One bite of these pulled Jackfruit Tacos and you’ll be hooked! The meaty texture and smoky flavors of the perfectly seasoned jackfruit filling are out-of-this-world. It only gets better when the easy, creamy avocado sauce is added on top!
I’m all about serving Tofu Tacos and Vegan Fish Tacos on Taco Tuesday, but these Jackfruit Tacos are really hard to pass up. Each one is filled with perfectly seasoned shredded jackfruit and topped with an easy avocado sauce. You’ll get creamy, tangy, smoky, and spicy flavors in every mouth-watering bite.
Young jackfruit takes on flavor like a pro, making it the perfect vegan-friendly substitute for pulled pork or carnitas (just check out my Jackfruit Carnitas). In this vegan jackfruit tacos recipe, the filling is seasoned with smoky seasonings, chipotle peppers in adobo, soy sauce, and agave syrup. This wide variety gives the jackfruit a blend of balanced and bold flavors that are completely addicting.
The best part is that jackfruit is easy to season and cook, and is always loved by all! It’s low maintenance compared to other taco fillings, like chipotle sofritas or vegan taco meat.
Ingredient needed (with substitutions)
- Jackfruit – Make sure to buy canned young jackfruit in water or brine. It has almost the exact same texture as real pulled pork and doesn’t have a strong flavor.
- Onion
- Vegetable broth
- Tomato paste
- Soy sauce – Or tamari or coconut aminos.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo – These sweet, tangy, and smoky peppers pack a bit of heat but nothing most people can’t handle. They’re what give the jackfruit tacos their signature flavor! You can usually find canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in most major grocery stores or Mexican markets but if you can’t find them, replace the heat with more chili powder, a diced jalapeno, or smoked paprika.
- Garlic
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Agave syrup – Granulated sugar can also be used. The sweetness is important for balance here, so try not to leave it out.
- Avocado sauce – This really simple avocado sauce is easy to make in a food processor or blender using avocado, cilantro, lime, vegan mayo (or yogurt), and salt.
- Tortillas – You can use corn, flour, or crunchy tortillas.
How to make jackfruit tacos
Add the drained and rinsed jackfruit to a skillet with oil. Heat over medium heat, then add the onion. Once it’s soft, you can add the broth and bring it up to a boil. Top it with a lid and let the mixture simmer.
Take off the lid and shred the jackfruit with a potato masher or two forks.
Next, add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Keep cooking until everything has come together and the jackfruit is smoky, warm, and fragrant. Once the jackfruit taco filling is ready, you can move on to the creamy avocado sauce.
How to make avocado cream sauce
To make the avocado cream sauce, add all of the sauce ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.
Either use the smooth avocado sauce right away on the jackfruit tacos or store it in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. It’s good on buddha bowls, cauliflower fajitas, Mexican rice and beans and more.
Serving suggestions
Taco night only gets better with plenty of topping options and side dishes. Put any of these taco toppings in small bowls and let your family or guests serve themselves:
- Shredded lettuce
- Shredded vegan cheese
- Salsa
- Pickled red onions
- Diced tomatoes
- Avocado
- Lime juice
- Vegan sour cream
- Cilantro
Don’t forget the sides! Serve the tacos next to nachos, rice and beans, corn and avocado salad, classic vegan coleslaw and jalapeno poppers.
Frequently asked questions
- What does jackfruit taste like? Underripe or young jackfruit has a mild flavor and firm texture that’s just like real pulled pork. It’s incredible at soaking up savory flavors and spice.
- How long do jackfruit tacos last? The jackfruit filling can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Can you freeze jackfruit? Yes, jackfruit freezes really well. Keep the filling in freezer-safe bags or airtight containers to keep it fresh. Let it thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Want more jackfruit recipes?
Jackfruit Tacos
Ingredients
Jackfruit Taco Meat
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
- (2) 20-ounce cans young jackfruit in water or brine
- 1 cup vegetable broth, divided
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped small
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons agave
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- salt, to taste
Creamy Avocado Sauce
- 1 large ripe avocado, pitted and scooped out of the skin
- 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro, chopped roughly
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons vegan mayo or plain vegan yogurt
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
For Serving
- tortillas of choice, soft or crunchy, corn or flour
- Optional toppings: shredded lettuce, sliced avocado, vegan cheese, salsa, tomatoes, vegan sour cream, pickled onions
Instructions
For the tacos
- Drain and rinse the jackfruit. Chop off the hard center core portions if desired. I usually don't so I don't waste any.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Now add the jackfruit and 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove the lid and mash the jackfruit with a potato masher or two forks, creating a shredded texture.
- Add the other 1/2 cup vegetable broth, tomato paste, soy sauce, chipotle peppers, garlic, chili powder, cumin, agave and lime juice to the skillet, and stir into the jackfruit. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste; add salt as desired.
- Serve in tortillas with optional avocado sauce and other desired toppings. Enjoy!
For the avocado sauce
- Add the ripe avocado flesh, cilantro, lime juice, vegan mayo or yogurt and salt to a food processor and process until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides as needed.
- Store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
I’m so excited to try this. Would you consider these to be spicy due to the peppers?
I hope you enjoy the tacos! They are a bit spicy with the peppers. If you want them less spicy and more mild, just use a little of the sauce from the can of peppers, not the peppers themselves.
One of our favorite ‘taco’ recipes! It was actually our first time trying Jackfruit and I was pleasantly surprised. The avocado cream sauce was probably my favorite part and gave them so much flavor. Will be using that cream sauce on any tacos and bowls going forward lol. Thank you!
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback and review! I’m so glad you loved the tacos and sauce 🙂
LOVE LOVE LOVE these!
Thanks for sharing your fun and fantastic feedback!
Another easy and tasty recipe! I didn’t have any chipotle peppers do I subbed chipotle powder, and well…boy did it have heat!! ? when I make a recipe I like to follow it exactly, so I’ll have to go out and grab some peppers to heave on hand. Will definitely try this again!
Thank you for you positive feedback! I’m so glad you loved the tacos! I think you’ll love it with the peppers! Happy cooking to you, Jennifer!
It’s a good recipe potentially, unfortunately I didn’t have chipotle pepper so I used the chipotle paste, but there’s a real bitter after taste.
Any suggestions of how I can counteract the after taste please?
Thank you.
It’s hard to know if it was due to the chipotle paste you used, I’m not totally sure what that is but it will have a different flavor than using chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. It could also be your jackfruit; if it’s in brine I like to rinse it well or else it has a bit of a sour/bitter flavor. It’s usually masked well with other flavors, but that could be what you taste.
hi there
looks yum!
is this considered a main dish? Jackfruit has no protein…. or near enough 2-3g per 100 …
How do we pump up the protein on this….love tacos!
J
Hi Josephine. They can certainly be served as a main with plenty of toppings. To boost the protein, stir black beans into the jackfruit or serve with rice and beans on the side. Happy cooking!
Could you use fresh jackfruit?
Fresh jackfruit is usually too ripe to use in “meaty” recipes like this.
Delicious and super easy! These will definitely be on repeat.
Two of my favorite recipe attributes, easy and delicious! Thank you for sharing you wonderful feedback!
Absolutely delicious, even though I forgot the mayo. We all ate it in pitot and it was just as good. Thanks again Nora, another of your recipes for keeps ?
I’m so glad you enjoyed the jackfruit tacos, thank you!
Hi Nora, these sound/look divine! Is there any chance we could get a metric measurement option for this recipe? Thank you and no worries if not 🙂
Sure! Sorry, I forget to do the conversion on this one. It’s there now if you click on the “metric” button below the ingredients. Hope that helps!
2Tablespoons of lime juice in the base recipe & the 3 tablespoons in the sauce seems like an awful lot. Are these the correct amounts I should use? Won’t it be too sour?
Yep, those are the correct amounts! I know it sounds like a lot, but the tartness is toned down among the smoky seasonings and sweet agave in the jackfruit, and really brightens up the creamy sauce.
Absolutely amazing! Been wanting to try a jackfruit recipe for a long time now! This will definitely be my go to! Really love all of your recipes that I’ve tried so far! Especially the chocolate chip cookies!
Thank you so much for sharing your fantastic review and comments!