Have you had jackfruit before? It's a fruit common to India and it's the national fruit of Bangladesh according to Wikipedia.
It's become popular as of late as a vegan alternative to meat due to its stringy nature when cooked.
A BBQ-STYLE "PULLED PORK"
For this, I wanted to create a BBQ-style "pulled pork" taco and see whether my husband could tell the difference.
COOKING JACKFRUIT
I decided to test this out with a can of Trader Joe's jackfruit in brine. I've had frozen jackfruit before and quite enjoy its bouncy texture, but I hadn't had the ones in brine before.
Jackfruit is quite firm, but slowly softens and becomes somewhat stringy when pushed upon after cooking.
After adding the sauce, it was almost impossible to tell if it was meat or not.
COMPARING IT TO REGULAR MEAT
Taste-wise, if you're not a discerning foodie, you may not be able to tell that it is not pulled pork, but if your taste buds are highly sensitive, you can distinguish that it is not a similar sinewy chew that meat would have. Nonetheless, they taste great either way. I mean, who doesn't love a delicious taco, vegan or not? I could eat tacos every week!
FLAVOUR TO YOUR LIKING
I love how easy this recipe is -- basically take a can of jackfruit, dice it up, add some onions and garlic, saute for 20 minutes, and add your favourite spices/BBQ sauce, and you're done.
JACKFRUIT "PULLED PORK" TACOS ARE PLANT-BASED
These jackfruit "pulled pork" tacos are a great substitution for accommodating people who are vegan, or vegetarian, or if you want to consume less meat. You can bet that these will be showing up more at my dinner table since Lent is here.
And nope, my husband couldn't tell the difference! 😉
If meat is more your thing, and you're an adventurous carnivore, check out my recipe for Tacos de Lengua (Beef Tongue Tacos).
If you make these Jackfruit "Pulled Pork" Tacos, let me know! Tag me @siftandsimmer on Instagram or leave me a comment below.
Jackfruit "Pulled Pork" Tacos
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 can jackfruit in brine or water, drained, cut into pieces (I used Trader Joe's)
- 1 onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder optional
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ C water
- ¼ C BBQ sauce
Garnish:
- cilantro chopped
- red onion sliced or chopped
Instructions
- Heat up a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil, onions, and garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes until onions start to soften.
- Add the jackfruit, spices and seasonings except for the apple cider vinegar and water.
- Cook for about 2 minutes and add the apple cider vinegar and water. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir and press down on the jackfruit with the back of a wooden spoon to gently break it apart. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes. (If it starts to get too dry, add a little more water).
- When the jackfruit is soft and tender, add the BBQ sauce and mix to coat all of the jackfruit evenly.
- Remove from heat and serve warm.
- Serve jackfruit "pulled pork" with corn tortillas, pico de gallo, guacamole, and garnish with cilantro, lime, and red onions.
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Katherine | Love In My Oven
Love this idea! I've never worked with jackfruit before - I would love to try it in tacos.
siftandsimmer@gmail.com
Yes, do try it! I love how it's completely vegetarian/vegan, but somewhat resembles meat. Anything in tacos is a good idea, right? 😛
Christina
Oh my gosh, I'm so happy I read your post. I've heard about Jackfruit awhile back but forgot about it. Although I eat meat I'm trying to incorporate more vegetarian dishes into my diet, and this looks incredible.
Question - I've never seen jackfruit at my grocery store, but then again, I haven't gone out of my way to find it. Besides Trader Joe's, what aisle do you find it in? Is it typically a fruit or in the canned section?
siftandsimmer@gmail.com
I'm glad that my post has inspired you! If you're at an Asian supermarket, you can find them fresh (usually opened and repackaged into a smaller pack since a whole jackfruit is ENORMOUS!). Or you can find them frozen, also in smaller packages. Also, you can find them in the canned fruit section with longans/lychees. Just make sure you don't get the ones in sweet sugar syrup. 😛 Hope that helps!