Ingredients Fruits Tropical Fruit Carnitas Jackfruit Tacos 5.0 (1) 1 Review For her jackfruit tacos recipe, Jocelyn Ramirez, cookbook author and chef at Todo Verde in Los Angeles, uses cumin, chile flakes, and salt to capitalize on the pulled-pork texture of jackfruit, transforming it into a plant-based taco filling that tastes like carnitas. Don't turn the jackfruit too often while it cooks; give it time to develop a golden brown crust for the best texture and flavor. Served with tart, creamy avocado salsa and lemon wedges, the spicy, crispy seared jackfruit tacos are a satisfying vegetarian meal. By Jocelyn Ramirez Published on July 22, 2021 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Active Time: 50 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins Servings: 4 Ingredients Avocado Salsa 3 medium tomatillos, husks removed 1 medium jalapeño, stemmed (seeded, if desired) 1 medium Hass avocado, pitted 1 cup packed fresh cilantro stems and leaves 3 to 6 tablespoons water, as needed 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin Jackfruit "carnitas" 3 (20-ounce) cans young green jackfruit in water, drained, rinsed, and squeezed dry ¾ cup neutral cooking oil (such as grapeseed), plus more as needed 5 tablespoons fresh orange juice, divided 2 tablespoons ground cumin 1 tablespoon dried oregano 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste 1 teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper Additional Ingredients 10 (4- to 6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed Pico de gallo, fresh cilantro leaves, and lemon wedges, for serving Directions Make the avocado salsa Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Add tomatillos and jalapeño; cook, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes. Place tomatillos, jalapeño, avocado, cilantro, 3 tablespoons water, lemon juice, salt, and cumin in a blender. Process until smooth, about 45 seconds, adding up to remaining 3 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed until a pourable consistency is reached. Season with additional salt to taste. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Make the jackfruit "carnitas" Using a knife, remove non-shreddable core from shreddable outer parts of jackfruit pieces; set aside. Remove any seedpods from shreddable parts, and add seedpods to pile of cores. Place shreddable jackfruit in a medium bowl, and shred with your hands into small pieces. Finely chop cores and seedpods until they are a similar texture to the shredded jackfruit; add to shredded jackfruit in bowl. Add oil, 21/2 tablespoons orange juice, cumin, oregano, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper; toss to evenly combine. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Add jackfruit mixture; using a spatula, press into an even layer. Cook, turning and pressing occasionally, until seared and golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes, adding oil as needed. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons orange juice. Season with additional salt to taste. Place about 1/4 cup jackfruit mixture on each tortilla. Top with pico de gallo and cilantro. Serve with avocado salsa and lemon wedges. Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Make Ahead Avocado salsa can be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 days. Note Find canned young green jackfruit in water at South Asian markets or online at grocerythai.com. Suggested Pairing Rich, malty beer: Shiner Bock Rate it Print