MexicoThe single most important thing about this recipe is buying the right jackfruit. Young green jackfruit in brine or water is an unripe, starchy, neutral-flavoured product that shreds into meat-like fibres when pulled apart. Ripe jackfruit packed in syrup is a sweet tropical fruit — it tastes like Juicy Fruit gum and will make your tacos dessert-flavoured. The cans look similar on the shelf, so check the label carefully. Most Asian grocery stores carry the correct product reliably; larger supermarkets are hit or miss. Once you have the right can, the recipe is very forgiving.
The browning step in the pan is what separates good jackfruit tacos from great ones. After adding the stock and letting it mostly absorb, increase the heat and let the jackfruit sit without stirring for 30 to 60 seconds at a time — this allows the edges to caramelise against the hot pan. The little charred bits are where the smoky, meaty flavour actually lives. If the pan is too crowded or you stir too much, the jackfruit steams rather than sears, and you lose that textural contrast.
Jackfruit Tacos
By Sergei Martynov
Canned young green jackfruit pulled apart, spiced with cumin, smoked paprika, chipotle, and oregano, then seared in a hot pan until the edges brown and the filling gets sticky. Served in warm corn tortillas with avocado crema, quick-pickled red onions, cilantro, and lime. Jackfruit works here because of its fibrous texture — shredded, it genuinely resembles pulled pork or chicken, and it absorbs whatever flavour you cook it with. The key is buying the right can: young green jackfruit in brine or water, not the ripe sweet fruit packed in syrup. Everything else follows from that.
What you'll need
Ingredients
- 560 g
See recipes with canned young green jackfruit in brine or water — not in syrupcanned young green jackfruit in brine or water (2 cans) — NOT in syrup
i - 2 tbsp
See recipes with neutral oilneutral oil
i - 1
See recipes with medium onionmedium onion, finely diced
i - 3
See recipes with garlic clovesgarlic cloves, minced
i - 1.5 tsp
See recipes with ground cuminground cumin
i - 1.5 tsp
See recipes with smoked paprikasmoked paprika
i - 1 tsp
See recipes with dried oreganodried oregano
i - 1 tbsp
See recipes with chipotle in adobo saucechipotle in adobo sauce (just the sauce, or 0.5 tsp chipotle powder)
i - 2 tbsp
See recipes with tomato pastetomato paste
i - 60 ml
See recipes with vegetable stock or watervegetable stock or water
i - 8
See recipes with small corn tortillassmall corn tortillas
i - 1
See recipes with ripe avocadoripe avocado
i - 0.5
See recipes with red onionred onion, very thinly sliced + juice of 1 lime (quick pickle)
i - 1 bunch
See recipes with fresh cilantro and lime wedges — to servefresh cilantro and lime wedges — to serve
i
How to make it
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the jackfruit. Drain and rinse the jackfruit thoroughly under cold water — this removes the briny taste. Squeeze out as much moisture as possible using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Pull the pieces apart with your hands or two forks, separating the fibres into shreds. Trim and discard the harder triangular core pieces if they don't shred easily. The jackfruit should look roughly like coarse pulled pork at this stage.
- 2
Quick-pickle the red onion. Toss the thinly sliced red onion with the juice of 1 lime and a generous pinch of salt. Let it sit at room temperature while you cook everything else — at least 15 minutes. The lime juice turns the onion bright pink and takes off the raw sharpness. This topping is worth making: it cuts through the richness of the jackfruit filling.
- 3
Cook the jackfruit filling. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and a pinch of salt, and stir for 60 seconds until very fragrant. Add the tomato paste and chipotle sauce and stir for 1 minute — let the paste cook in the pan rather than just warming it. Add the shredded jackfruit and stir to coat everything in the spice mixture. Pour in the vegetable stock and stir to combine.
- 4
Sear for texture. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the jackfruit, stirring occasionally but not constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes. You want some of the liquid to evaporate and the edges of the jackfruit to brown and get slightly caramelised. This is where the flavour concentrates — resist the urge to stir too often. Taste and adjust: more salt, a squeeze of lime, a pinch of cumin if needed. The filling should be slightly sticky, well-seasoned, and smell smoky.
- 5
Warm tortillas and assemble. Warm the corn tortillas directly over a gas flame for 20 to 30 seconds per side until lightly charred and pliable, or in a dry skillet. Make the quick avocado crema: mash the avocado with the juice of half a lime and a pinch of salt until smooth. Spread a spoonful of avocado crema on each tortilla, top with the jackfruit filling, pickled red onions, and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of canned jackfruit should you buy for tacos — brine, water, or syrup?
For tacos and any savoury application, you need young green jackfruit packed in brine or water. This is the unripe fruit — it has a neutral, almost flavourless taste and a fibrous texture that pulls apart like shredded meat. Ripe jackfruit packed in syrup is a completely different product: sweet, soft, and fruit-flavoured. Using it in tacos produces a dish that tastes like dessert. Look for labels reading 'young green jackfruit in brine' or 'young jackfruit in water'. If you can only find the brine-packed version, rinse it well under cold water and squeeze out the excess moisture before cooking.
How do you properly shred canned jackfruit to get a pulled meat texture for tacos?
Drain, rinse, and squeeze the jackfruit as dry as possible — excess moisture prevents browning. Jackfruit pieces come in triangular shapes with a soft fibrous centre and harder core tips. Pull the soft centres apart with your hands or two forks, separating into loose shreds. Trim or discard the firm triangular tips if they resist shredding. The texture at this stage already resembles coarse pulled pork. Once cooked with spices and a small amount of liquid, the shreds soften further and absorb the seasoning. For a finer texture, press down with a potato masher in the pan during the last few minutes of cooking.
Is jackfruit better than tofu, tempeh, or beans as a vegan taco filling?
Each has a different strength. Jackfruit wins on texture — its fibrous, stringy character most closely mimics pulled meat, and it absorbs spices and sauces well. Its downside is low protein: a jackfruit taco provides around 2 to 3 g of protein per serving, significantly less than tofu or tempeh. Tofu gives more protein but a different texture. Tempeh has a nutty flavour of its own and holds its shape. Black beans provide maximum fibre and protein per serving. If texture resembling pulled meat is the priority, jackfruit is the best choice. For higher protein, add a layer of black beans inside the taco alongside the jackfruit filling.
How do you make a vegan taco crema instead of sour cream — avocado, cashew, or coconut?
All three work well and each has a different character. Avocado crema is the fastest: blend one ripe avocado with 2 tablespoons of lime juice, one garlic clove, a pinch of salt, and a little water until smooth. Ready in 2 minutes. Cashew cream is the closest to sour cream in texture: soak 100 g of raw cashews for 2 hours (or 15 minutes in hot water), drain, then blend with lemon juice, a small amount of apple cider vinegar, and water to reach a thick, pourable consistency. Coconut cream from the top of a cold can of full-fat coconut milk, whisked with lemon juice and salt, is the simplest option. All three keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Can you freeze jackfruit taco filling and how do you reheat it without losing the texture?
Yes — jackfruit filling freezes well for up to 3 months in a sealed container or bag. Unlike many vegetable fillings, it holds its texture after freezing reasonably well. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. To reheat, warm in a skillet over medium heat with a small amount of oil and a splash of water or vegetable stock — this revives the texture and prevents it from drying out. Microwave reheating works but add a teaspoon of water and cover with a plate or film. In the fridge, the cooked filling keeps for 4 to 5 days.
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Comments (1)
I went through four cans of jackfruit before I figured out the right technique. The key is pressing it really dry — I mean paper-towel-squeezed, almost crumbly — before it goes into the pan. Wet jackfruit steams instead of searing and you never get those crispy caramelised edges that make the whole taco work. Also, pull the pieces into thin shreds with two forks before cooking, not after. The texture ends up remarkably close to carnitas when you get it right.