There are four of my most favourite words in the title of this recipe… yeah, I bet you guessed each and every word, you clever minx you. Easy Vegan Jackfruit Tacos. Boom.
EASY: Every now and then I don’t mind a more complicated recipe such as my Vegan Tiramisu (so worth it), but for the most part, I like my recipes easy, and I like ’em quick. These jackfruit tacos just require a little sautéing, add some seasonings, then mash, and done. They take less than 30 minutes to prepare. Easy peasy, quick, and so super delicious.
VEGAN: pre-tay sure that you aren’t surprised that this is one of my favourite words. Not only did this life-changing word make me a healthier, happier, more compassionate and environmentally-friendly human being, but it also gave my career a 180-degree flip. Now I have the job of my dreams (that I didn’t even know I was dreaming about)!
JACKFRUIT: the fruit that is the jack of all trades. You can eat this fruit ripe and sweet, which to be honest is not my fave, but where jackfruit really shines is when you get it young and green. At this stage, it’s starchy, savoury and is so amazing in that it replicates pulled or shredded meat almost exactly. Except, of course, it’s so much better! I swear I was eating these tacos and wondered why in the world would anyone want to eat a chicken when they can have jackfruit!?
TACOS: this Mexican handheld food with endless topping combos is an all-time fave for me. There’s an entire day of the week dedicated to tacos called #tacotuesday! So I’m clearly not the only one who get’s this excited about tacos. Just as this shirt says, mas tacos por favor.
So there you have it, Easy Vegan Jackfruit Tacos. These tacos are a perfect quick and easy weeknight meal, packed full of spices, with a squeeze of lime on top and maybe a cerveza on the side. Happy taco-ing!
To make Easy Vegan Jackfruit Tacos: First, you are going to need jackfruit. (I know, you’re probably shocked). It’s important that you find young green jackfruit in brine or in water, and not the sweet ripe kind in syrup. You can pick it up on Amazon, or check out any Asian grocery store.
For optimal texture, cut the jackfruit into thin slices from core to the outer edge as seen in the picture above. This breaks up the tougher core as much as possible and makes for the best shredded texture.
Do NOT discard the core or seeds, they are totally edible and you are just wasting precious jackfruit!
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions have softened and begin to brown.
Add the chopped jackfruit, broth, agave, lime juice and all the spices to the pot and cover. Reduce heat and let it simmer until the jackfruit softens slightly, and about 1/2 of the liquid is absorbed. About 5 minutes.
Take a potato masher and smash all the jackfruit to get that shredded texture. Pretty cool huh? If you find it a bit wet, just cook a little longer. If you find it a little dry, just add a splash more vegetable broth.
To assemble the tacos, warm the taco shells according to the package directions. When warmed, add a scoop of the jackfruit, with the toppings and a squeeze of lime juice. OR you can top with whatever your favourite taco toppings are! I also love a squeeze of hot sauce. Omnomnom.
Takes just 25 minutes to whip up for a perfect weeknight meal. So delicious even meat eaters will love this!
- 2 20oz cans green jackfruit in water or brine , drained, rinsed, and chopped (see instructions)
- 1 tablespoon light oil (such as canola or vegetable)
- 1 yellow onion , sliced
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
- 1 tablespoon agave
- 1/2 lime , juiced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 taco shells , hard or soft (gluten-free if preferred)
- 1 avocado , sliced
- 1/4 red onion , thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro , roughly chopped
- lime wedges
For optimal texture, cut the jackfruit into thin slices from core to the outer edge as seen in the pictures above in this post. This breaks up the tougher core as much as possible and makes for the best shredded texture. Do NOT discard the core or seeds, they are totally edible, and you are just wasting precious jackfruit!
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions have softened and begin to brown.
Add the chopped jackfruit, broth, agave, lime juice and all the spices to the pot and cover. Reduce heat and let it simmer until the jackfruit softens slightly, and about 1/2 of the liquid is absorbed. About 5 minutes.
Now take a potato masher, and smash all the jackfruit up to get that shredded texture. If you find it a bit wet, just cook a little longer. If you find it a little dry, just add a splash more vegetable broth.
Warm the taco shells according to the package directions. When warmed, add a scoop of the jackfruit, and top with an avocado slice, a couple red onion slices, some cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. Or you can top with whatever your favourite taco toppings are! I also love a squeeze of hot sauce.
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Do you think you could use thawed frozen jackfruit?
I’ve never tried it before (I’ve never seen it for sale where I live), but I am sure it would work similarly. Enjoy!
Even though it’s not “young and green”??
Oh no, in that case it won’t be the same. Ripe yellow jackfruit is very sweet and not as stringy. You want young green jackfruit to get the right flavours and texture.
Yesss! So cooking this tonight. Weirdly woke up with an urge for tacos and had recently made “aromatic crispy jackfruit pancakes” (amazing btw, am one by one converting the carnivores!). Gpogled “vegan tacos” and here you are again! I love your recipes and blog. Keep on spreading the food love!
Thank you so much, Sarah! Enjoy 🙂
My first time trying jack fruit and I loved it in this recipe. I’ll be making this again and trying your jack fruit tacos too. Thank you for this great, easy recipe!
You’re most welcome, Leanne! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Do you think I could do this in a crockpot? Would anything change?
I don’t have a crockpot, so I am unsure, but it seems like it would work to me!
I scored jackfruit at our local Trader Joe’s. Their jackfruit is canned in brine, so I sought a way to reduce the vinegary taste. I rinsed and rinsed the jackfruit and even let it soak in wate for a little while – all to no avail. Even with your wonderful recipe, we still taste the briny flavor. Do you have any suggestions to reduce the briny flavor that is turning my husband against jackfruit? I suppose we can use a different brand, but the Trader Joe’s is so easy to find. (Wow, I sound like a whiner.)
Hi Juliann, that’s too bad! The jackfruit I get is also in brine but it is a different brand and I can’t say the taste bothers me. I would try adding a teaspoon or two of brown sugar to help cut the brininess. Hope that helps!
I made this last night for a family get together and it was amazing! I did add some salsa as it cooked. I think next time I’ll spread it on a baking pan and broil it for a bit after it cooks. Looking forward to making it again!
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it, Nicole 🙂
These were great!!! Super easy for a weeknight meal for a mom who doesn’t have a lot of time to cook in the evenings. Served them as pictured with corn tortillas and added some salsa to top them off. Thanks!
You’re most welcome! So happy you enjoyed them, Jillian 🙂
YAAAAASSS. yum. Simple and delicious. Nature is so cool.
Used maple syrup instead of agave for those wondering and it turned out delicious with corn tortillas.
Amazing! Love it 😀
Holy cow!!!! These were AMAZING. Hands down the best vegan meal I have ever made. I topped mine with tomato, bell pepper, onion, and homemade taco sauce. Wish I could share a picture. I love your recipes so much, thank you!
Woohoo!!!! So happy to hear that. You’re most welcome, Kat. 😀
What would estimate the volume of jackfruit to be? I bought a big bag of jackfruit in water (and have never used the canned version), and I am trying to gauge how many cups of actual Jackfruit are in the 20 oz cans.
I’d say roughly 2 cups per 20 oz can. Enjoy!
I made these last night and yum! My husband who isn’t vegan enjoyed them as well. Great texture and flavor. I topped mine with corn, guac, and cilantro.
Yay! So happy you enjoyed them!
I love your recipes so much! I have tried the Jackfruit barbecue and am going to the store today to buy ingredients for the Jackfruit tacos and spicy bean salad with Chipotle lime dressing! My husband, who is a meat lover, has been bragging that it is so good that he can’t tell the difference from the real thing. he is even volunteering me to cook them for our friends and relatives! HAHA Guess I will have to stock up on Jackfruit! Thank you so much for your recipes! I have been vegetarian for almost a year and am delighted to find your web site,
My only question is that I can’t seem to print out your recipes when I click on print?
Wow that’s amazing! So happy you and your husband love my recipes so much, Nancy 🙂 Hmmm… not sure what’s happening with the print button for you. I just tested it and it works well for me. Could you perhaps email a screenshot of what’s going on for you and let me know what device you are using (mac, iphone, ipad, pc, etc.) and the browser (safari, chrome). sam@itdoesnttastelikechicken.com
Eating this right now, and I’m in love!! It is absolutely delicious!! Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Woohoo! You’re very welcome, Melissa. Thrilled you enjoy it.
Absolutely delicious!! Even my omnivore hubby loved them
Woohoo! Love it 😀
Really delicious! I topped it with pico de gallo, and it was fantastic. I did have to simmer my jackfruit longer than 5 minutes (maybe 20ish) though in order to get it to shred nicely. Thanks for the inspo!
So happy you loved it, Alexandra! Hmm… maybe different brands are a little tougher? Glad you enjoyed!
Sounds great! If I cant find agave, what can I use instead?
Your recipes are amazing Sam!! TY!
Thank you so much Gina! Maple syrup or corn syrup will work. Enjoy!
Looks wonderful! I make a very similar preparation, but I add a bit of chipotle chili. Not so much that it is face scorchingly hot, but enough that you get that smoky spicy flavor that is unique to chipotle. The photos are quite appetizing! Nice work!
Thanks so much, Matthew! Chipotles are awesome and would make a great addition!
Thank you for this recipe, my family loved it! It really was amazing!
My avocados weren’t ripe so we had diced tomatoes and cucumbers, shredded lettuce and salsa. Thanks again!
PS I’m really impressed with all your recipes!
Thank you so much, Sara! So happy you are enjoying all my recipes so much. 😀