Jackfruit tacos, simple, easy, and vegan. They are delicious, savory, and ready in just 25 minutes. Even meat-eaters will be shocked!
I can't believe how wonderfully tasty these jackfruit tacos are. They really are out of this world! Flavorful, savory, and delicious, it has become a recipe that I serve every time I have guests over. And they absolutely love it!
It is super simple and easy to make, as well as totally customizable. Besides, you can make a big batch of the filling and keep it in the freezer for about 1 month. It is a great thing if you want to save some time!
Craving more vegan Mexican-style dishes? Explore my collection of mouthwatering recipes like Vegan Enchiladas, Vegan Burrito, and Vegan Quesadilla. Dive into a world of plant-based deliciousness and satisfy your Mexican food cravings with ease!
How to make jackfruit tacos
- Cut the jackfruit into thin slices and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the garlic and onion over medium-high heat until soft.
- Add the jackfruit and all the remaining taco ingredients and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.
- Smash the jackfruit until you get a shredded texture.
- Heat the tortillas according to package directions.
- Assemble the jackfruit tacos and serve immediately.
Jackfruit tacos ingredients and tips
- Extra virgin olive oil: I’m Spanish, so I use extra virgin olive oil to cook most of my dishes. However, using any type of oil is okay. If you don’t consume oil, just use some vegetable stock or water instead.
- Jackfruit in brine or water: it’s really important to use jackfruit in brine or water, not in syrup, or you will end up with sweet tacos. You can find it at Asian stores, health stores, or even at some grocery stores, but you can also buy it online.
- Vegetable stock or water: I prefer vegetable stock because it enhances the flavor of this dish. However, water will also work. Although I prefer making my own vegetable stock at home, feel free to use a store-bought version if you want to.
- Maple syrup: feel free to use any other type of sweetener. However, agave syrup is the best alternative. This ingredient is optional, but it will give your tacos a delicious flavor.
- Store-bought or Homemade Chili Powder: this recipe calls for traditional American chili powder, not cayenne. Cayenne and international chili powders are usually incredibly spicy. So if you live outside of the United States, please keep that in mind. If you can only find cayenne, add it to taste until the sauce is okay for you, but not too spicy. Make your own chili powder at home using our recipe, it’s extremely easy!
- Corn or flour tortillas: I like to use small flour tortillas, but feel free to use any type of tortillas you want. You could also serve the filling with some rice as a side if you prefer.
- Avocado: you can omit this ingredient if you don't like it. These tacos would also taste amazing with some delicious vegan sour cream on top.
- Corn kernels: this ingredient is optional. If you use frozen corn kernels you will need to cook them first.
- If you want to add a little extra vegan protein to your tacos, feel free to incorporate some chopped tempeh, seitan, or tempeh bacon.
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Jackfruit Tacos
Ingredients
For the jackfruit tacos:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, sliced
- ½ onion, chopped
- 1 20-ounce can jackfruit in brine or water, not in syrup, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup vegetable stock or water
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup, optional
- 2 teaspoon lime or lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 small corn or flour tortillas
Toppings:
- ½ avocado, sliced
- ¼ cup corn kernels
- 2 tablespoon red onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
- Lime or lemon juice to taste
Instructions
- Cut the jackfruit into thin slices. I don’t discard the core or seeds because they are edible and I don’t want to waste food. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the garlic and onion over medium-high heat until soft and they start to brown (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally.
- Add the jackfruit and all the remaining taco ingredients (except the tortillas and the toppings), stir, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir occasionally.
- Smash the jackfruit using a potato masher until you get a shredded texture. If you don’t have a potato masher you can use a fork or even a stand mixer.
- Heat the tortillas according to package directions.
- To assemble the tacos, just grab a tortilla and add some jackfruit first, then the avocado slices, corn kernels, chopped onion, fresh cilantro, and finally some lime or lemon juice to taste. Repeat this process with all the remaining tortillas.
- Serve them with toppings like vegan sour cream or add some vegan protein like chopped tempeh, seitan, or tempeh bacon.
- Best when fresh, you can keep all the ingredients in the fridge separately. The jackfruit mixture lasts 4-5 days in the fridge or 1 month in the freezer if you keep it in an airtight container.
Notes
- Feel free to add any spices, herbs, sweeteners, or veggies you want.
- This recipe calls for traditional American chili powder, not cayenne. Cayenne and international chili powders are usually incredibly spicy. So if you live outside of the United States, please keep that in mind. If you can only find cayenne, add it to taste until the sauce is okay for you, but not too spicy. Make your own chili powder at home using our recipe, it’s extremely easy!
- Add any toppings you like.
- If you’re going to use frozen corn kernels, you’ll need to cook them first.
- If you don’t want to eat tortillas, serve the filling with some rice as a side.
Kim says
Which brand of jackfruit did you buy and where did you find it??
Iosune Robles says
Hi Kim! Don't remember exactly where we bought it but Amazon sells jackfruit! The important thing is to check that there are no spices, only jackfruit and water 🙂
Susan Cava Ruimy says
We have long used Jackfruit but for barbeque, never thought to swap it over to Mexican flavors. This worked really well, thank you! We always use Trader Joe's jackfruit.