Vegan Tacos Featuring Chili-Lime Jackfruit

Ingredients

• 2 (20 ounce) cans young green jackfruit packed in water, drained
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large shallot, minced
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 1 medium lime, juiced
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 8 (6 inch) corn tortillas, warmed

Directions

Mix the jackfruit with garlic, paprika, onion powder, black pepper, chili powder, cumin, and salt in a big bowl. Use your hands to shred the jackfruit as you mix, until it looks like pulled pork. Heat some oil in a large pan over medium heat, then add the shallot and cook until it softens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Toss in the seasoned jackfruit and let it cook for 4 to 5 minutes—it’s totally fine if it sticks a little to the pan. Pour in a splash of water and give everything a good stir, scraping up any tasty bits stuck to the bottom. Next, add the orange juice, lime juice, chipotle pepper, maple syrup, oregano, bay leaves, plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir everything together and let it simmer gently, stirring now and then and breaking the jackfruit apart more if needed, for about 25 minutes. If it starts to look too wet, drain off any extra liquid—you want it nice and saucy but not soupy. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if you think it needs a little more salt or pepper. When you’re ready, spoon the jackfruit onto warm corn tortillas and enjoy!