Now that the holidays are over, we can start eating healthy again. No excuses unless you have pregnancy cravings, like me LOL. These Meatless Monday Jackfruit Tacos, are done in just about 20 minutes. I am not a vegan or vegetarian but I do try to eat meatless meals a few times a week. It is good for our bodies and the environment!

This is definitely a vegan taco but becomes a vegetarian taco if you decide to add cheese or ranch dressing, to serve. Prior to this meal, I have never heard of jackfruit and it wasn’t the most easy thing to find. My husband’s barber eats vegan and told us about jackfruit and so we decided to give it a try. At 40 calories for a 1/2 cup you can’t go wrong!

What is Jackfruit?

Jackfruit is found in Africa, Asia and South America. It is a large fruit that is sweet when ripe. Left unripe, it is perfect for savory dishes like this one! What is great, you can find it already prepared in a can. Less work for you.

I was able to find it at Whole Foods. Of course, I had to drive to a different location, as my local Whole Foods does not carry it. You can find it in the canned fruit section, in a can. However, you can also find seasoned jackfruit that you can just heat and serve with rice or noodles. Seasoned jackfruit can be found in the ethnic aisle. I guess it depends which grocery store you shop at.

Texture

The texture is pretty awesome. Cut up the jackfruit into smaller pieces and once cooked you can cut it up even more to get that “shredded” look from pulled pork or chicken. I seasoned my jackfruit with taco seasoning. The tacos tasted just like chicken tacos! I tested it out with my boys and they had no idea. They loved it!

Is it a Filling Meal?

Absolutely, these tacos were super filling and tasted just like chicken tacos. I can’t stress enough how the texture is like a soft piece of chicken that was shredded in the crockpot. This meal is also inexpensive. Two cans of jackfruit feeds 2 adults and 2 kids with no issues. At about $3.49 a can, you can’t go wrong.

Add your favorite toppings or my suggestions in my recipe below.

Vegan Tacos with Jackfruit

Recipe by Azilde ElizabethCourse: lunch/dinnerCuisine: VegetarianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

3

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

8

minutes

Total time

23

minutes

Vegetarian tacos that taste just like chicken tacos! Perfect for the vegetarian or meatless Monday meals!

Ingredients

• a drizzle of agave nectar

• 2 cans of Jackfruit, 14 oz each. reserve 1/2 cup of juice

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 1-2 tbsp of taco seasoning

• 1 piece of garlic, pressed

• 1 tbsp of olive oil

• 6 Tortillas, warm or toasted or taco shells

• Toppings

• 1/4 cup of red onion slices

• 1 avocado, cut into slices

• 1/4 cup of cilantro, roughly chopped

• Hot sauce, sriracha or ranch dressing to drizzle

• Lemon, drizzle

• shredded cheese, optional

Directions

• Start by cutting jackfruit into small slices.
• Take a pan and heat to MED HI. Add the oil, garlic and onion. Cook and stir for about 2-3 minutes or until onion becomes translucent.
• Add the jackfruit, jackfruit juice and taco seasoning. Stir to incorporate and cook for about 5 minutes, covered.
• Uncover and cut up jackfruit with a spatula or spoon to get that “shredded” look.
• Serve with warm or toasted tortillas or taco shells and toppings.

Enjoy!