sauce divided
- 1/2 cup water
Optional toppings:
- sliced red onion
- chopped cilantro
- sliced avocado
- plant-based ranch dressing
Instructions
- PREHEAT oven to 425°F degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- COMBINE steamed sweet potatoes, cut Brussels sprouts, and red bell pepper strips in a large bowl. Toss with 6 tablespoons of olive oil.
- SPREAD vegetable combination out on the parchment paper. Sprinkle it with ½ teaspoon salt or garlic salt.
- COOK in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until tender and browned.
- WHILE veggies are roasting, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shredded jackfruit, pinto beans, 1 tsp salt and pepper.
- COMBINE ½ cup bbq sauce with ½ cup water. Add to the skillet. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
- ADD remaining ½ cup bbq sauce to the jackfruit mixture. Set aside.
- BUILD your bowl by adding ¼ of the sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and red peppers to each of 4 bowls. Divide the bbq jackfruit and bean mixture among the bowls evenly.
- TOP as desired with red onion, cilantro, avocado and ranch. Enjoy!
