Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos
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These Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos have a delicious flavor and are such an easy weeknight meal! They’re ready in just 25 minutes!
This recipe comes together quickly, in just under 25 minutes. It’s a great weeknight meal and has been added to my recipe bank. My recipe bank is a list of go-to/well-liked recipes that I can come back to time and time again to make meal planning very easy each week! I highly recommend you create one!
I decided I wanted to explore the possibility of using jackfruit as a meat substitute. However, I’ve always been intimidated by jackfruit as I have never quite known what to do with it. I knew people typically shred it to act as a meat substitute, but that’s about all I knew. I was feeling brave though and thought I would go ahead and give it a shot. Since my husband loves all things relating to Mexico, I decided on a meatless version of Carnitas Tacos!
It turns out that jackfruit is not intimidating at all! It is very easy to cook with. All I had to do was drain and rinse it and then throw it in the pan. When it started heating up, I was able to easily take my wooden spoon and shred it to form the carnitas “meat”.
This recipe comes together quickly, in just under 25 minutes. It’s a great weeknight meal and has been added to my recipe bank. My recipe bank is a list of go-to/well-liked recipes that I can come back to time and time again to make meal planning very easy each week! I highly recommend you create one!
How to Make Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos
1. In a large bowl, add drained and rinsed jackfruit, cumin, oregano, chili powder, smoked paprika, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, lime juice, garlic, maple syrup, coconut aminos, and cilantro. Set aside.
3. Sauté onion in olive oil in a large pan over medium heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add jackfruit and sauté for about 10 minutes. When the jackfruit starts getting softer, use a wooden or rubber spoon to break the pieces apart so they look shredded.
5. Pour the citrus mixture over jackfruit and stir to combine.
6. Continue sautéing for another 5 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. Add black beans right at the end and mix to combine.
7. While the jackfruit is sautéing, warm the corn tortillas on a griddle or in the microwave. I like to make mine a little crispy by using a little olive oil on the griddle when I heat them!
8. Fill your tacos with jackfruit carnitas and top with your favorite toppings!
But What About Protein?
Since jackfruit doesn’t contain any protein, I decided to add a can of black beans to this dish. It turned out delightful. Refried beans would make a tasty addition as well if you didn’t want to use black beans. Some other options: adding pumpkin seeds or hemp seeds to your tacos.
What to Top Your Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos With
There are so many options here, but here are some of the toppings I love with these Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos!
- Guacamole
- Shredded cabbage
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream (we use plain yogurt as a sour cream substitute)
- Cilantro
- Red onion
- Pico de gallo or salsa
Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 20-ounce cans green jackfruit in brine, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, or 2 tablespoons if you like it extra tangy
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon coconut aminos
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 corn tortillas
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the drained jackfruit with cumin, oregano, chili powder, smoked paprika, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, lime juice, garlic, maple syrup, coconut aminos, and cilantro. Set aside.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and add olive oil.
- Add diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Add the jackfruit mixture and sauté for about 10 minutes. As it softens, use a wooden spoon to break it apart so it resembles shredded meat.
- Pour the citrus mixture over the jackfruit and stir to combine. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes to let the flavors come together.
- Stir in the black beans at the end and mix well.
- While the filling cooks, warm the corn tortillas on a griddle or in the microwave. (Optional: lightly crisp them with a little olive oil on a pan.)
- Fill tortillas with the jackfruit carnitas and add your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Guacamole
- Shredded cabbage
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream (or plain yogurt as a substitute)
- Cilantro
- Red onion
- Pico de gallo or salsa