tacos

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Jackfruit Carnitas
for Environment 911
April 09, 2021

I’ve been trying out putting jackfruit in tacos for a while now, and have been slowly tweaking the recipes. For this one, I wanted to go more of a crispy carnitas style, instead of the ‘pulled-pork’ type style I usually make, and kick up the spice. 
 
I find that jackfruit holds spice and marinade so well, and while real carnitas take a lot longer to sit and cook, jackfruit you can toss in sprinkle with spice and you’re good!  
 
Top these in tacos however you’d like - I used coleslaw and vegan lime crema. But you don’t even need to make them into tacos. The next time I do it, I’m going to throw them in a salad, and maybe make a breakfast burrito! 
 

Makes Approx. 2 Cups 
 
INGREDIENTS: 
 
- approx. 400g of jackfruit (in water) - drained and pressed 
- 2 tbsp olive oil 
- 4 large cloves of garlic, minced 
- 1 large shallot or small red onion – finely chopped 
- 1 tablespoon chipotle powder  
- 2 teaspoons cumin  
- 1 teaspoon pepper  
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 
- 1 teaspoon chili powder  
- 1 tsp oregano 
- 1 tbsp of Braggs liquid amino (or low sodium soy sauce) 
- ½ tsp brown sugar 
 
 
INSTRUCTIONS: 
 
Cut and breakdown the jackfruit as much as possible. There are a few tough parts that usually need to be chopped. Depending on the brand, some jackfruit may be wetter than others, so you can press it the way you would with tofu. 
 
Mix the brown sugar, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper, chilli powder and oregano in a small bowl together. 
 
In a cast iron pan (or other large skillet), heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil over medium heat. 
 
Sauté the onion or shallot for 2 minutes, before adding the minced garlic, until onions are soft and garlic is fragrant.  
 
Add the jackfruit and the Braggs/soy, and stir to mix with the onion and garlic. Continue to cook for a few minutes to make sure any extra water is evaporating, and then add the 2nd tbsp of olive oil, and sprinkle with the spice/sugar mix, stirring until well coated. 
 
After a minute or two of cooking, and when it seems to be crisping up, taste for seasoning and add more as necessary. 
 
If you really want a bit of extra crisp, and you’re using a cast iron pan, you can broil the mix for a minute or two (or place it on a baking sheet and do the same). 
 
Serve on tacos, or in whatever vessel you like!

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I wrote a few recipes for BC Living from when I went camping on the August long weekend (at Twenty Mile Bay) - Gourmet Camping Recipes for Your Next Camping Trip.
Some of them are long, so I figured I’d break each of them down into their own posts (means extra photos too!) - the first being Jackfruit Tacos!

“Skip the roasted weenies and indulge in these easy-to-make camping recipes

These dishes might look fancy, but much of the prep work can be done at home (and then frozen), and all of them can be done on a camp stove if there's a fire ban. Oh, and they can also all be made vegan!

So make your grocery list, get shopping and start prepping these delicious and nutritious camping meals...”


Jackfruit Tacos (paired with Persephone Goddess Golden Ale)

The jackfruit should marinate for at least a day, so you can either make everything the day before you leave (and have a quick and tasty meal as soon you get to the campground), or marinate it at the campsite the day before you want to eat it. Store-bought tortillas work well if it’s a few days in and you need the preservatives, but if you can get some fresh ones (I get mine from here), or frozen ones that you heat up/cook (like these vegan ones), your taste buds will thank you. (Plus, you can make breakfast tacos in the morning with the leftovers.)

TACO INGREDIENTS

  • 1 can jackfruit (approximately 230 g)

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 tsp chili powder

  • 1 tsp cumin (ground)

  • 1 tsp paprika

  • ½ tsp dried oregano

  • ½ tsp coriander (ground)

  • Pinch of salt

  • Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

  • 1 tbsp brown sugar

  • ½ tbsp of chili paste (optional, add spice as you like!)

  • Salt and pepper

  • ½ cup of chopped onion

  • 2 to 3 cloves of minced garlic

  • Tortillas, your choice!

  • Lime wedges for garnish (optional)

CABAGE SLAW INGREDIENTS

  • Half a small reg cabbage, thinly shredded

  • ¼ cup cilantro

  • ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced

  • Juice of one lime

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

AVOCADO CASHEW CREMA INGREDIENTS (OPTIONAL)

  • ½ cup cashews, soaked overnight or for several hours

  • 1 small avocado or half a large one

  • 1 clove of garlic

  • Juice of half of a lime

  • ¼ cup cilantro

  • Salt and pepper

  • 1 tbsp water

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Soak the cashews the night before or in the morning.

  2. Drain the jackfruit and rinse, then break apart in a bowl until it resembles pulled meat. You can also place it in a reusable (or Ziploc) bag and squish it to break it up, which makes it slightly easier.

  3. In a small bowl, mix together the chilli powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, coriander, salt, and brown sugar. Then stir in the chilli paste (optional) and 1 tbsp of olive oil.

  4. Add to the jackfruit, mixing until it's fully coated. Either cover or zip up baggie, and place in fridge for at least two hours (but overnight really helps let the flavours come together).

  5. In a larger bowl, place the cabbage slaw ingredients and mix together. I use my hands to do this, as it helps soften the cabbage a bit when it’s been massaged. And then put in the fridge, covered.

  6. To make the crema: drain the cashews and rinse, and then add them and the rest of the crema ingredients to a high-powered blender. Blend together until smooth and creamy. You may need to add more water to thin it out. You can also add a bit of olive oil, or more avocado to make it creamer if needed. Cover and chill.

  7. When you’re ready to cook, heat up a pan (I prefer cast iron, but any pan will work) and warm your tortillas, one by one, covered with a clean dish cloth or wrapped in foil). You can also do this in a foil packet over the fire, but keep an eye on them, or they will burn and stick together!

  8. When done, in the cast-iron pan (or frying pan), heat a tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for two more. Then you can add in the spiced jackfruit and stir.

  9. Add approximately half a cup of water and continue to cook, letting it evaporate while you stir the jackfruit for about 10 minutes. Test the seasoning and see if you need more salt.

  10. To plate, place the tortillas on a plate, then some of the avocado crema (or sour cream*), a scoop of the jackfruit, and top with the cabbage mixture and optionally drizzle with more of the crema.

  11. Serve with an optional lime wedge—and a cold beer (lagers, golden ales and pilsners are all good choices here.) I paired it with Persephone’s Golden Goddess Ale—light and refreshing, and it came out of an ice-cold (literally) cooler, which is hard to beat.

*NOTE: If you want to make the crema to take with you, you can, or if you want to skip it and just bring sour cream, that’s another option. A sliced avocado is also an excellent topping that you can just chop up at the campsite.

Makes 8 to 10 four-inch tacos

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