Beer Braised Jackfruit Tacos are sweet, spicy, and smoky with big juicy jackfruit texture and crisp salty bbq style edges. All tucked into a soft corn tortilla.
I never knew love at first bite until I dug into one of these tacos.
The jackfruit explodes with flavor. First it's smoky and a little bit spicy, then sweet to balance out the heat. The complexity of the beer comes through at the end. It is tender and juicy with crispy, salty, barbecue pork style edges. All snuggled into a soft corn tortilla.
It is comfort food, meets Mexican food, meets jackfruit like you've never tasted before.
To truly master these Beer Braised Jackfruit Tacos, let's get into some jackfruit basics.
How do you cook jackfruit:
The genius of this taco comes from cooking the jackfruit perfectly. And there's only one way I've found to cook jackfruit that gives it the actual taste and texture of pulled pork. And it is a two step method:
One, simmer the jackfruit in a very very flavorful sauce, like our chipotle beer sauce. Let the jackfruit absorb all the flavor until the pan is dry.
Two, spread it on a sheet pan and bake it to lock in the flavor and achieve crispy ends.
What Ingredients in Beer Braised Jackfruit Tacos?
A quick rundown. We have...
- Jackfruit - our meatless meat substitute that will stun you with its meaty flavor and texture.
- Gluten Free Beer - the base of our sauce that provides a distinct subtle flavor that water or broth can't (This is our favorite GF beer! We like the Pale Ale or Belgian White Ale in this recipe.)
- Chipotle in Adobo - ultra smoky and slightly spicy. The perfect way to build just-barbecued smoke flavor into our tacos.
- Honey (or maple!) - sweetness that balances out the spice
- Tortillas - we like to make our own with this guide (it's fun!), but store-bought work just as well.
Ways to use jackfruit:
Cook it with this method, and the possibilities are endless! We like it:
- in tacos, duh! plus the whole family: burrito bowls, enchiladas, taco salad, Mexican pizza, quesadillas, tamales, taquitos...
- In a sandwich! Picture the heaven of bread soaking in all this delicious sauce.
- Grain bowls, salad bowls, bowls of any kind, really.
- Tucked into a collard wrap for a lighter burrito-esque dinner.
- In soups, too!
Beer Braised Jackfruit Tacos (gluten free!)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Beer Braised Jackfruit Tacos are sweet, spicy, and smoky with big juicy jackfruit texture and crisp salty bbq style edges. All tucked into a soft corn tortilla.
Ingredients
- 2 (20)oz cans green jackfruit in brine (this is the brand we use)
- 1 (12)oz gluten-free beer
- 2 tablespoons chopped chipotle in adobo
- ¼ cup honey OR maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Avocado oil
- Tortillas, lime, and avocado, for serving
Instructions
- Drain the jackfruit and add it to a bowl. Use your hands to break the jackfruit into shreds that resemble pulled pork.
- Add the remaining ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Add the jackfruit and sauce to a large nonstick skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the jackfruit has absorbed all of the sauce and the pan is dry, but the jackfruit is still moist.
- Grab a baking sheet and drizzle on some avocado oil. Use a paper towel to spread out the avocado oil and evenly coat the baking sheet. Transfer the jackfruit to the baking sheet and spread it out into one even layer. Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are crispy. Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ of the recipe (excluding tortilla and toppings)
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 813g
- Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 2g
What an imaginative recipe! Just fabulous! Thank you so much!