There are a lot of recipes out there that claim to be “the best.” But when I tell you that this is THE best vegan jackfruit “meat” taco recipe out there, I’m not joking! I’ve put so much time into creating this recipe and have even tested it on people who LOVE pork and think they hate jackfruit (spoiler: they don’t hate jackfruit lol).
If you’ve never had jackfruit before, you’re in for a treat! It’s pretty easily available, sustainable (good for you AND the environment!), and is a wonderful alternative to meat if that’s what you’re looking for. That being said, jackfruit has to be cooked right for it to mimic meat. Let me show you how!
Jackfruit is an extremely large tree-borne fruit with some weighing up to 40lbs. It’s popular in Asia, Africa, and South America. You can purchase the fruit whole and cut it up yourself but that is a LOT of work if you’re just looking to get some healthy meals on the table quickly. I did this one time, and that was enough for me! I prefer to purchase my jackfruit in cans. It’s already cut up, it’s fairly inexpensive, the quality is consistent and it’s easy to find.
Jackfruit can be purchased at Asian or Indian markets, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and most supermarkets also carry it. To make my vegan jackfruit pulled pork tacos, it’s important to purchase YOUNG GREEN jackfruit in brine. Do not buy the sweetened jackfruit. It’s absolutely delicious, but will not work for this recipe.
Prepping the Jackfruit to make “Pulled Pork”
There are a few tricks I’ve got to show you before we start. Firstly, it’s important to clean the jackfruit. Dump the can into a colander or sieve and rinse off the brine. Secondly, cutting the jackfruit properly is important.
Canned jackfruit pieces come in chunks or triangle shapes. Slice the chunks thinly and try to get some of the core (the tougher center section) in each cut–we don’t want a piece that is ONLY core. Rinse the jackfruit once more in a colander, drain, and thoroughly dry for the best results.
Turning the Jackfruit into “Pulled Pork”
There are a few important things I do to mimic the flavor and texture of meat, the most important being FLAVOR. I use a lot of the common ingredients that you’ll find in most recipes: onions, garlic, cumin… But I also add in a couple of things that make the flavor POP!
First, if you can find smoked paprika–use it. It doesn’t matter if it’s sweet or spicy smoked paprika, use whatever you prefer. That smokey flavor really enhances the taste. Next, I use a VEGAN beef bouillon powder. My fave is pictured below. Can’t find this where you live? That’s ok. A dried mushroom powder works wonderfully and if you can’t find that, a concentrated vegetable broth is a good substitute.
Cook the onions, garlic, and spices until the oil begins to separate from the mixture (see photo above). Add the sliced jackfruit and some diced tomatoes. Sometimes I don’t have tomatoes on hand, that’s ok, then I add salsa instead. The salsa actually gives the “meat” an even better flavor, I think.
At this point, the jackfruit will taste amazing, but to take it to “BEST” level, I like to either airfry or broil it to crisp it up and dry it out. In my opinion, it tastes better when it’s a bit on the drier side–the texture seems much more like meat that way.
Airfrying the Jackfruit
I decided to test out my new Electrolux oven’s airfryer function and see how it would work cooking it in the basket. I spread the flavored jackfruit in a thin layer and then popped the basket (with a baking sheet underneath to keep everything clean) into the oven. It went into the oven with the airfryer function on at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes (stirring once around 5 min) and it was PERFECTION. If you don’t have an airfryer, place the jackfruit under the oven’s broiler for 7-8 minutes or until it begins to char a bit.
Next I made some homemade tortillas, curtido (a coleslaw type dish from El Salvador) and a quick aioli. My aioli wasn’t vegan, but if you have some vegan mayo on hand, it’d be easy enough to make.
Jackfruit “Meat” is Versatile
If tacos aren’t your thing (WHAAAAAT?!), that’s ok. Really. This vegan jackfruit “pulled pork” recipe is great in other dishes too! I’ve used it to stuff bao (Chinese steamed buns), make biryani and I’ve also used it as a meat substitute in chili.
Give it a try and let me know what you think! Tag me on INSTAGRAM, I always love to see people make my recipes, see their photos, and hear their feedback.
If you’re looking for other VEGAN recipes, give my Navratan Korma a try! Or maybe my Chole (I made this on MasterChef and even Gordon Ramsay approved!)
Ok…now onto the recipe!
The Best Vegan Jackfruit “Pulled Pork” Taco “Meat”
This is the BEST vegan jackfruit meat–perfect for tacos!
- 1/2 white onion (sliced thinly)
- 3-4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 cans green/unripe jackfruit (in brine, not in syrup, cut into slices [see notes])
- 1/4 cup diced tomatoes (or salsa)
- 1.5 tbsp oil (I prefer grapeseed oil)
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seed
- 1 tbsp Smoked paprika (sweet or spicy is fine, whatever you prefer)
- 1 tbsp Cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp Oregano powder
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper powder
- Chili powder (optional: to taste)
- Jalapeno (optional: minced, to taste)
- 1 tsp agave (may substitute with honey)
- 1 tbsp vegetarian/vegan bouillon (mixed with 1/4 cup water or veg stock)
- 1 small handful Cilantro (minced finely)
- Lime (to taste)
- Salt (to taste, I prefer kosher salt)
Thoroughly rinse and drain jackfruit. The pieces come in chunks or triangle shapes. Slice the chunks thinly and try to get some of the core (the tougher center section) in each cut–we don’t want a piece that is ONLY core. Rinse the jackfruit once more in a colander, drain, and thoroughly dry.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and cumin seeds. Once the seeds begin to sizzle add the onion, garlic, tomatoes and chilies if using. Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until onions are golden brown and softened.
Add jackfruit, salt, paprika, cumin, oregano, black pepper and agave (starting with 1 tsp and tasting for the right balance), and water/bouillon mixture. Stir to coat and reduce heat to low – medium. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once the jackfruit has been properly simmered–it will begin to naturally fall apart/shred (very similar to meat!), taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more paprika or cumin for smokiness, chili powder for heat, agave for sweetness, salt for depth of flavor, or lime for acidity.
Turn up the heat to medium-high and cook for 2-3 more minutes to get a little extra color/texture. Then remove from heat and spread thinly on an airfryer basket. Place in a 425 degree F airfryer and cook for 10 minutes (or until browned), stirring halfway through. Alternatively, if you don't have an airfryer, spread thinly on a baking sheet lined in foil. Place in a 500 degree F oven (or under the broiler) for 2-3 minutes to crisp up. Watch the oven closely so the jackfruit does not burn.
Serve on torillas and garnish with raw onion, avocado slices, cilantro, quick pickles and sauces of your choice [salsa verde is great!]
Storage
The jackfruit can be eaten as soon as it’s made or can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The jackfruit will actually begin to taste better the longer it’s able to sit in the spices, so this recipe tastes even better a day or two after making.
Spices/Special Ingredient List [and where to buy]
Shopping for spices and special ingredients can feel a bit intimidating and can also get expensive-especially if you don’t use them often.
I recommend buying spices in bulk from an Indian/Asian grocer as these will be fresher than what’s offered at the grocery store and also significantly less expensive.
If you are not ready to commit to a large quantity, shopping the bulk bins at the co-op is an excellent choice. You can buy exactly what you need for the recipe. No wastage, and nothing to store!
Spices you will need for this recipe:
- Cumin Seed available at any grocery store/Indian market. It’s great for so many different cuisines but if you don’t use it often, buy what you need from the bulk bins.
- Smoked Paprika If you can’t find smoked paprika, any sort of adobo sauce or dried, smoked chile (I like chili Morita but a lot of people prefer chipotles) will work fine. Add the dried chili to the pan when you are sauteing the onion. It’ll release a little flavor and a little heat, but not too much. Remove before serving.
Other Specialty Ingredients:
- Agave- agave is a natural sweetener and can be found in nearly any grocery store.
- Jackfruit– you can buy jackfruit whole at any of the local Asian markets or Fresh Thyme. I prefer to use the canned Green/unripe jackfruit as it’s just easier to manage. For this recipe, it is very important to use unripe jackfruit in water or brine and not jackfruit in syrup! I buy my canned jackfruit from Trader Joe’s or my local Asian/Indian market.
