Crispy Baked Jackfruit Taquitos (Vegan, GF)

• servings: 16 servings
• total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 (20-ounce) cans jackfruit in water or brine ((NOT in syrup // we like Trader Joe’s brand))

2 Tbsp avocado or coconut oil ((if avoiding oil, sub water))

1/2 large white or yellow onion ((thinly sliced))

4 cloves garlic, minced ((optional))

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp ground smoked paprika

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp chili powder

2-3 Tbsp coconut sugar ((or maple syrup or organic brown sugar))

1-2 small chipotle peppers in adobo sauce ((from a can* // roughly chopped))

3 tsp adobo sauce ((use more or less to achieve preferred spice level))

3-4 Tbsp coconut aminos

2/3 cup water ((plus more as needed))

2 Tbsp lime juice ((optional as some tanginess comes from the jackfruit brine))

16 corn tortillas

Avocado oil ((for greasing pan and brushing taquitos))

Refried beans

Guacamole

Vegan sour cream

Salsa verde

Directions

Thoroughly rinse and drain jackfruit. Then begin sorting. The pieces come in chunks or triangle shapes. Cut off the center “core” portion of the jackfruit that’s tougher in texture and separate it from the rest of the fruit. Then chop into smaller pieces. For the remaining portion of the jackfruit that appears more stringy, use your hands or a fork to pull into small shredded pieces. You’re basically trying to get the jackfruit into small, shredded/chopped pieces. Rinse the jackfruit once more in a fine mesh strainer, drain, and thoroughly dry.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil of choice, onion, and garlic (optional). Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until onions are golden brown and softened.

Add jackfruit, salt, paprika, cumin, chili powder, coconut sugar, chipotle peppers and their adobo sauce, coconut aminos, water, and lime juice (optional). Stir to coat and reduce heat to low-medium. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Taste and adjust flavors as needed, adding more paprika or cumin for smokiness, chili powder for heat, chipotle pepper or adobo sauce for spice, coconut sugar or maple syrup for sweetness, coconut aminos for saltiness / depth of flavor, or lime for acidity.

Turn up heat to medium-high and cook for 3-5 minutes more to get a little extra color/texture. Then remove from heat.

Preheat the oven to 425 F (218 C) and brush a baking sheet with avocado oil. Set aside.

Next, working in batches (~8 tortillas at a time), warm your tortillas by wrapping them in a damp kitchen towel or paper towel and microwaving for ~30-60 seconds. This ensures they are nice and pliable to prevent them from splitting open or unfolding.

Fill the tortillas one at a time, using ~2 heaping tablespoons of the jackfruit mixture. They hold their shape best if you place the filling closer to one side and in a narrow pile (see photo). Roll gently but tightly into taquitos and place them seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the filling is used. It should make ~16 taquitos.

Spray or brush the taquitos generously with avocado oil (or another neutral oil) and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy and uniformly golden brown. Watch carefully near the end to avoid burning. The undersides get more browned than the tops.

Serve warm on their own or with refried beans, guacamole, vegan sour cream, and/or salsa verde. Leftovers will keep stored in the freezer up to 1 month.

TO FREEZE: Let cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Reheat by covering with a lid or paper towel and microwaving for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through to the center.