Vegan BBQ Jackfruit 'Pulled Pork' Tacos

A Healthy Alternative to Pulled Pork with Just the Right Texture

I can be pretty picky when it comes to meat alternatives, and wow do these vegan barbecue jackfruit tacos hit all of the marks for me! While you can find packaged barbecue jackfruit in a lot of grocery stores, I don't think those have a very good flavor, so it's best to make it yourself with your favorite barbecue sauce.

​You don't need a lot of supplies to make these, and they are such a crowd-pleaser. I used 4 cans to make a big batch for my family's Thanksgiving last year (we usually do enchiladas and other Mexican foods for Thanksgiving), and the whole table of meat-eaters loved it and said it tasted and looked just like pulled pork.

Ingredients

• Canned green jackfruit
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Barbecue sauce
• Taco shells or street taco tortillas
• Your choice of taco toppings

​For my barbecue jackfruit, I prefer to use Zarda's Ghost Sauce. I think the spicy flavor is perfect for tacos, and I like to add jalapeños as a topping, so they go great together. If you like the flavor of ghost peppers but don't want it as spicy, you could try Zarda's Lil' Ghost Sauce that is more sweet than heat.

Zarda's sauces are available at both Lenexa and Blue Springs Zarda restaurant locations, your local grocery store, and at Made in KC stores and online.

​You can make these tacos entirely vegan, or they can be vegetarian if you choose to add sour cream or cheese.

Instructions

• Open the canned jackfruit and pour the contents into a strainer over a sink. Rinse off all of the juice. This step is important so there is no sour flavor in your final product!
• With your hands, pull apart the triangle wedges and let the jackfruit naturally shred into a pulled pork texture. Pull off any hard spots that do not shred easily and throw them away. There will be some squishy seed-type things that you'll have to sort through as well.

• Rinse through the shredded jackfruit one more time in the strainer and set aside with a towel under the strainer to let all of the water drain.
• Put a skillet on the stove on medium heat with some olive oil. The amount will vary depending on how many cans of jackfruit you cook at a time.
• Add the shredded jackfruit to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly with a spatula.
• After the first 5 minutes, add salt and pepper and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
• Add in your barbecue sauce. Use enough to fully cover all of the jackfruit.
• Continue to cook for 5-10 minutes. It is done when some of the jackfruit looks crispy on the edges.
• Turn the stove off and scoop your jackfruit onto taco shells or tortillas.
• Add your preferred toppings and enjoy!

You can also use the barbecue jackfruit as a topping on a taco salad, on a bun for a vegan pulled-pork sandwich, or over a pan of sheet nachos. I make barbecue jackfruit all of the time and love trying out different meals with it.

Have you cooked with jackfruit before? What are your favorite vegan recipes? Let me know in the comments!

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