Have you tried jackfruit yet!? It’s quickly become one of my favorite NATURAL meat substitutes and these Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos are a truly delicious way to enjoy it! Can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe!

jackfruit carnitas tacos on flour tortillas and topped with onion, cilantro, and jalapeno this recipe

I recently did a poll on Instagram asking what kinds of new recipes people wanted to see on the blog and one of the overwhelming responses was JACKFRUIT recipes. SO, today I’m delivering on the promise to share MANY more jackfruit recipes :D

I’m a huge fan of my Jackfruit BBQ recipe but honestly, this Jackfruit Carnitas might be my new favorite one on the blog and I love how easy it is to make. It’s truly delicious on it’s own but I almost always use it as an excuse to make tacos. Tacos are always a good idea.

shredded jackfruit carnitas on a baking tray and topped with cilantro

First off, what is jackfruit?

As I mentioned, I’ve been on a big jackfruit kick lately. But, if you’re new to this fruit, I’ll give you a quick rundown.

Jackfruit is a large tropical fruit that’s relatively inexpensive to buy in its raw and whole form. And, tou can eat it raw, like other fruits. The jackfruit that we’re using in this particular recipe (and that is typically used in meat replacement recipes like this) is young GREEN jackfruit in brine/ water.

I won’t pretend to be an expert on jackfruit, but if you want to learn more, HERE is a more detailed description!

carnitas jackfruit tacos on flour tortillas and topped with onion, cilantro, and jalapeno

Besides just eating it on it’s own, there are a lot of different ways to enjoy these carnitas. My all time favorite way is Jackfruit Tacos– OMG SO GOOD! I like how quickly they come together and it’s also a great way to use up leftover jackfruit.

However, here are a few other ideas:

  • Jackfruit Carnitas nachos (trying this one out ASAP!)
  • Loaded carnitas fries
  • Carnitas stuffed sweet potatoes
  • Carnitas breakfast hash
  • Burrito bowls
  • or even a carnitas salad

SO many delicious MEAT-FREE options!

shredded jackfruit carnitas on a baking tray and topped with cilantro

How to make Jackfruit Carnitas:

This recipe is simple to make but if you’ve never worked with canned jackfruit before, I’m going to walk you through it.

side by side images: left image is jackfruit pieces in a mesh sieve. right image is the same jackfruit pices on a cutting board

1️⃣ First up, drain and rinse the jackfruit. Squeeze is of excess water and lightly dry the pieces off.

2️⃣ Place it all on a cutting board and cut off the harder core pieces. The core pieces are the tips of the little triangles and while they are edible, they’re rather tough and not nearly an enjoyable to eat. See HERE for a more detailed video and photo or where to cut.

side by side images: left image is jackfruit in a pink skillet with onion. right image is broth and spices added to the skillet with the jackfruit

3️⃣ In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic before adding in the jackfruit as well. Using the back of a spatula or wooden spoon, lightly press on the jackfruit to shred it into smaller pieces (more resembling shredded meat).

4️⃣ Add in the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.

side by side images: left is a pink skillet with jackfruit and spices in it. Right image is shredded jackfruit carnitas on a small baking tray

5️⃣ Simmer on low, uncovered, until all of the liquid has evaporated and been absorbed by the jackfruit.

6️⃣ After removing the bay leaves, spread the carnitas out on a lined baking tray and baking for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.

That’s it for today! As usual, PLEASE let me know if you make this recipe and how you like it! You can come back here and leave a comment and/or tag me on instagram (@foodwithfeeling).

More delicious Jackfruit Recipes to try:

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shredded jackfruit carnitas on a baking tray and topped with cilantro

Jackfruit Carnitas

★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Brita Britnell
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

This Jackfruit Carnitas recipe is so simple to make and a truly delicious way to enjoy jackfruit! My favorite thing to do with it is make jackfruit carnitas tacos YUM!

Ingredients

Scale

For the carnitas:

  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • ½ of a sweet onion, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon of sea salt + black pepper to taste
  • 2 20 oz. cans of jackfruit in brine or water seeds removed, drained, rinsed and squeezed of excess liquid
  • 3 teaspoons of chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup of orange juice (from ~2 oranges)
  • 1 cup of vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons of lime juice

For the tacos:

  • tortillas
  • cilantro for serving
  • avocado
  • tomato
  • jalapeno
  • salsa

Instructions

  1. Drain and rinse the jackfruit and then lightly pat it dry. Cut off the core so that you’re only left with the outer parts that are the ones easy to shred. The core is the part that comes to a point.
  2. Preheat the oven to 425° F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  3. In a large skillet over medium heat, add in the oil. Once hot, add in the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, salt and pepper and cook for 1 additional minute.
  4. Add in the jackfruit, stir, and saute for 2 more minutes. Using the back of a wooden spoon or spatula, lightly mash the jackfruit to break it up. It’ll break apart a bit more as it cooks but feel free to shred it a bit in the pan as desired.
  5. Mix in the chili powder, oregano, bay leaves, brown sugar, orange juice, lime juice, and broth. Stir and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat and let simmer gently, uncovered, for about 14-16 minutes. Stir often as the liquid continues to reduce.
  6. Once all of the liquid as evaporated (see photo above), remove the bay leaves and place the jackfruit onto the prepared baking sheet and evenly spread out.
  7. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
  8. Enjoy as tacos or however you wish!
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: tacos
  • Method: stovetop
  • Cuisine: american

Keywords: vegan tacos, jackfruit carnitas, jackfruit carnitas tacos

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