These insanely delicious Chili Lime Jackfruit Tacos are a hit! Wow, you would never believe these are vegan, their texture is similar to pulled pork! Time to enjoy tacos without the guilt!
What is Jackfruit?
What’s all this hype about jackfruit? Well, there are many reasons for its recent popularity. First off, a cup of raw jackfruit contains only 155 calories and only 1 gram of fat! Jackfruit has a low glycemic index, helping keep glucose levels steady, making this an attractive option for diabetics. Also, jackfruit contains a plentiful source of vitamin B-6, potassium and magnesium, helping to regulate blood pressure.
Jackfruit is a very large, prickly fruit that is commonly found in Asian cuisines and curries in Thailand. It can grow as large as 80 pounds!!! When you cut into the jackfruit, the flesh is a pale yellow, however, it is most often found in the green unripe form for cooking.
So how do we prepare Jackfruit?
You can buy the large fruit and prepare it. It does yield quite a bit so it can be frozen. I typically will buy the unripe, green jackfruit canned and in the brine. I find this at my local Trader Joes. It is best to drain and rinse the jackfruit thoroughly to eliminate the brine taste. It can then be shredded and cooked however you’d like! Some recipes will say to cut the hard core from the jackfruit, I find this is not necessary, the cores do break down during cooking, this is simply a personal preference. You will find seed like pods in the jackfruit, these are absolutely fine to eat.
How to prepare Chili Lime Jackfruit Tacos
Okay, now that we have some background on jackfruit, let’s make some tacos! First I rinse and drain the canned jackfruit. Then I massage the spices and garlic into the jackfruit at the same time shredding it with my hands. Set this aside and get the sauce started. These will need to simmer about 25 minutes, plenty of time to prepare the toppings and sides for the tacos.
Heat up the oil in a skillet and saute the shallots, add the spice rubbed jackfruit and let them get to know each other for about 4 minutes. Then add the remaining sauce ingredients and let them simmer for about 25 minutes. After 20 minutes if there is a lot of liquid, drain most of this out and let it continue to simmer. The end result you do not want too much liquid left in the pan.
At this point we are ready to assemble the tacos! I know some cooks will broil the finished jackfruit on a sheet pan for 5 minutes before serving. I’ve tried this a couple of times and it will crisp this tops of the jackfruit slightly, but you can not tell once you stir it all up again. I feel this is not worth the extra step, but try it if you want! It definitely won’t hurt the jackfruit, you will just have another pan to clean up!
Chili Lime Jackfruit Tacos
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
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These insanely delicious Chili Lime Jackfruit Tacos are a hit! Wow, you would never believe these are vegan, their texture is similar to pulled pork! Get out the chips and salsa and let’s make some tacos!
Ingredients
For the Seasoning Rub
2 – 20 oz cans young jackfruit in water or brine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon paprika (regular or smoked)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Simmering Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, or 2 small
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon oregano
2 bay leaves
1 chipotle chile, minced
salt and pepper to taste
For the Tacos
8 corn tortillas
toppings of your choice *see notes
Instructions
- Start by rinsing and draining the jackfruit. In a large bowl mix the jackfruit with the seasoning rub and garlic. While you are mixing the jackfruit, use your hands to shred the jackfruit until it has a pulled pork consistency. Don’t worry this doesn’t need to be perfect, you can shred further during the simmering process.
- Heat oil in large pan over medium heat. Add shallots and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add the jackfruit and let cook together for about 4-5 minutes, it’s okay if the jackfruit starts sticking to the pan.
- Add the water and stir making sure you get any yummy pieces that may be sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the remaining ingredients for the Simmering Sauce. Mix well together. Let simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally and break down the jackfruit more if necessary. At the 20 minute mark, drain if there is an excess of liquid. You want all the liquid cooked down. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.
- Serve on heated corn tortillas with toppings of your choice!
Notes
- I like to heat my corn tortillas over medium-high heat. I wrap them in foil to keep warm.
- Topping options! pickled red onion (as pictured), jalepeno, avacado or quacamole, vegan shredded cheese, sliced radishes, cabbage slaw, cilantro, lime…however you like to enjoy your tacos!
- If you are lucky enough to have any of the jackfruit mixture leftover, you can heat it up and serve over rice, sweet potatoes, tortilla chips, or as a salad salad topping.
- The nutrition content is based on two tacos including only the jackfruit filling and tortilla. I did not add any topping options.
- Remember to Pin this recipe and share your comments!
- Category: main course
- Method: easy
- Cuisine: mexican
Keywords: Chili Lime Jackfruit Tacos
