These vegan jackfruit carnitas are so juicy, crispy, and full of flavor. A delicious filling for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or quesadillas.
Jackfruit has become one of my favorite plant-based alternatives to meat, especially in making some recipes, like jackfruit tacos, Vegan BBQ jackfruit pulled pork, these vegan jackfruit carnitas, or pretty much any Mexican-inspired dish.
Carnitas is a dish of Mexican cuisine that literally means "little meats" in Spanish. It's really similar to pulled pork and is typically served with chopped cilantro, diced onion, salsa, guacamole, tortillas, and Vegan Refried Beans.
You can meal prep a big batch of this recipe on Sunday and then use it during the busy work week to make any dish that calls for pulled pork or shredded chicken.
The combination of spices and ingredients I've used goes well with almost everything, but please feel free to omit or add anything you want!
Looking to spice up your meals with more vegan Mexican-style goodness? Try my Vegan Enchiladas, Vegan Fajitas, and Vegan Burrito recipes. Take your taste buds on a journey through the world of plant-based Mexican flavors!
Ingredient substitutions
- Extra virgin olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil to cook most of my dishes. However, any type of oil is okay.
- Onion: any type will do. You could also use some onion powder instead.
- Garlic: if you want to save time, use some garlic powder instead, although I think fresh garlic works best.
- Soy sauce: for a gluten-free alternative use tamari, or coconut aminos if you want to avoid soy.
- Store-bought or Homemade Chili Powder: this recipe calls for traditional American chili powder, not cayenne. Cayenne and international chili powders are usually incredibly spicy. So if you live outside of the United States, please keep that in mind. If you can only find cayenne, add it to taste until the sauce is okay for you, but not too spicy.
- Liquid smoke: this ingredient is optional, but it will give your carnitas a delicious smoky flavor. You can also use smoke powder or even smoked paprika. However, liquid smoke is the best choice.
How to make jackfruit carnitas
- Drain and rinse the jackfruit. Chop off the center core portion of the fruit and discard.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet, then add the onion and garlic and cook until soft.
- Add the jackfruit, and soy sauce and cook until golden brown.
- Add the spices and stir. Cook for 2-3 more minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth and orange juice, and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the lid, and use two forks to shred the jackfruit directly in the pan.
- Then cook over high heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
You’ll find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Pro tips
- Use jackfruit in brine or water, not in syrup, or your carnitas will taste sweet. This is really important.
- Make sure to drain and rinse the jackfruit really well, especially if you buy jackfruit in brine. Then chop off any hard-core portions. However, if the hard parts don’t bother you, you can leave them on, it's up to you!
- To drain really well the jackfruit, wring out all the water using a kitchen towel. You want it as dry as possible to get it super crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jackfruit is an ancient fruit grown on trees in tropical climates. It has been used for hundreds of years in various Asian cuisines and is a great plant-based alternative to pulled pork and shredded chicken.
You can serve them with chopped cilantro, other veggies (like lettuce, tomato, or diced onion), vegan sour cream, salsa, guacamole, tortillas, sliced jalapeños, or Vegan Refried Beans. As jackfruit itself is not very high in calories or protein, you may want to serve it with a side of rice and beans as well. It's also delicious served with vegan chipotle sauce.
Yes, you can. Just store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze individual-sized portions in small baggies.
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Jackfruit Carnitas
Ingredients
- 2 20-ounce can jackfruit in brine or water, not in syrup
- 1-2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional
- ½ cup vegetable stock or water
- ½ cup orange juice
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the jackfruit. Chop off the center core portion of the fruit and discard (see photos in post above).
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet, then add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, stirring occasionally.
- Add the jackfruit, and soy sauce and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
- Add the spices (salt, black pepper, chili powder, cumin, and oregano), and stir. Cook for 2-3 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the vegetable broth and orange juice, and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add extra vegetable broth or water if necessary.
- Remove the lid, and use two forks to shred the jackfruit directly in the pan.
- Then cook over high heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Serve immediately or store leftovers in and airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Feel free to use any type of oil, onion, spices, and herbs you have on hand.
- You could use onion and garlic powder instead, although fresh veggies work best. Also, add any other veggies you want.
- For a gluten-free alternative use tamari instead of soy sauce, or coconut aminos if you want to avoid soy.
- This recipe calls for traditional American chili powder, not cayenne. Cayenne and international chili powders are usually incredibly spicy. So if you live outside of the United States, please keep that in mind. If you can only find cayenne, add it to taste until the sauce is okay for you, but not too spicy.
- Liquid smoke is optional, but it will give your carnitas a delicious smoky flavor. You can also use smoke powder or even smoked paprika. However, liquid smoke is the best choice.
Kelly says
This is the first time I've used jackfruit and OMG, this is amazing! It tastes like the real thing. SO impressed!