Jackfruit Tacos

Recipe from Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Adapted by Ligaya Mishan

Updated May 1, 2024

Jackfruit Tacos
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food stylist: Sue Li. Prop stylist: Sophia Eleni Pappas.
Total Time
1¾ hours
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes, plus 1 hour marinating
Rating
4(65)
Comments
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When ripe, jackfruit is sweet and golden. But unripe, it’s almost a blank canvas, game to take on whatever seasonings you throw its way. Sturdy enough to hold up in the heat of a pan, it has a satisfying chew that makes it an excellent filling for tacos. In this recipe from the poet and essayist Aimee Nezhukumatathil, skinny strips of young jackfruit soak up an earthy marinade before a turn in the skillet — keep a close eye on the stove, to be sure it doesn’t dry out; you want it saucy — then get folded, still dripping, into warm tortillas. A heaping of raw carrots and cucumber gives you a little crunch, and a spoonful of sour cream brings a rich finish. (If using fresh unripe jackfruit instead of canned, wear gloves and rub your knife with oil before chopping, because the sap is very sticky, and boil the flesh until tender. Note that the sap contains latex, so those allergic to it would do best to avoid eating the fruit.) —Ligaya Mishan

Featured in: Make a Great Taco Even Better With Jackfruit

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 1lime, juiced
  • 1large orange, juiced
  • ½onion, diced
  • 2tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus leaves and tender stems for serving
  • 1tablespoon garam masala
  • 1tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2teaspoons garlic powder
  • ½teaspoon paprika
  • ½teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more to taste
  • 1tablespoon hoisin sauce (optional)
  • 2(14-ounce) cans young green jackfruit
  • Salt and pepper
  • ¼cup canola or grapeseed oil
  • Warmed tortillas or naan, or lettuce leaves, for wrapping
  • 2carrots, peeled and shredded
  • 1cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced into ¼-inch pieces
  • Vegan or regular sour cream or yogurt (optional), for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, combine the lime juice, orange juice, onion, chopped cilantro, garam masala, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, crushed red pepper and hoisin (if using).

  2. Step 2

    Drain the jackfruit, rinse under cold water and drain again. Slice the jackfruit into thin strips and add to the marinade. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours.

  3. Step 3

    Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high. Cook the jackfruit with its marinade, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. (There should still be sauce; if the jackfruit starts to dry out, add water to the pan.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  4. Step 4

    Divide the jackfruit among the wrappers, and top with the carrots, cucumber, sour cream (if using) and cilantro.

Ratings

4 out of 5
65 user ratings
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Comments

Luvtoroam

For some people, this is a huge benefit. My grandson cannot eat more than 4 grams of protein per day because of a genetic condition (PKU), and jackfruit is a fantastic resource for him. It can be adapted into "tuna" and "egg" salad and replaces meat in many soups and other recipes. In these protein obsessed times, everything seems to have protein crammed into it, so for us no protein is a bonus. There is a silver lining to every cloud, I guess - in his world, low protein jackfruit tacos rule

Jess

Made mostly as directed and paired with Mark Bittman's Almost-From-Scratch Corn Tortillas. Teenager approved! I only used 1 can of jackfruit and a medium orange but kept the other portions the same. It was very good and I will make it again. The jackfruit broke up really well. It was my first time using it and it was easy. It fed 3 of us with a bit left over.

MyRagTimeDoll

I made this with the spices as in the recipe, including the hoisin sauce, but per another recipe, pulsed the jackfruit in the food processor just a bit to get a great texture. Served with soft tacos, small, but again another change - shredded the carrots and mixed with lime juice, a bit of honey and a bit of red pepper flakes, per another web recipe. Used cuke as in the recipe. Topped with some mexican queso fresco, and my honey had no idea this was not meat!

kleiss

I made these as specified with the slightest variations. Swapped out red onion for green , just as a personal preference. And I cut the oil in half - using just 2 tbsp. It was totally sufI used naan vs tortilla and thought these came out delicious

kleiss

These jackfruit tacos were great and very easy to make. I used organic canned jackfruit (sold at Whole Foods). I used half of the instructed oil and the dish was excellent. I don’t think the extra oil is necessary. The combo of citrus and all of the seasonings made the jackfruit tangy and flavorful. I served mine in naan vs tortilla. I subbed out red onion for green onion just as a personal preference . Will make again and again for a quick , flavorful vegetarian meal.

emily

I didn’t love how fruity this recipe was but that could be because I used the white interior of a ripe jackfruit. I’ll try this again with canned jackfruit and that may be a better fit

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Credits

Adapted from Aimee Nezhukumatathil

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