Hearts of Palm Vegan BBQ Sandwiches
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Published Apr 28, 2016, Updated Jan 17, 2023
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Vegan BBQ sandwiches made with shredded hearts of palm, homemade BBQ sauce and a crunchy apple cider vinegar coleslaw.
Omg! I can even begin to describe how excited I am to share today’s recipe with you. It’s one of the most unique recipes I’ve ever come across and it’s for a veg-friendly “pulled pork” sandwich using hearts of palm!!
I’ve always enjoyed eating hearts of palm on salad or straight up from the can, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized that this vegetable makes a mean vegan BBQ sandwich.
Seriously… doesn’t this look exactly like a regular BBQ sandwich?!? It’s crazy, because it tastes similar to the real thing too. The texture is a tiny bit softer than pulled chicken or pork, but it’s still has the same consistency. And when smothered in BBQ sauce, the flavor is spot-on!
I know many vegetarians who could care less about eating “meat-like” food. They’re happy with a plate of veggies. On the other hand, I know quite a few who miss burgers, bacon, BBQ sandwiches and other delicious meat-focused dishes. If you’re in the latter group, I’ve got black bean burgers and coconut bacon for you AND now I have this BBQ sandwich.
The best part = this sandwich is soo easy. Like way easier than you can even imagine.
It all starts with canned/jarred hearts of palm.
For those you wondering what the heck hearts of palm is… it’s a vegetable harvested from the inner part of a palm tree. It has a mild briny flavor, similar to artichoke and looks similar to white asparagus (without the tip) or a mozzarella cheese stick. The outside of the veggie is slightly crisp, while the inner cylinder is soft. They’re a volume eater’s best friend because they’re low in calories, virtually fat-free and high in fiber. They’re also a rich source of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, niacin, calcium, phosphorus, zinc and potassium. One cup of hearts of palm contains about the same amount of potassium offered from SIX bananas!! (source)
Once the hearts have been drained, you pulse them in the food processor and boom, you’ve got shredded “meat” ready to be covered in BBQ sauce.
Add the shredded mixture into a skillet with BBQ sauce and heat until warm.
Whip up a batch of this apple cider vinegar coleslaw, grab some burger buns and you’ve got yourself a pile of vegan BBQ sandwiches. It’s that easy!
And it’s just as delicious as it looks. All my taste testers LOVED this recipe!!
- My dad requested to take some home last week.
- My brother-in-law was completely fooled and thought it was actually pork BBQ.
- A friend of ours who has recently gone veg said it was delicious — even better than some regular pork BBQ he’s had in the past.
Rave reviews!! I’m telling you, this little sandwich recipe is epic. The sweet and spicy hearts of palm BBQ combined with the crunchy cool slaw is perfection. You get to decide what sort of bread to serve it on. I did burger buns here, but you could do any type of bread you like or keep it low-carb and make lettuce wraps.
So yes, these hearts of palm vegan BBQ sandwiches are a must-make. Even if you’re not vegetarian or vegan, you will heart them so much. See what I did there? Heart them, hearts of palm. 😉
Hearts of Palm Vegan BBQ Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 14- oz cans hearts of palm, drained
- 2 cups homemade BBQ sauce
- apple cider vinegar coleslaw
- 6 burger buns, gluten-free if needed, sandwich rolls or lettuce wraps
Instructions
- Place hearts of palm into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times, just until pieces are chopped into bite-size shreds. If you do not have a food processor you can shred the hearts of palm by hand, similar to how you pull apart a cheese stick.
- Warm 2 cups of BBQ sauce in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add shredded hearts of palm, toss to coat all pieces and heat until mixture is warm.
- Prepare sandwiches by adding a good amount of the BBQ mixture onto a burger bun, top with apple cider vinegar coleslaw and enjoy immediately.
Notes
**Nutritional info will vary based on what sauce and what type of bun you serve the BBQ on.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I am totally obsessed and drooling right now!!! I know a lot of people use jackfruit as a BBQ sandwich sub, but hearts of palm is so much more accessible. Can’t wait to try this! I know my boyfriend will love these.
Thank you Emilie! I really hope you get a chance to try the sandwiches. 🙂
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe, it looks terrific and easy! Jackfruit is also good, but I don’t think it has quite the same nutritional credentials as hearts of palm!
My husband and I loved it, mixed reviews with the kids. Thought your BBQ sauce was nicely balanced.
I made this last night and it was a success! My hubby loved it and so did I. I made an open face sandwich today and added some Daiya mozarella to it and OMG it was soooo tasty. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Yay!! Thank you so much for trying the recipe and for coming back to comment and let me know how it turned out. I so appreciate it. Love the idea of adding Daiya mozzarella on top too! YUM.
Where do I find heart of palm
You can find them in the canned food aisle at most grocery stores. They’re usually near the canned artichokes. Hope this helps!
Made this (plus coleslaw & BBQ sauce) as a vegan alternative when my work had a Texas BBQ truck. Great hit! Everyone who tried it (needless to say, even the non-vegans) enjoyed the flavors and texture. Several colleagues asked me for the recipe. TIP…? I added shredded, sauteed zucchini to add more servings. Excellent all around. Thank you.
Woo-hoo! I’m so glad that this recipe was a hit! And thanks for the tip, I’ll definitely keep that in mind for the future. 🙂
I’m very interested in making this. I am deathly allergic to jackfruit and I tend to stay away from fake meat products, so I’m excited to try making this to switch things up! Never ate a heart of palm. If I make this I’ll come back and let you know.
Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Can’t wait to try. Can you make this ahead and just heat up? Thanks.
Hi Melody! It should be fine to make ahead, store, and reheat when ready to serve! I would store the filling and the bread separately.
Such a quick and easy meal and so tasty! I will definitely be making it again!
I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe, Aoife! Thank you for your review + star rating, I so appreciate it!
Taste was fine, texture was AWFUL. I salvaged it with some chickpeas, but on its own, it was just a mushy mess.
Oh no! I am sorry to hear that, Jessie. Did you change anything about the recipe?