Vegan Jackfruit Tacos Recipe - Mind Over Munch (2024)

Enjoy this scrumptiously simple vegan jackfruit tacos recipe made with canned jackfruit! After sauteing, this pulled jackfruit “meat” turns out surprisingly hearty, flavorful, and satisfying. Perfect for homemade vegan tacos with your favorite plant-based taco fillings! Learn how to cook jackfruit pulled pork and how to make jackfruit tacos with slaw—all in just 30 minutes.

Jackfruit is a large fruit with a spiky rind that’s deliciously sweet when ripe. But, unripe jackfruit (also known as green jackfruit) has a hearty, fibrous texture and a mild flavor, making it a versatile vegan meat substitute. Whether you cook it in taco seasoning or barbecue sauce, it takes on the appearance and texture of shredded meat! Perfect for jackfruit pulled “pork” tacos or BBQ sliders.

Once you learn how to cook jackfruit meat, making tacos with jackfruit is simple! Serve them in whatever taco shells you like—hard or soft, flour or corn tortillas. Then, customize your vegan jackfruit tacos with whatever taco filling ingredients you enjoy. For a fun family dinner or group gathering, try setting up a DIY taco bar!

What does jackfruit taste like raw?

Ripe jackfruit has a sweet, tropical flavor that’s like a blend of mango, banana, and pineapple. On the other hand, unripe green jackfruit is almost neutral in flavor. Since its sugars haven’t had time to develop, it isn’t sweet at all. Instead, unripe jackfruit is quite bland, with a chewy, fibrous texture like shredded meat. This means it will readily take on whatever flavors you cook it with!

How do you cook canned jackfruit?

Canned jackfruit is the most convenient option for making jackfruit tacos or other jackfruit recipes. The unripe fruit is chopped and canned in either water or brine, and all you have to do is shred and then saute it! Whole jackfruit can be difficult to cut and prepare at home, and it can be hard to find jackfruit in the grocery store. Personally, I recommend using canned!

How do you get the bitter taste out of jackfruit?

Sometimes, canned jackfruit is stored in brine which can have a bitter taste. To remove this, simply drain the canned jackfruit in a fine mesh sieve and rinse with water. When I make this pulled jackfruit tacos recipe, a quick rinse always does the trick to remove the briny flavor. After cooking, the jackfruit just tastes like savory, zesty taco “meat!”

Vegan Jackfruit Tacos Recipe Ingredients

Pulled Jackfruit Meat

• Canned Jackfruit in water or brine. This is the simplest option for making jackfruit pulled pork tacos at home, and it’s the easiest to find. (I get mine at Trader Joe’s.) Yes, you can use a whole unripe jackfruit—it will just require much more time and effort! Alternatively, you could also make these vegan tacos with black beans sauteed in taco seasoning, or even refried beans instead.
• Onion & Garlic. This duo gives the pulled jackfruit meat a more authentic taco flavor and feel! I recommend at least sauteing some onion with your jackfruit, but you can omit the garlic if you’re not a fan.
• Seasonings. I like to use a combination of taco seasoning, coconut aminos, and fresh lime juice, but get creative with any seasonings you like! Personally, I think a classic taco seasoning blend gives jackfruit the tastiest and most satisfying taco flavor.

Vegan Jackfruit Tacos

• Taco Shells—hard or soft, flour or corn. I love the satisfying crunch of a hard taco shell, but I also enjoy these pulled jackfruit tacos in soft flour or corn tortillas. Use whichever variety of taco shells suit your preferences and lifestyle!
• Slaw. If you’re hungry for vegan tacos with slaw, toss together a makeshift slaw with lettuce and cabbage! I simply layer shredded lettuce and purple cabbage straight onto my tacos. Or, you can toss them in a bit of vegan mayo beforehand.
• Fillings of Choice. The best taco fillings to use are whichever you enjoy. Try plant-based options like salsa or pico de gallo, avocado or guacamole, vegan sour cream, vegan cheese shreds, cilantro, corn kernels. Your options are endless!

How do you make jackfruit taste like meat?

Generally, the best way to season jackfruit is with savory, potent flavors like taco seasoning, barbecue sauce, or teriyaki sauce. Since it has such a neutral flavor, the jackfruit will take on the flavors of whatever you cook it in! To make it taste like taco meat, simply shred the jackfruit to create a pulled meat texture, then saute it with onions, garlic, and taco seasoning.

How to Cook Jackfruit Pulled Pork

• Drain and rinse canned jackfruit, then shred the jackfruit with 2 forks.
• Saute onion and garlic in oil for 6-8 minutes, until caramelized.
• Add shredded jackfruit and season to taste with coconut aminos and taco seasoning. (If needed, add water or vegetable broth to moisten.)
• Cook jackfruit for 6-8 minutes, until beginning to brown and crisp on the edges.
• Finish with a squeeze of lime juice.
• Serve as jackfruit pulled pork tacos, in a vegan taco salad or burrito bowl, or in any jackfruit recipes you like!

How to Make Vegan Jackfruit Tacos

To make vegan tacos with jackfruit, simply assemble your taco shells of choice with the fillings you love. Personally, I like to serve mine in hard taco shells, with shredded lettuce and cabbage, salsa, avocado, and cilantro! Switch up your taco fillings for endless variety. A deliciously easy dinner idea—with one 20-oz can of jackfruit yielding enough “meat” for up to 12 tacos!

More ways to use jackfruit:

• What is Jackfruit? + 9 Vegan Jackfruit Recipes
• Homemade Baked Tortilla Bowls
• Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

See how to make these vegan tacos in my Vegan Jackfruit Tacos + Taco Salad video!