Barbecue Jackfruit Tacos Topped with Slaw
My plant-based and vegan-friendly take on pulled pork topped with slaw featuring savory barbecue jackfruit topped with sweet coleslaw to create an explosion of flavor. This recipe can be made free from coconut, dairy, gluten, grains, nuts, and soy, and with a few minor tweaks, it can even be whole-food plant-based. It takes 10 minutes to prepare, 40 minutes to cook, and makes about 6 servings.
Servings
Ingredients
- 20 oz. can young jackfruit in brine (rinsed and drained; I use Native Forest's Organic Young Jackfruit)
- 2 tbsp. oil of choice (I use cold-pressed avocado oil)
- 1 tbsp. liquid smoke (I use Wright's Hickory Liquid Smoke)
- 1 tsp. smoked maple rub (I use Watkin's Organic Grilling Smoked Maple Rub)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 pack of taco shells or tortillas (I use local organic corn tortillas)
- Coleslaw (I make my homemade restaurant-style sweet coleslaw)
Instructions
- Prepare the jackfruit by taking one piece at a time, squeezing it onto a paper towel to release the remaining water, then using a fork to shred the fruit while removing any seeds or hard pieces.
- Add oil to a frying pan over medium-high heat. As the oil gets to temperature, season the shredded jackfruit with liquid smoke, smoked maple rub, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and chili powder to the jackfruit. Mix to combine.
- When the oil is ready, fry the jackfruit for about ten minutes or until it's mostly dehydrated and reaches a slightly browned color (this is important for texture purposes).
- After the jackfruit has reached the desired color, reduce the heat to low-medium, add the barbecue sauce, cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes. Be sure to remove the lid and occasionally stir to avoid any sticking.
- If you’re making homemade coleslaw, you can do so while the jackfruit is simmering.
- Then, when the jackfruit is done cooking, warm the taco shells or tortillas according to package instructions before loading them with barbecue jackfruit and topping them with coleslaw.
Notes
- To make whole-food plant-based, you can make your own barbecue sauce (recipe coming soon) and tortillas.
- If you wish to omit the oil, you should still be able to cook it in a pan by swapping the oil 1:1 with vegetable broth. (I haven’t tried this method, so if you do, let us know how it goes.)
