These Korean BBQ Tacos look like they’re made with delicious, tender pulled pork, but they are actually made using jackfruit. This vegan delight is a healthier version of your favorite tacos that will impress even the meat lovers in your life!
Don’t these tacos look amazing? They look like delicious, tender pulled pork tacos, right? These Vegan Korean BBQ Tacos are made with jackfruit, making them completely vegan! Yes, you read that right – there was no meat used in the recipe at all!
Jackfruit is a giant, starchy fruit that originates from South Asia. Raw jackfruit has been used as a meat substitute for hundreds of years in India, however, ripe jackfruit is eaten like a fruit. It has a fruity mango/pineapple flavor and some people even say it tastes like Juicy Fruit® gum!
I found canned jackfruit at my local Asian store, but you can also get it online at Amazon or at most Whole Foods. Jackfruit has become super trendy lately and I’ve even seen pre-marinated, shredded jackfruit at my local supermarket. If you’re lucky enough to find it, then your cook time for this recipe becomes almost nonexistent! All you have to do is reheat it and start assembling your tacos.
Vegan Korean BBQ Tacos – Jackfruit Tacos Recipe
I braised the jackfruit for two hours, but feel free to go longer or shorter depending on how tender you like your jackfruit. The shredded jackfruit really does end up looking like real meat. As for the texture, I’m not sure how close it was to the real thing since I’m a lifelong vegetarian and have never tried meat before. However; I did get a meat-eating friend of mine to try it and she said that she almost couldn’t tell that it wasn’t meat. I call that a success!
I smothered the jackfruit in a quick homemade Korean BBQ sauce. The marinade is packed full of flavor. Salty, sweet, spicy, and tangy – so good! You can also buy pre-made Korean BBQ if you can find it at your local supermarket. Just use two cups of the pre-made stuff; I’m all for shortcuts!
This is the perfect dish for Meatless Monday or even Taco Tuesday. It’s so good that you won’t even miss the meat! Give it a try and serve your family a healthy, tasty meal in no time.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tbsp ginger, minced
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1-2 tbsp Sriracha, to taste
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 can (1 lb) jackfruit, drained and rinsed
- 15-20 corn tortillas
- 1/2 cup purple cabbage, shredded
- 1 radish or purple daikon, thinly sliced
- cilantro (optional)
- black sesame seeds
- 1 lime, cut into small wedges
Instructions
- Add soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, black pepper, sesame oil, sesame seeds, vinegar, Sriracha, and ketchup to a bowl. Whisk well.
- In a small bowl, whisk together water and cornstarch. Once well combined, add to the BBQ sauce mixture and mix with a whisk.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add drained and rinsed jackfruit with your BBQ sauce. Stir until the jackfruit is completely coated. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours on low heat. Stir every 20 minutes and add 1/4 cup of water at the 1 hour mark. Once done, use a fork and pull the jackfruit apart to shred it.
- Heat a small skillet over low heat. Toast the tortillas for 5 seconds on each side to warm them up. Top with Korean bbq jackfruit, shredded cabbage, a few slices of radish, few leaves of cilantro, and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds. Assemble the rest of the tacos and serve with a wedge of lime.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: To turn this into a slow cooker recipe - just add the ingredients for the marinade and jackfruit to a slow cooker with 1/2 cup of water, set on low, and cook for 6-8 hours.
We hope you love these Vegan Korean BBQ Tacos {Jackfruit Tacos} from SoFabFood Contributor, Hetal from Milk & Cardamom, as much as we do. If you enjoyed this recipe, you can find more like it vy visiting our Vegetarian section. For daily recipe inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
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