One of our absolute favourite restaurants to visit when we go to LA is the plant-based Mexican restaurant Gracias Madre. Not only is it a beautiful space (with the dreamiest courtyard), but the food is next level. Usually, when we go for Mexican, there are a couple of decent veg options. Imagine an entire menu dedicated to creative dishes. This includes plant-based tacos, bowls, tostadas, etc. that use coconut bacon, tempeh chorizo, and pulled jackfruit.
We recently discovered that one of our favourite Canadian brands, Cha’s Organics offers canned young jackfruit. We thought we’d try to re-create the Gracias Madre pulled jackfruit tacos ourselves. What is jackfruit you ask? It’s a species of tree in the fig and mulberry family and is native to Southeast Asia. Jackfruit is composed of hundreds to thousands of individual flowers, and it is the fleshy petals that are eaten. Because of its meaty texture, it’s becoming a very popular meat alternative.
JACKFRUIT TACOS
Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 20 mins | Total Time:30 mins
A great vegan alternative to pulled pork or chicken tacos.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: GF, V, Mexican
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 white onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 cans jackfruit (we used Cha’s Organics)
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground chilli powder
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (we used Cha’s Organics)
- 1/4 cup water or vegetable broth
- 8 Organic, non GMO corn tortillas (to make this grain free use lettuce instead)
Method
- Saute chopped garlic and onion in olive oil until they start to brown.
- Drain the jackfruit from the cans and rinse in a strainer. Shred the jackfruit with two forks and remove “pods”.
- Add spices, water/veg broth, tomato and shredded jackfruit to the onion and garlic. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Placed pulled jackfruit on warmed tortillas or lettuce, garnish with black beans, green onions, guac and salsa.
Recipe Notes
*Alternatively, place all ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for a few hours (may require more liquid).