You’ll be amazed at how close this TEXAS BBQ Brisket mimics the taste and texture of real meat. It’s classic vegan bbq at its best.
I wouldn’t call myself a Southern girl, but before going vegan, I did eat my share of Texas BBQ Brisket. When cooked just right, it was a smokey, tender piece of meat, hidden underneath a flavorful dry rub then slathered with spicy bbq sauce. And the spicer the sauce the better!
Now don’t worry, I’m not returning to my meat-eating ways, but when people ask why vegans would want to eat something that looks or tastes like meat….well it’s simply because that’s what we’ve known. There are memories tied to certain foods, there are flavors and textures that we enjoyed and quite honestly, most of us didn’t give it up for the taste, we gave it up because we chose not to eat animals anymore.
Foods remind us of family and tradition and that’s exactly what inspired this Texas BBQ Brisket recipe. Linda and Alex Meyer (the amazing mother & daughter duo behind Veganosity), refused to miss out on the recipes they grew up with and because of that, they created a collection of plant-based recipes that were influenced by Linda’s southern Mama and her ribs & sausage-loving Daddy.
The Cookbook
Great Vegan BBQ Without A Grill (affiliate link) is the easy and convenient way to BBQ anywhere, anytime while sticking to your healthy vegan lifestyle. You’ll see how to easy it is to replicate the smoky flavors and textures of Americaβs best BBQ found in South Carolina, Louisiana, Texas and more using a grill pan or cast iron skillet- no outdoor grill or smoker is required!

BBQ Brisket and More
More than 70 drool-inducing recipes are broken down into Chapters like BBQ to Satisfy Meat Eaters, Burgers and Sandwiches, Stick Food, Stuffed Foiled and Smothered, Sides and Salad that Go with a Barbecue, BBQ Dips to Bring to the Party and Keeping it Saucy. Those titles alone make you wanna dig right in.
But there’s more than just brisket, there is also Classic BBQ Short Ribz, Jacked Up Crab Dip, BBQ Tacos, Smoky Mac n’ Cheese, Skillet BBQ Baked Beans and Pulled Shitake Mushroom BBQ, just to name a few. These amazing recipes will become your go-to vegan choices for all your BBQ cravings and will satisfy non-vegans too.
The Brisket
This is what ya’ll are here for….the brisket! The key to all this “meaty” deliciousness comes from the shredded jackfruit, red miso, liquid smoke and spices. I seriously never thought I’d like jackfruit based off of past experiences but I’d eat it every day if it tastes like this. It’s just loaded with so much flavor and smokiness that it will fool most people into thinking this brisket was the real deal, cooked on the grill or in a smoker. It’ll make Texans proud!
Ready for a taste of Texas?
People will rave, plates will be licked clean and high fives will be given! For an even more traditional experience, serve on a platter with lots of pickles, white bread, pickled jalapenos and lots of napkins.
Gotta have the Sides
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Texas Sheet Cake with Fudge Icing
(please note this recipe is NOT gluten-free)

Texas BBQ Brisket
This Texas style, vegan BBQ Brisket tastes so much like the real thing, you'll be amazed! Shredded jackfruit, miso paste and dark beer are the key ingredients to make this BBQ magic happen. From the cookbook, Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill.
(printed with permission)
Ingredients
- 1 (14 oz ) can young jackfruit
- 2 cups vital wheat gluten
- 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon annatto (I used tumeric)
- 3 teaspoons ground sea salt, divided
- 1 1/2 cups dark beer (I used Guinness)*
- 1 tablespoon GF soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon red miso paste
- 2 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire
- 2 tablespoon cashew butter (I used SunButter)
- 2 tablespoon liquid smoke
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 small roasted beet, pureed for color (optional and didn't use)
- 1 tablespoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Drain and rinse the jackfruit. Pulse a few times in a food processor until shredded (10-15 pulses).
- In a large bowl, whisk the gluten, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, annatto and 1 teaspoon of salt until fully combined.
- In another large bowl, whisk the beet, miso paste, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cashew butter, liquid smoke and 2 tablespoons of olive oil until combined.
- Add the jackfruit, beet mixture and beer to the gluten mixture and stir until it turns into a solid ball of stretchy dough. Don't overstir the dough or it will get tough. Place the dough on a lightly oiled baking sheet and form into the shape of a brisket, about 10" long and 1 1/2" thick.
- Whisk 2 teaspoons of salt, black pepper, paprika, chili powder and sugar together until well combined. Evenly sprinkle the salt rub mixture over the top and gently rub on the top of the brisket. Bake for 40 minutes.
- If you liket he brisket grilled with BBQ sauce, brush all sides with sauce and grill on medium-high in a grill pan or skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes per side or until it has grill marks.
Notes
Instructions listed as it is in cookbook but feel free to use my changes for a nut-free option.
If you are gluten-free, you can use OrgraN Gluten Substitute in place of the vital wheat gluten. Although I did not try it with this recipe, it has been used before with much success.
* Want to make without using beer? Substitute veggie broth, ginger ale or mushroom broth or stock. Non-alcoholic beers may also be substituted or even root beer/cola but it may be a little sweeter.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 519Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1786mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 4gSugar: 16gProtein: 62g
Nutritional information is only an estimate based off of using an online calculator. Numbers will change depending on brands used.
Craving More?
If you give these a try, let me know by leaving a comment and rating the recipe! Itβs super helpful for us. And while youβre at it, take a picture and tag it #allergylicious on Instagram so we can see! We love seeing what you come up with.
Oh my goodness, NIcole, you make our “brisket” look so dang delicious!! Thank you for the lovely review of our cookbook. We’re so honored and grateful. xoxo
Guinness isnβt vegan just an fyi
Oh bummer! I don’t drink beer so I was looking out to make sure that it was gluten-free. Never even thought it wouldn’t be vegan. Thanks for the heads up.. although I just pulled up an article that said they are “going vegan”. Any good suggestions for another recipe calling for beer?
Guiness has been vegan for awhile. They no longer use isinglass.
Awesome to know! Thank you.
Wow! This looks great! I’ve heard jackfruit tastes like pork so I bet its very similar.
It is similar. I never liked jackfruit until I made it in this recipe. Definitely worth trying.
It is pretty similar in texture, especially when shredded. When itβs plain, itβs a little tart, so I prefer jackfruit with sauce
Yum! I can’t wait to try this! Does it keep long?
Mine kept for 5 days. We ate the bulk of it at first sitting and nibbled on the remainder for the next few days.
WOW! This looks amazing – I’m going to plan on making it next weekend!
Also, Guinness is vegan friendly now!
Thanks Kristin! Glad to know it was vegan.
Making this tonight but the dough wasnβt sticky. I know what seitan dough looks like (with the strings) and this was a lot wetter. Is that how yours was? I added more VWG ββοΈ Itβs in the oven now.
Mine wasnβt super sticky by not wet either. How did it turn out for you?
Did you get around to making it? How did it turn out for you?
You mention soy sauce in the directions, but not in the ingredients. What is the amount of soy sauce?
1 Tablespoon. Thanks for catching that
Iβm not a fan of liquid smoke is it vital to recipe?
It’s not vital to the recipe…just gives it the smoky flavor. I think the flavor and taste is subtle enough, and not overbearing when using it.
Is the wheat gluten necessary for the recipe?
For traditional seitan or meat substitutes, it typically relies on vital wheat gluten for the chewy texture. However, I have seen success from others using OrgraN gluten substitute. It’s plant-based and mimics gluten which is what this recipe needs. I cannot say I have tried it but it’s in my shopping cart and on my list to use in this recipe. Here’s the Link again so you can check it out. If you get to the recipe before me, please come back and let me know what you think .
I would not normally leave a review on recipes but this was so flippin’ delicious!
I’m thrilled that you loved it & thank you for leaving a review. It’s always nice for other readers to know it gets a “thumbs up”.
What did you think?
Mine turned out so salty!!! 1t salt at the beginning and another for the rub. I could have done without the salt in the rub. I’m from Texas and Texas BBQ is not salty I would try it again, but leave out the salt in the rub.
Janet, I didn’t alter the recipe as it was written from the cookbook, but you surely can limit the amount of salt. I like salty, but I’d love to hear what you reduced it to and what you found the end results to be like. Can’t wait to hear!
The texture was great but unfortunately, it was way too salty! I would try this again but omit the miso, soy sauce and salt in the dry rub
Good call! You can always salt a little extra afterwards if needed.
The overall taste was really good. A little salty, but it really gave me the BBQ vibes π However, I thought the texture was a little TOO chewy! How do I prevent that from happening?
Hey Mark, it is a little on the salty side, I agree but you can cut that down next time if you’d like. I’d process the jackfruit so that it’s in smaller bits and have a gentle hand when mixing the gluten. If you overmix it, the texture will become tighter and won’t be as flexible as it should be.
What can I substitute for the beer?
So I only tried this with a non-alcoholic beer which worked out great. But if that isn’t something you’d like to try, here are a few other suggestions: root beer, coca cola, broth (mushroom or veggie). I’d love to know which one you used and how it worked for you.
Hi there, the recipe looks great, canβt wait to try it. I was just wondering what measurement the beer was in, not sure what 1 1/2 ups is. Thanks
it was a misprint, so I’ll go back and fix it. It is 1 1/2 cups (1.5).
Do you remove the seeds from the jackfruit before using?
You do not. Everything gets pulsed together but be sure not to buy the jackfruit in a can of sugar water!
We decided to give this a try for our Thanksgiving this year. My son, is new to vegan is so excited to help me make it. Thanks and will let you know how it turns out.
Oh I can’t wait! The only thing that I recommend is that if you are cutting back on sodium, to decrease the salt. It is a little on the salty side.
I cant wait to try this!!!! I have white miso paste. Should I get a tub of red miso, or do you think it would be OK with the mellow white?
I think mellow would be fine. It won’t be as strong of a flavor and a little less salty which could be a good thing. Some of the reviews wanted less sodium.
Yes, that should work just fine. It’ll probably be a little less salty.
In step 5 it says βAdd the jackfruit, beet and beer mixture to the gluten mixtureβ¦.β
I have a question about the beat and beer mixture. Does this mean that the beer should be added to the beets in step 4? Thx much. Recipe looks great.
The jackfruit, beer and beet mixture are combined with the gluten mixture. Come back and let me know what you think?