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    Vegan pulled pork in the air fryer or skillet

    Published: Mar 31, 2021 · Modified: Feb 9, 2022 by Cadry Nelson
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Text overlay: Vegan pulled pork. Barbecued Soy Curls on plate with greens & mac and cheese.

    Vegan pulled pork is made with Soy Curls and cooked with barbecue sauce. Make them in the air fryer (my preferred way) or use a skillet. It’s a saucy vegan protein you can really sink your teeth into! 

    Barbecued Soy Curls on plate with collard greens & non-dairy mac & cheese.

    When you crave a hearty, protein-packed entrée with smoky flavor and plenty of chewy bite, vegan pulled pork is the answer. It’s made with Soy Curls, and cooked in the air fryer or skillet.

    Coated in smoky barbecue sauce, it’s a wonderful complement to an evening of comfort food. The Soy Curls get delightfully crisp around the edges, while maintaining chewiness down the middle.

    Great as part of a BBQ bowl or piled onto a vegan BBQ sandwich.

    (Can’t find Soy Curls in your area? Make BBQ jackfruit instead!)

    What are Soy Curls?

    Soy Curls are made with just one ingredient – non-GMO whole soybeans. They are texturized into shreds & dried.

    (Once opened, remember to store them in the refrigerator or freezer, because they don’t have any preservatives in them.)

    In Portland, Oregon, Soy Curls are quite the culinary darling. They can be found in bulk bins at grocery stores, as well as on the menus of many restaurants. (I’m particularly fond of the way they are served at the magical Homegrown Smoker.)

    For the rest of us, though, Soy Curls are less common. I’m able to find them in bags at my local Natural Grocers. Or they can be purchased online.

    Soy Curls on shelf at Natural Grocers.

    Vegan barbecue sauce

    For this recipe, you’ll need store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce. Luckily, there are loads of animal product-free barbecue sauces out there. You can find them in any grocery store.

    You’ll just want to read the ingredient label since some brands use non-vegan Worcestershire sauce, which includes anchovies.

    To make this a gluten-free entrée, be sure to choose a gluten-free barbecue sauce.

    Out of barbecue sauce? No problem. You probably have everything you need to make this easy barbecue sauce in just minutes. No cooking required – only stirring.

    How to make vegan pulled pork

    Soy Curls hydrating in broth.

    Since Soy Curls are a dried product, they need to be hydrated first. Start by soaking them in water + bouillon (or broth) for ten minutes.

    Drain over a mesh sieve. Then really squeeze the Soy Curls to get out all of the moisture that you can. (This leads to the best browning.)

    Soy Curls are already in shreds. But to make the texture even better for a vegan pulled pork situation, I like to shred the curls even more using my fingers.

    Hands pulling apart a Soy Curl.

    They shred in a way that feels similar to string cheese. Don’t worry about the pieces being even.

    Shredded Soy Curls on plate.

    The shredded texture means that there are more edges to get crispy in the air fryer or skillet. And it improves the ratio of BBQ sauce to Soy Curl per bite.

    Shredded Soy Curls in air fryer basket.

    Put the shredded Soy Curls into the air fryer basket to dry them even further. Or if you prefer, cook them in a lightly oiled skillet.

    Soy Curls being mixed in bowl with barbecue sauce.

    Once they’re dry, remove them from the air fryer or skillet, toss with barbecue sauce, and then brown with oil or air fry for a few more minutes.

    Barbecued Soy Curls in air fryer basket.

    Finish with more barbecue sauce if you like for saucier vegan pulled pork.

    Hands holding vegan BBQ sandwich.

    What to serve with vegan pulled pork

    Vegan pulled pork plays well with all kinds of Southern favorites. Pile them onto a vegan BBQ sandwich with coleslaw.

    Or serve them with:

    • Vegan potato salad
    • Sautéed kale
    • Vegan grits
    • Black-eyed peas and collard greens
    • Fried green tomatoes in the air fryer or beer battered fried green tomatoes
    • Fried zucchini
    • Grilled vegetable skewers
    • Corn cakes
    • Vegan pasta salad

    If you love carb on carb action as much as I do, I highly recommend making a burrito with vegan pulled pork, non-dairy mac & cheese, and collard greens.

    Pro tip: barbecued Soy Curls are also delicious with a drizzle of vegan ranch dressing on top.

    Looking for more ways to use Soy Curls? They’re also terrific in meatless chili and Buffalo Soy Curls sandwiches.

    Vegan pulled pork in mini cast iron skillet with greens.

    Vegan pulled pork in mini cast iron skillet.

    Vegan pulled pork

    Barbecued Soy Curls make a fabulous vegan pulled pork. Cooked in the air fryer or skillet, they are right at home in a BBQ bowl with potato salad and collard greens.
    To make this a gluten-free entree, be sure to use gluten-free bouillon and barbecue sauce.
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Keyword: air fryer, barbecue, southern
    Prep Time: 13 minutes
    Cook Time: 8 minutes
    Total Time: 21 minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 136kcal
    Author: Cadry Nelson

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup warm water
    • 1 teaspoon vegetarian Better Than Bouillon no chicken base*
    • 1 cup Soy Curls
    • ¼ cup BBQ sauce plus more for drizzling
    • 1 teaspoon canola oil divided (Only if cooking in skillet)

    Instructions

    • Soak Soy Curls in water water & bouillon in a bowl for 10 minutes. Drain them in mesh sieve, squeezing out all excess water.
    • Move them to a bowl, and physically pull apart the hydrated Curls into shreds, like shredding string cheese.
    • TO COOK IN AN AIR FRYER: Air fry the Soy Curls for 3 minutes at 400 degrees.
      Remove them from air fryer, move them back to the bowl, toss in ¼ cup of BBQ sauce, and stir them. Make sure all of the curls gets evenly coated.
      Return to air fryer. Air fry 5 minutes at 400 degrees, stopping twice to shake pan.
    • TO COOK IN A SKILLET: Bring skillet to a medium heat with ½ teaspoon oil. Add the hydrated & squeezed Soy Curls to the pan, and fry for 3 minutes, until they are dry and slightly crisp.
      Remove them from skillet and move them back to the bowl. Toss them with ¼ cup of barbecue sauce, making sure each Curl gets evenly coated.
      Put the remaining ½ teaspoon oil in skillet, and cook the Curls for 4 minutes longer. Don't move them too much, so that they can get some nice dark marks on them.
    • If you like saucier Soy Curls, drizzle more barbecue sauce onto them when serving.
      Serve with vegan potato salad, collard greens, and/or non-dairy mac and cheese.

    Notes

    *Instead of Better Than Bouillon, you can also use a pinch of a bouillon cube or replace the water with broth instead. If you don't have any of the above, plain water is fine.
    These BBQ Curls get optimum crispiness & browning when not overcrowded in a skillet or air fryer. So if you want to double this recipe, you may need to cook in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer or skillet.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 552mg | Potassium: 160mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 2.4mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag @cadryskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #cadryskitchen!

    Content, recipe, and photos updated March 31, 2021. Originally posted March 5, 2018.

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    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, photographer, and recipe creator behind Cadry’s Kitchen, a vegan food & lifestyle blog started in 2009. Through approachable recipes, vegan travel guides, and down-to-earth discussions on the social aspects of being vegan, Cadry shows that living a vegan lifestyle is deliciously uncomplicated. Cadry has been featured on NBC News, Mashable, Today, Reader's Digest, Yahoo, Delish, Shape, and Huffington Post.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Becky Striepe

      March 05, 2018 at 11:15 am

      Oh my gosh, I love how simple this recipe is and just happen to have all of these ingredients in the fridge right now! I’m going to see if Darrol wants this for supper with a baked potato and kale!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        March 05, 2018 at 12:14 pm

        That’s great, Becky! You’ll have to let me know if you try it. I love the idea of serving it with a baked potato and kale. I was thinking it would be terrific with sweet potato too!

        Reply
    2. Kristin

      April 01, 2018 at 7:52 am

      yay! i just got an air fryer and was wondering if i could make soy curls in it. i’m excited to give this a try!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        April 03, 2018 at 2:00 pm

        Awesome! I hope you love them, Kristin, and congrats on the new air fryer!

        Reply
    3. Laura

      August 01, 2018 at 11:29 am

      5 stars
      I am new to the vegan lifestyle so I knew nothing about soy curls. Soy curls where have you been all my life? The recipe was easy. I used my air fryer and the soy curls came out crispy which was wonderful! (Not a fan of jackfruit. Like Cadry says it looks good but I never like it.) I made sandwiches with bbq soy curls, toasted gluten free bread and coleslaw. It was really easy and so good. This recipe is a keeper.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        August 07, 2018 at 9:37 am

        I’m so glad to hear that, Laura! Thank you for letting me know.

        Reply
    4. Becky Striepe

      September 04, 2018 at 9:16 am

      5 stars
      I made these in the air fryer for lunch, and I’m glad I was home alone, so I didn’t have to share! Definitely a new fave.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        September 07, 2018 at 10:08 am

        Aw, that’s great to hear, Becky! And I’m glad you didn’t have to share. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Lucy

      September 20, 2018 at 5:48 pm

      5 stars
      I didn’t find any Soy Curls when we were stateside last month but I was able to order some online and this was the first recipe I made with them. Yum! We had it with mashed potatoes and sautéed chard. Will definitely make again. Love the idea of having this with mac and cheez too!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        September 21, 2018 at 7:55 am

        That sounds like such a cozy meal! I’m really glad that you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for letting me know, Lucy!

        Reply
    6. Becky

      January 07, 2019 at 12:15 pm

      5 stars
      I have made this recipe so many times in my air fryer. The first time I soaked them in water because that’s all I had to work with. I just reread the recipe and realized I’ve never shredded them and I don’t shake them during the 5 minutes and they’ve turned out delicious every time!!! Sometimes I make extra for niece to take to work with her and she reheats them in the microwave and she says they are still amazing!!! Thank you for the super easy amazing delicious recipe!!!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 08, 2019 at 9:50 am

        I am so very glad to hear that, Becky! Thank you for circling back to let me know!

        Reply
    7. Blue

      May 02, 2019 at 7:44 pm

      5 stars
      I need more stars!!!!! This was AHHHHH-MAZING!!!!! I’m a Texas girl, so I didn’t shred the curls (I wanted to keep that *bite*) and I plated them on a slider bun and then topped with some chopped onion and a nice-sized dill pickle slice– H E A V E N ! ! ! Thank you oh so much for this easy and absolutely DEEEEEE-LICIOUS recipe! (If you are reading this comment/rating and you haven’t run to go and make these, what the heck are you waiting for?!?!?! SOOOOOOOO good!)

      Reply
      • Cadry

        May 03, 2019 at 11:23 am

        Your comment has made my day, Blue! I’m so glad that you enjoyed them, and thank you for taking the time to comment & rate!

        Reply
    8. Monica

      January 29, 2020 at 5:27 pm

      I have never cooked with soy curls, I’m a 3 week old vegan, and I have chosen your recipe to pop my soy curl cherry for lunch tomorrow. Serving with vegan mashed potatoes. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

      Reply
    9. Susan

      June 12, 2020 at 2:10 pm

      5 stars
      One-year vegan here, and I’ve been looking for an easy intro recipe using soy curls. This recipe is my new BBQ best friend. Easy, quick prep, and delicious on a bun or by itself. Thank you so much for sharing.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        June 12, 2020 at 3:29 pm

        I’m so glad to hear it, Susan! Thank you for letting me know!

        Reply
    10. The Student-turned-Doctor @ Food for Dissertating

      October 10, 2021 at 9:30 am

      5 stars
      This was so easy and so good! The first time around I had them with corn on the cob and potato salad. I put the leftovers on a hamburger bun and had that with cucumber-tomato salad and more potato salad. Both great meals! Shredding the soy curls is a genius move.

      Reply
      • Cadry Nelson

        October 11, 2021 at 10:42 am

        Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, and I like your serving suggestions! Potato salad, cucumber-tomato salad, and corn on the cob are always very welcome.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Cadry!

    I’m a longtime vegan. (15 years!) But I grew up eating a Standard American Diet. I know that all of us crave foods that are familiar, comforting, and delicious.

    That’s why it’s my passion to share mouthwatering plant-based recipes that taste like home.

    More about me →

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    Summer cookout

    • Tofu satay with peanut sauce (air fryer, baked, or grilled)
    • BBQ jackfruit sandwiches (vegan pulled pork)
    • Bowtie pasta salad with chickpeas & artichokes
    • Vegan pasta salad with creamy mayo dressing
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