These jackfruit tacos are the BEST vegan tacos recipe you’ll ever make. The filling is so delicious, even non-meat eaters love it!
Mexican food is easily one of my favorite cuisines. Guacamole is its own food group and so is salsa, but the MVP in cuisines is easily tacos.
I grew up eating tacos loaded with my mom’s famous pulled pork. Since going vegan, I’ve been craving it and found the best substitute ever- jackfruit!
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What Is Jackfruit?
Jackfruit is a large fruit that was originally grown in India. But now, it’s a tropical fruit produced in tropical regions, including Southeast Asia and Brazil. Jackfruit is used both in ripe form and as young fruit. It’s often used as a replacement for meat in vegan food.
Why this jackfruit tacos recipe will be a dinner favorite-
- Ready in minutes. Unlike their meaty counterparts, this recipe comes together in no time.
- Meaty texture. If you’ve tried pulled beef or pulled pork before, you’d be fooled into thinking you were eating that after a bite of these tacos.
- Healthier. Jackfruit has a fraction of the calories of meat.
What I love about this recipe is just how simple it is. You’d assume a substitute for meaty tacos would be time consuming but not these ones!
Ingredients needed
This recipe calls for very simple ingredients. Besides the jackfruit and spices, there isn’t much else that goes into them. Here is what you’ll need:
- Shredded and cooked jackfruit- For this, get canned jackfruit and oil, red onion, and white onion for cooking. For seasoning and spicing, you’ll need taco seasoning and BBQ sauce.
- Pico de Galo- tomatoes, red onion, and jalapeno drizzled with lime juice, salt/pepper, and cilantro.
- Guacamole- You’ll need avocado, red onion, large lime, cilantro, and salt for this.
How to make jackfruit tacos
Making this recipe is fast and requires very little hands-on time! Ready to make some vegan tacos?
Step 1- Slice and sauté jackfruit
Take jackfruit and cut it into small slices then heat a frypan and add red and white onions and saute till soft. After about 10 minutes, add the sliced jackfruit to the pan and mix well with the onions.
Step 2- Cook and shred jackfruit
Next, add Taco seasoning and BBQ sauce. Mix the seasoning and sauce well with the jackfruit. Then, cook it by covering the pan for 30 minutes.
Once the jackfruit is completely cooked, use a potato masher or two forks to mash the jackfruit.
Step 3- Prepare Pico de Gallo and Guacamole
In a bowl, take tomatoes, red onion, and jalapeno for preparing Pico de Galo. Add lime juice, cilantro, and salt/pepper for garnishing and taste. Take another bowl, and add avocado, red onion, lime, cilantro, and salt to make guacamole.
Step 4- Assemble and serve with your favorite toppings!
To assemble all ingredients for making yummy tacos, first heat taco shells. Then, fill them with the prepared ingredients, including guacamole, lettuce, jackfruit, and any other topping that you like. Add Pico de Galo, sprinkle some cilantro over the top, and serve them with your favorite sauce.
Tips to make best recipe
- If you’re making it the first time, try using store-bought BBQ sauce to give your recipe a professional touch.
- You can also use tortillas or hard-shell tacos if you like them more.
- Squeeze lime or add cream as a topping to make them more delicious.
Storage instructions
- To store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to one week.
- To freeze: Place the cooled jackfruit filling in a shallow container and store it in the freezer for up to two months.
- Reheating: Microwave portions of the filling for 20-30 seconds or in a non-stick skillet.
What to serve with tacos
- Hasselback potatoes
- Brussels sprouts
- Lemon orzo salad
- Cauliflower and brown rice salad
- Spring potato salad
Key tools to make this recipe
- Non-stick pan– A good pan to cook everything up in.
- Spatula– Non-stick spatulas that ensure there is NO scratching!
- Mixing bowls– To mix the guacamole and Pico de Gallo!
Frequently asked questions
Yes, jackfruit has a meaty flavor and is a popular meat alternative. Not only the taste but also the texture of jackfruit looks like meat.
If you get canned jackfruit, it’s already cut into small triangles or rounded shapes. For tacos, you’ll have to cut the pieces further into small thin slices. While cutting jackfruit to make slices, there is no need to remove seeds. The seeds are ready with the rest of the jackfruit in your tacos.
You can easily get jackfruit from the local shops and supermarkets in your area. If some reason, they don’t have jackfruit, you can purchase it online too.
When picking jackfruit, be careful as the ripe fruit isn’t suitable for tacos. Young jackfruit is green, and they sell the yellow fruit as whole fruit, not a pulled meat substitute.
Jackfruit is available as fresh, frozen, and canned fruit. You can choose any as per your choice.
Jackfruit Tacos
Ingredients
BBQ Pulled Jackfruit:
- 1 10 oz can jackfruit drained
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 large Red Onion sliced into crescents
- 1 large White Onion sliced into crescents
- 2 teaspoons Taco Seasoning
- 1/2 cup BBQ Sauce
Pico De Gallo:
- 2 medium Tomatoes diced
- 1/4 large Red Onion diced
- 1 tablespoon Jalapeño finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons Lime Juice fresh
- 1/4 cup Cilantro chopped
- 1 teaspooj Salt to taste
Guacamole:
- 1 large Avocado
- 1/4 large Red Onion diced
- 1/2 large lime juiced
- 1/4 cup Cilantro chopped
- 1 teaspoon Salt to taste
Instructions
- To make Pulled Jackfruit, heat oil in a pan. Sautee red and white onion till soft, and continue to cook until just slightly caramelised, about 10 minutes on low heat. Add drained jackfruit chunks to the pan and stir well.
- Stir in Taco Seasoning and BBQ Sauce. Stir to coat jackfruit pieces and then cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 30 minutes, checking every 10 minutes to make sure it is not burning. Once cooked, use two forks and tear Jackfruit pieces up until it resembles pulled Pork/Chicken.
- Prepare Pico de Gallo by combining all ingredients in a bowl.
- Prepare Guacamole by combining all ingredients in a bowl and mashing with a fork.
- To serve, heat soft taco shells and fill with Guacamole, Lettuce, Pulled Jackfruit and Vegan Sour Cream if you are using it (I didn't). Top with Pico de Gallo and extra chopped Cilantro.
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