A vegetarian play on carnitas, these instant pot jackfruit tacos are going to satisfy your weeknight craving for Mexican food.A vegetarian play on carnitas, these instant pot jackfruit tacos are going to satisfy your weeknight craving for Mexican food. #instantpot #jackfruit #carnitas #vegan

I’m happy that jackfruit is having a moment. I mean it’s still having a moment. Sure it’s been around for a little while but it was just named one of the top food trends for 2019, which means it basically just won the Oscar for best new food.

I first tried jackfruit years ago, on a taco from a food truck in Boston, and was BLOWN away. I was like this stuff is fruit?! But it tastes like meat! Mind. Blown. So what exactly is jackfruit? It’s a giant fruit (no joke, it can grow up to 100 lbs) that is indigenous to India but now grows in tropical and subtropical climates like Southeast Asia. Unripe or green jackfruit is what you can use for savory applications, like taco “meat” or pulled “pork”. Ripe jackfruit is orange/yellow and is sweet and sticky, making it perfect for dessert applications. How interesting is that? One fruit can either be used as a vegetarian meat replacement or in dessert depending on its ripeness.

Instant Pot Jackfruit Tacos #vegetarian

I bought my jackfruit in a can from Trader Joes and it was soaking in its own brine but you could also be super ambitious and look for the whole fruit in the produce section. Just don’t ask me how to cut it. I’m not there yet lol. Despite being a meat replacement, jackfruit doesn’t actually contain much protein so pair it with some beans or Greek yogurt for an extra protein boost. It is however a nutrient-dense fruit rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, vitamin B6 and fiber.

 Instant Pot Jackfruit Carnitas

I’m excited by how easy it was to make these tacos in the Instant Pot. Ya’ll know my love for the IP by now. All I had to do was throw all the ingredients in the IP, set it, and then I had time to throw in a load of laundry and do the dishes! #SUCKERFOREFFICIENCY. This would be a quick and easy weeknight meal idea. And if you want to take it an extra step to make the texture and flavor even more carnitas-like, you can throw the jackfruit onto a baking sheet and let it bake under the broiler until it’s nice and crispy. But if you don’t want to dirty another pan and create another step for yourself, I’m with ya! They’re delicious as is.

Instant Pot Jackfruit Tacos

These tacos are spicy, savory and packed with flavor. Delicious with an extra squeeze of lime, dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream and a drizzle of hot sauce. I used corn and avocado on these babies but feel free to experiment with different toppings like cabbage, beans, rice, etc.

To keep the recipe vegan, you can use a vegan sour cream or just omit it and for a gluten-free version, just be sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce.

Instant Pot Jackfruit Carnitas Enjoy these tacos on a weeknight when you’re pressed for time or a Saturday night accompanied by a margarita and chips and guac πŸ˜‰Vegetarian Jackfruit Tacos #instant pot

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Instant Pot Jackfruit Tacos


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (9 votes, average: 3.78 out of 5)
Loading...

Description

A vegetarian play on carnitas, these instant pot jackfruit tacos are going to satisfy your weeknight craving for Mexican food.


Ingredients

Scale

For the jackfruit carnitas:

  • 2, 20-ounce cans jackfruit, drained and rinsed
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3/4 cup vegetable broth
  • Salt to taste

For serving:

  • Corn tortillas, warmed
  • Avocado, sliced
  • Corn
  • Lime wedges
  • Cilantro
  • Greek yogurt or sour cream

Instructions

  1. Shred the jackfruit using your fingers or a knife so that it looks similar to pulled pork consistency.*
  2. Add shredded jackfruit, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, chipotle pepper, tomato paste, soy sauce and vegetable broth to the Instant Pot and stir to combine.
  3. Secure lid onto Instant Pot. Close the steam vent (should be on sealing). Set to high pressure for 8 minutes. Allow natural pressure release for 10-15 minutes.
  4. After 10-15 minutes, use quick release valve to release steam.
  5. Once pressure is released, open lid and stir jackfruit. Season with salt, to taste.

For the tacos:

  1. Assemble tacos by evenly distributing jackfruit carnitas, avocado, corn, lime, and cilantro among corn tortillas. Serve immediately.

Notes

You could also shred the jackfruit with a fork after it is done cooking.

A vegetarian play on carnitas, these instant pot jackfruit tacos are going to satisfy your weeknight craving for Mexican food. #vegan #jackfruit #tacos #instantpot

You May Also

For more Mexican flavour inspiration, check out the recipes below!

Slow Cooker Chipotle Corn Chowder

Seafood Stuffed Peppers

Mexican Tilapia Stuffed Peppers

Vegan Burrito Bowls

Chipotle Inspired Vegan Burrito Bowls

Leave a Comment

Note: Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

33 Comments

  1. Marta

    I’ve made this a couple times now and it turned out great. Thank you! ^_^

  2. Cory

    If I only do one can of jackfruit do I need to change the amount of time I set the instant pot for?

  3. Conroot

    I like to try this
    Do you drain the cans or add to the ip?
    Thanks

  4. Lucy

    Hello
    I love jackfruit but dont have an InstaPot.
    How can I make this without the InstaPot?
    Thank you
    Looks delicious!

  5. Cara M

    This is soooo good! We just got an instant pot and had a can of jackfruit lying around, so halved the recipe. It turned out great! I will also be trying the broiler trick for when I do this for friends and want to be a little fancier.

  6. Terry M

    I tried this recipe and it was very delicious. My family enjoyed it as well. Will be making this again. One thing I’ll probably do is mix the chili powder in the water first so it doesn’t have that grainy taste.

  7. These look so good! I didn’t know you can get jackfruit in a can, I’ve only seen it whole one or two times and I’ve been way too intimidated to buy it. Cans make life so much easier!

  8. I love jackfruit and I love tacos, so winning combo right here!

  9. Who would have thought this wasn’t meat!? Definitely need to make these now!

  10. Amanda Stelter

    I’ve always wanted to give jackfruit a try and this is the perfect simple recipe to do just that! This looks so good and I especially love that it’s all plant-based.

  11. I’ve never worked with jackfruit before! Thanks for giving me a reason to!

  12. this looks like the perfect application for jackfruit!

  13. Yolanda Agado

    Were do you get the jackfruit at.. I’m in milton florida we don’t have a Kroger’s here..Does Walmart.. Winn Dixie Or Target sell it.. Thank You :Yolanda

  14. What a great recipe! I love taco Tuesday!

  15. Catherine Brown

    These photos are gorgeous! The first time I tried jackfruit was with a fresh one and I wasn’t a huge fan… plus it was expensive! Still haven’t tried it from a can, but these are making my mouth water! Time to give the canned jackfruit a go. πŸ™‚

  16. Totally trying this! I haven’t used the instant pot much lately and I bet this gets soo much flavor in the jackfruit!

  17. This looks good enough to be from a restaurant πŸ™‚