Vegan Jackfruit “Chicken” Tacos With Homemade BBQ Sauce

The perfect chicken substitute – these vegan jackfruit tacos will surprise any meat lover! The flavors are smoky, savory, and rich. Plus, look at the colors of this dish. Don’t you just want to dig in?

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New to jackfruit? Allow me to introduce you to this exotic fruit with its unique meat-like texture and flavor. Thanks to its mild flavor, unripe jackfruit is a popular plant-based meat replacement among vegans and creative cooks around the world.

Unripe Jackfruit As A Meat Substitute

When cooked correctly, unripe jackfruit resembles the texture and taste of pulled pork or chicken. It can even be used as a crab cake alternative.

Though jackfruit packs an impressive amount of fiber and potassium, it’s relatively low in protein. With only 2 grams of protein per cup, jackfruit is fun to cook with and brings a great meaty texture and flavor to your dish, but it doesn’t provide enough protein to be considered a protein-rich meat substitute.

That being said, jackfruit is still such a wonderful food to use in the kitchen. Especially when you have it growing in your garden. Ever since we moved to the tropics, this giant, odd-looking fruit has been part of our tropical garden. It seems to grow everywhere.

While I am not a huge fan of ripe jackfruit, I totally love to use unripe jackfruit in savory dishes like the vegan jackfruit chicken tacos I am sharing with you today. .

Jackfruit is a tropical tree fruit grown in parts of Asia, Africa, and South America. Here in Cambodia, they are literally growing everywhere. This bumpy, strange-looking fruit is part of the Moraceae family that includes breadfruit, figs, and mulberries.

It is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world. Some fruits can weigh 20 kg (45 pounds) or more. Under its thick rind is a stringy flesh that you can eat raw or cooked in a variety of dishes. Depending on how ripe it is, its flavor changes from savory to sweet. Its stringy texture makes it an excellent vegan substitute for pulled pork or chicken.

It took us quite a while to master the right jackfruit harvesting time. When too ripe, the flavor is too strong and sweet to use as a meat substitute. However, now we kinda know by looking at the fruit when it’s ready to be used as a meat substitute.

The only thing I absolutely hate about this fruit is peeling it. Already when you cut it open a white, sticky, resin-like fluid is oozing out of the fruit. If you ever peeled a jackfruit you know the sticky mess I am talking about.

Getting them straight from the tree is always the better option, though I know many of you don’t live in the tropics where these giant fruits are a common sight.

Given its popularity as a meat substitute, many supermarkets around the world now sell unripe jackfruit. Look for packages that label jackfruit as “young” or “packed in brine.” These terms usually indicate that it’s unripe and suitable as a meat substitute.

As with any canned or packaged food, make sure to read the labels carefully and pick the ones with the least “extra” ingredients on their label. Canned jackfruit should contain not much more ingredients than the jackfruit itself and brine to conserve the fruit. Opt for varieties that clearly label NO chemicals, fertilizers, or artificial flavors used.

Servings

2 people

Ready In:

50 min

Calories:

261 (per taco)

Good For:

Dinner

Introduction

About this Recipe

By: Amy Goodrich

Hosting a dinner party? These vegan jackfruit “chicken” tacos with homemade BBQ sauce will be a hit with both your vegan and non-vegan table guests.

Plus, you can pre-prep almost the entire dish, so you will have plenty of time to socialize with your guests instead of spending the entire evening in the kitchen.

This dish is also great for batch cooking and it’s freezer friendly.

Ingredients

For the BBQ Tomato Sauce

1-1.5 kg (2-3 pounds) tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup maple syrup (or honey for non-vegans works too)
Splash of vegan Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
Himalayan pink salt or sea salt and black pepper to taste

FYI: as I said earlier, this recipe is ideal for batch cooking and it’s freezer friendly. So I made a big pot of BBQ tomato sauce which can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a while or freeze when you are not sure when to use it again.

For the tacos or tostadas (makes about 9-10 tacos/tostadas)

380 g or 13.5 oz flour
¾ tsp Himalayan pink salt or sea salt
¾ tsp raw palm sugar
¾ tsp dried yeast
1⅛ cup lukewarm water (40C or 105F)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin seeds

FYI: again this makes more tacos/tostadas than you will need for this recipe. The extra, raw dough balls can be frozen for later use.

For the jackfruit “chicken”

2-3 cups young jackfruit, chopped into smaller parts
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic
Himalayan pink salt or sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the salad mix

Red cabbage, shredded
Iceberg lettuce, shredded
Carrot, julienned

Meet the powerhouse rock stars of this dish

Nutrition

Packed with good-for-you nutrients and flavor, these vegan jackfruit chicken tacos will fill you up. Though they might not give you the same protein levels as eating chicken, they are as tasty, 100% plant-based, and super healthy.

Not only do they deliver on taste and nutrients, they just look so amazing and colorful too, right?

The perfect dinner to serve your family or dinner guests.

Dietary fiber 28% 28%
Carbs 20% 20%
Fat 1% 1%
Protein 16% 16%
Calories 13% 13%

NOTE:

The DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) for protein is 0.36 grams of protein per pound (0.8 grams per kg) of body weight.

This amounts to:

56 grams per day for the average sedentary man
46 grams per day for the average sedentary woman

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the BBQ tomato sauce

Add all tomatoes to a blender and blend on high speed until well blended.

Over medium heat sauté the onions in cooking oil of your choice until they are tender and start to brown. This will take about 5 minutes. Last 2 minutes add the garlic. Stir regularly.

Then add the blended tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When completely cooled, add leftover sauce to a jar or container and store in the fridge or freezer for later.

Step 2 – Make the tacos or tostadas

While the sauce is cooking, start preparing the dough for the tacos or tostadas.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, yeast, sugar, herbs, and salt. A little at a time, add the lukewarm water and start kneading (or use a mixer with dough hook). After kneading for a few minutes, the dough should become an elastic ball. If it is too dry and crumbly, add more water. When too sticky add more flour.

Divide the dough into smaller balls. Add the dough balls to an oiled or floured bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let sit in a warm place for at least 20 minutes or until they doubled in size.

FYI: I live in the tropics so it’s hot all year round and proofing goes quite fast here. If it is winter or you live in a colder climate, turn the oven on for just a few minutes. Turn it off and let the dough proof there for a while to speed up the process.

To make and cook the tacos/tostadas, dust a flat surface with flour. Use a rolling pin or your hands to make small circles. Add a little flour to the rolling pin too to avoid the dough sticking to the rolling pin. Heat coconut oil or any other cooking oil suitable for frying. Fry the taco/tostada on both sides until crisp and browned.

Step 3 – Prepare the jackfruit Chicken meat

Use not fully ripened jackfruit (ripe jackfruit is too sweet for this). Cut the jackfruit into smaller pieces from the core to the edge. I used fresh jackfruit from our garden. If you, however, are using canned jackfruit things might look a bit different. Make sure to drain the canning liquid and pat the jackfruit dry.

Preheat the oven to 400F or 200C.

Over medium heat, sauté the onions in cooking oil of your choice until they start to brown. Last few minutes add the garlic. Stir regularly. Then add the chopped jackfruit and cook until the jackfruit is soft enough that it can be mashed/pulled into smaller pieces.

Mash the cooked jackfruit with a potato masher until it falls apart into smaller pieces. This will create a more pulled chicken or pork structure. Add enough tomato BBQ sauce to coat the jackfruit pieces. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Cook in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 4 – Assemble the tostadas/tacos

Mix all salad ingredients. Fill/top the taco or tostada with salad mix, jackfruit chicken and extra BBQ sauce.

Easy, Printable Recipe Card

Vegan Jackfruit "Chicken" Tacos With Homemade BBQ Sauce

Yield: 2 people

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Easy vegan jackfruit chicken tacos that are savory, crunchy, and packed with 100% plant-based goodness to surprise your table guests. This jackfruit "chicken" is the perfect meat substitute!