Jackfruit Tacos Adobo
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These adobo flavored vegan jackfruit tacos with mango salsa will become your new go to favorite dinner. The jackfruit meat is cooked in a savory adobo sauce with tomatoes and spices until perfectly tender then scooped into charred tortillas and topped with a zesty mango salsa. Easy + Delicioso! Chef’s kiss!
Vegan Jackfruit Tacos Adobo
Created by a real person for real people with real lives and a real love of vegan tacos and jackfruit. No robots, no AI and no cholesterol, just lots of cooking and taste testing done by real humans with an appreciation for deliciously homemade clean food. This is what the Veggie Society is all about!
I like making the adobo jackfruit meat a day or two in advance and be able to throw together a fine vegan taco spread at the drop of a hat. The flavor only gets better overnight. Just chop up a mango salsa dressed in fresh lime juice and scoop it over the tacos for the most delicious meal. I promise you want these in your life!
The Jackfruit
As with all savory recipes you must start with green unripe jackfruit here, the kind that comes in a can like THIS or a pouch. It can be brined but without any seasonings, just a plain canvas to soak up all the delicious flavors we will infuse it with! Remember to rinse off the brine and discard any tough seed pods that might have been left behind. Do not use the sweet ripe fruit here!
About the Taco Seasonings
- Adobo Chiles – oh how I love this flavor profile and the perfect heat and smokiness that comes with it! I cut down the number of chiles in the recipe to 2 because I wanted it to be pretty suitable for all taste buds. To keep it really mild you can cut down the chiles to 1 but I’ll be honest with you friends: I usually add half a can of the adobo chiles with the sauce when I cook just for myself. This girl likes it spicy!
- Cumin + Coriander – Like salt and pepper, to build a really good taco flavor profile you need both. They compliment and balance each other perfectly with the cumin being earthy and strong and the coriander floral with a subtle citrusy flavor.
- Onion Powder – although I do start with sautéing a fresh onion I also like to add it in powder form for more depth of flavor.
- Smoked Paprika – just a touch here to enhance the smokiness of the chiles, you won’t taste it but it does its job.
- Shoyu – or tamari in lieu of salt because it’s better and also contributes depth of flavor with a better for you source of sodium.
- Maple Syrup – this adds the perfect sweetness to mellow out all the earthy savory smokiness of the dish. You can use brown sugar or agave instead if need be.
- Nutritional Yeast – Just because I like to add more umami and boost the nutritional profile with all the B vitamins.
For the Sauce
Deeply sautéed onion and garlic will create your flavor base here. Adding fresh tomatoes to the jackfruit meat will result in a very delicious balanced sauce that is extra flavorful not watery. I used diced Roma tomatoes but any juicy garden tomatoes would be fantastic here including heirlooms. Avoid using grape tomatoes as they have tough skins and not very juicy. Finish with some olive oil for richness but it’s still great without it and WFPB compliant.
Mango Salsa
This is the most simple topping but will absolutely elevate your tacos to a tropical fiesta. Dice up a sweet mango and mix it with a little red onion, freshly squeezed lime juice and your choice of cilantro or basil leaves. I’m really into adding basil leaves or micro greens to my tacos lately and a pinch of floral Sumac. I know, not very traditional taco garnishes but Muy Delicioso – you should try it too! You can riff on this with peaches or nectarines when in season, or just top it with some pickled red onions. I highly recommend trying these tacos with my favorite mango basil sauce, it’s a fantastic fusion of flavors you might just fall in love with too.
On Storage
This is a great meal to portion and freeze up to 4 months. It keeps well in the fridge up to 5 days and I’m saying this just because I’m not the FDA, so follow their food safety guidelines for peace of mind.
Vegan Favorites
- Walnut Meat Tacos
- Seitan “chicken“ perfect for tacos
- Vegan “Fish”
- Vegan Ribs
- Jackfruit Stew
- Roasted Jackfruit Meat
- Vegan Egg Yolk
- Lentil Sloppy Joes
- Vegan Sheet Pan Fajitas
- Mango Avocado Sauce.
how to make vegan jackfruit tacos
Vegan Jackfruit Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 x 20 oz cans young jackfruit green unripe
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 1.5 tsp ground cumin
- 1.5 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp onion powder or granulated onion
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2-3 chipotles in adobo sauce chopped
- 6 Roma tomatoes diced into large pieces
- 3 Tbsp shoyu
- 2/3 cup water
- tortillas for serving
Mango Salsa
- 1 red mango peeled + diced small
- 1/4 red onion diced
- 1/2 lime juiced (or to taste)
- Cilantro or basil leaves + sumac for garnish
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the jackfruit pieces and discard any tough seeds or seed pods if there are any. Use your hand and crush some of the bigger pieces into smaller chunks.2 x 20 oz cans young jackfruit
- Preheat a heavy bottom pot or skillet over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the onion until softened an it begins to get some color. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds or so.1 small onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Stir in all the spices and toast until you can smell them release their flavor.1.5 tsp ground cumin, 1.5 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Add the maple syrup, adobo chiles and tomatoes. Give everything a good stir then add the shoyu, nutritional yeast and jackfruit.1 Tbsp maple syrup, 2-3 chipotles in adobo sauce, 6 Roma tomatoes, 3 Tbsp shoyu, 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- Pour in the water and bring to a constant simmer. Partially cover with a lid and cook on medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes until most of the liquid has reduced to less than half. Remove from heat and finish with a drizzle of olive oil for richness. (NOTE - At this point if you like your jackfruit meat to have a more shredded texture simply use a potato masher and give it a quick mash around).2/3 cup water
- Meanwhile dice the mango and red onion and toss with freshly squeezed lime juice.1 red mango, 1/4 red onion, 1/2 lime
- Char the tortillas and top each one with a generous amount of the jackfruit meat, some of the mango salsa, a sprinkle of sumac and basil or cilantro leaves.tortillas for serving, Cilantro or basil leaves + sumac for garnish
Video
Notes
- About the Jackfruit - As with all savory recipes you must start with green unripe jackfruit here, the kind that comes in a can like THIS or a pouch. It can be brined but without any seasonings, just a plain canvas to soak up all the delicious flavors we will infuse it with! Remember to rinse off the brine and discard any tough seed pods that might have been left behind.
- Adobo Chiles - oh how I love this flavor profile and the perfect heat and smokiness that comes with it! I cut down the number of chiles in the recipe to 2 because I wanted it to be pretty suitable for all taste buds. To keep it really mild you can cut down the chiles to 1 but I'll be honest with you friends: I usually add half a can of the adobo chiles with the sauce when I cook just for myself. This girl likes it spicy!
- On Storage - This is a great meal to portion and freeze up to 4 months. It keeps well in the fridge up to 5 days and I'm saying this just because I'm not the FDA, so follow their food safety guidelines for peace of mind.
These tacos were fantastic! The flavor is sublime, they were a hit with the entire crowd. Thank you for sharing such creative and flavorful recipes.