Author: Easy Vegan Jackfruit Tacos are a perfect quick and easy dish. Jackfruit has a shredded meat texture, and in this recipe, it is packed full of spices and can be layered on a taco with your favorite toppings, like my avocado crema. Perfect for Taco Tuesday!
FEATURED COMMENT:
Holy cow!!!! These were AMAZING. Hands down the best vegan meal I have ever made. - Kat
There are four of my favorite 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.
Common Questions:
What can you make with jackfruit?
Jackfruit is perfect for making a shredded meat texture so it is great in tacos, on a BBQ jackfruit sandwich, as a jackfruit salad sandwich, or try my buffalo jackfruit to use on nachos!
Is jackfruit healthier than meat?
Yes! Jackfruit is a whole plant food that is full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It is also cholesterol-free, and free of harmful animal proteins.
How do you use jackfruit?
When ripe, jackfruit is very sweet and can be eaten as is like any other fruit. I prefer to use young green jackfruit found in a can that is in brine or water (not syrup). When the jackfruit is young (and not fully ripe), it's much starchier and not sweet and makes for a great meat substitute. The cool thing about it is that once cooked, it has this pulled pork, shredded texture that is totally fun.
How do you use jackfruit?
To prepare young green jackfruit, slice it into thin pieces, then cook it for a bit to soften it. Once it is softened you can mash it with a potato masher to get a shredded meat texture. Season with any spices, sauces, or flavor you like! You can use it in tacos, burgers, curry, on pizza, in stir-fries, pot pie, on nachos, in sandwiches- really anywhere you wanted a shredded meat replacement.
How 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, use a knife to 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 ½ 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 toppings you enjoy such as pico de gallo, guacamole, salsa, roasted sweet potato, pineapple chunks, (for something sweet), vegan cheese, vegan sour cream, hot sauce, or more salt and pepper to taste. Omnomnom.
These jackfruit tacos are...
- Meaty
- Juicy
- Quick to make
- Delicious with your favorite taco toppings
More jackfruit recipes to try:
Vegan Jackfruit Salad Sandwich
Easy Vegan Buffalo Jackfruit
6 Ingredient Pulled Jackfruit
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull
(click stars to vote)
Easy Vegan Jackfruit Tacos
Servings: tacos
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Ingredients
For the jackfruit:
- 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
- ½ cup vegetable broth or water
- 1 tablespoon agave
- ½ lime, , juiced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the tacos:
- 8 taco shells, , hard or soft (gluten-free if preferred)
- 1 avocado, , sliced
- ¼ red onion, , thinly sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro, , roughly chopped
- lime wedges
Instructions
To chop the jackfruit:
- For optimal texture, cut the jackfruit into thin slices from the core to the outer edge as seen in the pictures. 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!
To make the shredded 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 ½ 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.
To assemble the tacos:
- 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.
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕More delicious vegan recipes:
Melissa says
WOWZA! I made this for my kitten Taco’s 1st birthday celebration (this was for the humans, of course! I made her a kitten birthday cake 🙂 lol) I’m vegan and this is my first time cooking with jackfruit and this recipe was an absolute HIT! Thanks so much!
Sam Turnbull says
That's awesome!! So happy you loved it so much, Melissa. Happy birthday kitty 🙂
Rachel says
So easy, so delicious!
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome! Thrilled you enjoyed it!
Laura says
Do you think you could use thawed frozen jackfruit?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Laura says
Even though it’s not “young and green”??
Sam Turnbull says
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.
Sarah Prowse says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, Sarah! Enjoy 🙂
Leanne says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Leanne! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Katie says
Do you think I could do this in a crockpot? Would anything change?
Sam Turnbull says
I don't have a crockpot, so I am unsure, but it seems like it would work to me!
Juliann says
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.)
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Nicole says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it, Nicole 🙂
Jillian says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome! So happy you enjoyed them, Jillian 🙂
Jessica says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing! Love it 😀
Kat says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo!!!! So happy to hear that. You're most welcome, Kat. 😀
Colette says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
I'd say roughly 2 cups per 20 oz can. Enjoy!
Amy Coleman Winkler says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed them!
Sam Turnbull says
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
Melissa says
Eating this right now, and I'm in love!! It is absolutely delicious!! Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! You're very welcome, Melissa. Thrilled you enjoy it.
Sporty says
Absolutely delicious!! Even my omnivore hubby loved them
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! Love it 😀
Alexandra Ogden says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you loved it, Alexandra! Hmm... maybe different brands are a little tougher? Glad you enjoyed!
Gina Caracci says
Sounds great! If I cant find agave, what can I use instead?
Your recipes are amazing Sam!! TY!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much Gina! Maple syrup or corn syrup will work. Enjoy!
Matthew Wood says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Thanks so much, Matthew! Chipotles are awesome and would make a great addition!
Sara says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, Sara! So happy you are enjoying all my recipes so much. 😀