Share Tweet Share Pin

While some people think jackfruit tastes sweet, others think it has the taste and texture of pulled pork, which makes it perfect for these vegan tacos

I’ve been trying jackfruit in tacos for a while now and have been slowly tweaking the recipes. For this one, I wanted to go for more of a crispy carnitas style, instead of the pulled-pork style I usually make—and kick up the spice.

Jackfruit holds spice and marinade well, and while real carnitas take a lot longer to cook, jackfruit you can just toss in, sprinkle with spice and you’re good to go!

Top these tacos however you’d like—I used coleslaw and vegan lime crema. But you don’t even need to make them into tacos! The next time I do it, I’m going to throw them in a salad, or even make a breakfast burrito.

INGREDIENTS

  • Approximately 400 g of jackfruit (in water), drained and pressed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 large cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 large shallot or small red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chipotle powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tbsp of Braggs liquid amino (or low sodium soy sauce)
  • 1/2 tsp brown sugar

carnitas fryingChristine McAvoyINSTRUCTIONS

  1. Cut and break down the jackfruit as much as possible. There are a few tough parts that usually need to be chopped. Depending on the brand, some jackfruit may be wetter than others, so you can press it the way you would with tofu.
  2. Mix the brown sugar, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper, chili powder and oregano in a small bowl together.
  3. In a cast iron pan (or other large skillet), heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil over medium heat.
  4. Sauté the onion or shallot for 2 minutes, before adding the minced garlic, until onions are soft and garlic is fragrant.
  5. Add the jackfruit and the Braggs/soy, and stir to mix with the onion and garlic. Continue to cook for a few minutes to make sure any extra water is evaporating, and then add the second tbsp of olive oil, and sprinkle with the spice/sugar mix, stirring until well-coated.
  6. After a minute or two of cooking, and when it seems to be crisping up, taste for seasoning and add more as needed.
  7. If you really want a bit of extra crisp, and you’re using a cast-iron pan, you can broil the mix for a minute or two (or place it on a baking sheet and do the same).
  8. Serve on tacos or in whatever vessel you like!

Makes approximately 2 cups