These super flavorful vegan pork tacos are easy to make, ready in just 40 minutes, and they only require one pan! Crush Taco Tuesday with this delicious family-friendly plant-based meal!
These easy jackfruit tacos are going to knock your socks off! They are loaded with so much flavor from the chipotle adobo sauce, dried seasonings, garlic, and onions. In addition to being absolutely delicious, these tacos are so easy to make in just 40 minutes and they only require one pan. Spice up Taco Tuesday with this delicious and zesty meal!
What Is Vegan Pork Made of?
This version is made from canned young green jackfruit. Once the jackfruit has been rinsed and drained, seasoned, cooked, and shredded, it tastes and looks just like pulled pork!
Does Jackfruit Taste Like Pork?
It definitely tastes and looks like meat, and it's the perfect canned vegan pork substitute as long as it's seasoned well and cooked long enough so it gets tender and shreds.
Should I Eat or Discard Jackfruit Seeds?
You should definitely eat the seeds! I'm always shocked when I see recipe instructions that say to discard the seeds. The seeds are 100% edible and they're very tasty! Once cooked, the seeds get very tender and have a chewy texture, very similar to a bean. Don't waste your time picking the seeds out to throw them away because you'll be wasting a perfectly edible part of the fruit.
Where Can I Buy Canned Jackfruit?
You can buy it at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and on Amazon. I've also found it at my local health food store so make sure you check out your local mom n' pop shop too!
Do I Need To Cut The Jackfruit Before Cooking It?
I've seen many recipes where they tell you to cut the jackfruit up into small pieces before you cook it. I find that to be an unnecessary extra step. Once the jackfruit has been cooked and it's soft and tender, you can use a wooden spoon or potato masher to lightly crush the chunks and break it up. Doing this will shred the chunks and give it the best texture for vegan pork taco meat.
How To Make Jackfruit Tacos
First, rinse and drain the jackfruit very well. Saute the diced onions in a large pan until they're soft. Add the minced garlic, adobo sauce, tomato paste, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and all of the dry seasonings. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant (Photo 1).
Next, add the rinsed and drained jackfruit, lime juice, and water to the pan, cover it, and let it cook until tender (Photos 2 & 3). While it's cooking, prep the taco toppings.
Remove the lid and use a wooden spoon or potato masher to lightly mash and break up the chunks of jackfruit. It should shred easily. There shouldn't be much liquid left, but if there is, just let it cook a little bit longer without the lid on until the liquid has been absorbed.
Add the filling to soft tortillas with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced green onions, vegan sour cream, hot sauce, and slices of avocado (Photo 4).
Serving Suggestions
The shredded chipotle-seasoned jackfruit is delicious by itself, but, just like chili, it gets even better when you load it up with lots of toppings!
My favorite toppings are:
- Romaine Lettuce
- Diced Tomatoes
- Sliced Green Onions
- Cauliflower Cheese Sauce
- Dairy-Free Sour Cream
- Hot Sauce
- Sliced Avocado
- Lime Juice
What To Do With The Leftover Chipotle Peppers
You only need the adobo sauce and maybe 1-2 chipotle peppers (if you want to add a little heat) for this shredded vegan pork recipe. There will be more peppers and sauce leftover in the can.
You can save the leftover peppers and adobo sauce by portioning 1-2 peppers and a little bit of sauce into each compartment of a silicone ice cube tray. Freeze the cubes and then transfer them to a Ziploc or reusable bag for future recipes, like taco bowls with avocado chipotle sauce.
How Long Does it Last in the Refrigerator?
Store leftover vegan pork in a sealed container in the fridge and it should stay fresh for 3-4 days. You can use the leftovers to make tacos, burritos, enchiladas, taco salad, chili, or taco soup.
Can I Freeze It?
Yes, you can freeze the leftover filling. Put the vegan pork by itself in a freezer-safe container and freeze it for 3-4 months.
When you want to reheat it, remove the container from the freezer and let it defrost overnight in the fridge. Then you can reheat it in the microwave or in a large pan over medium heat. Add a little bit of vegetable broth or water to help it loosen up in the pan. Let it warm up for about 5 minutes or until it's hot all the way through.
Notes & Substitutions
- Gluten-Free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free as long as you use gluten-free tortillas.
- Should I Remove the Seeds? Don't waste time picking out the jackfruit seeds, they're completely edible and delicious once cooked.
- What if I Don't Have Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce? If you can't find canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce or if the adobo sauce is too spicy for you, you can substitute 1 additional tbsp of tomato paste instead.
- Jackfruit Substitutions: You can use crumbled tofu, roughly chopped artichokes, or soy curls.
- Add Extra Protein: If you want to add extra plant-based protein to this recipe, add (1) 14 oz can of black beans (that have been rinsed and drained) when you add the jackfruit.
Success Tips
- Make sure to rinse and drain the jackfruit very well. You want to get as much of the salty brine off as possible.
- You don't need to cut up the jackfruit (or remove the core or seeds) prior to cooking it as long as you cook it long enough. If it won't shred when you try to mash it then it hasn't been cooked long enough. It should be soft, tender, and easy to shred.
- To give it a spicy kick, add 1-2 minced chipotle peppers or 1-2 tbsp of hot sauce to the filling.
- You can store the leftover vegan pork in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or you can freeze it for a future meal.
Want More Vegan Jackfruit Recipes?
The Best Vegan Pork Jackfruit Tacos
Equipment
- Large Pan
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable broth (to saute) or water
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp adobo sauce (just the sauce not the chipotle peppers)
- 2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- (2) 14 oz cans young green jackfruit (rinsed and drained well)
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ½ cup water (or vegetable broth)
Instructions
- First, open the canned jackfruit and pour the jackfruit into a fine mesh strainer. Rinse and drain it very well.
- In a large pan over medium heat, saute the diced onions in vegetable broth for 5-8 minutes or until soft. Add the minced garlic, tomato paste, adobo sauce, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, and salt. Stir and let the mixture cook for 1-2 minutes. If it gets too dry, add more liquid.
- Add the rinsed and drained jackfruit, lime juice, and water to the pan, stir to combine. Cover the pan and let it cook for 25-30 minutes or until the jackfruit is tender, stirring occasionally. While the jackfruit is cooking, prep the taco toppings.
- Use a wooden spoon or potato masher to lightly mash and break up the chunks of jackfruit. The jackfruit chunks should shred easily. Mix the jackfruit with the rest of the sauce. If there is any liquid left in the pan, let it cook a little bit longer with the lid off until the liquid has been absorbed.
- Assemble the tacos with lettuce, jackfruit, tomatoes, avocado, vegan sour cream, hot sauce, and green onions!
Notes
- Make sure to rinse and drain the canned jackfruit very well. You want to get as much of the salty brine off as possible.
- You don't need to cut up the jackfruit (or remove the core or seeds) prior to cooking it as long as you cook it long enough. If it won't shred when you try to mash it then it hasn't been cooked long enough. It should be soft, tender, and easy to shred.
- You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally shared on 3/9/18, but I updated it on 12/11/20.
