Jerk-spiced jackfruit and mango avocado salsa pack these vegan tacos with a big punch of flavor! They're bright, fresh, and fun to eat.
When I flipped through the Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook by Nisha Vora, these jerk-spiced vegan tacos caught my attention right away. Combining jerk seasoning with ginger, tamari, and meaty jackfruit isn’t something I would have thought of myself. But wow, wow, wow, were these delicious! In the past, I’ve made vegan taco recipes with roasted sweet potato, black beans, a ground beef-like mushroom taco “meat,” and more, but this jackfruit filling is one of my new favorites. It has a fantastic hearty texture and bold, spicy flavor that’s perfectly accented by a sweet and juicy mango avocado salsa. I’m obsessed with these vegan tacos, and I think you will be too!
Vegan Taco Meat
The vegan taco meat in this recipe is a Jamaican Jerk-spiced jackfruit. If you’ve never cooked with jackfruit, it’s one of my favorite plant-based meat substitutes. Its stringy, hearty texture perfectly mimics shredded meat – think pulled pork or chicken tinga. As we made this filling, Jack and I couldn’t stop talking about how meaty it looked!
Canned jackfruit is bland on its own, so Nisha spices it up with a homemade jerk seasoning blend. With ingredients like cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, and cayenne, the jerk spices are ones you likely already have in your pantry. This blend is a combination of familiar ingredients, but it’s aromatic, sweet, and spicy. Along with lime juice, tamari, and tomato paste, it makes the taco filling super flavorful, tangy, and juicy. We couldn’t get enough!
Vegan Tacos Variations
- InstantPot, or not. Nisha cooks the vegan taco meat in an InstantPot, but since I’m the only person left on the planet who doesn’t have one, I made made mine in a regular pot on the stove, and it came out great in just 20 minutes. I’m sharing the stovetop instructions in the recipe below.
- Swap the salsa. The mango avocado salsa in this recipe is really delightful. The rich avocado tames the heat of the jackfruit, and cucumber adds a nice crunch. If you want to change things up, my mango or pineapple salsa recipes would be great too.
- Add extra richness. If you love your vegan tacos with something rich and creamy on top, finish these guys with avocado slices, cashew sour cream, or a big scoop of guac.
- Choose your favorite tortillas. Because I love the flavor of corn tortillas but appreciate the pliability of flour tortillas, I like to use tortillas made from a mix of corn and wheat flour. I’ll either buy this brand, or make my own. If you use regular corn tortillas, this vegan taco recipe is totally gluten-free!
Vegan Tacos Serving Suggestions
Make this vegan taco recipe for a weeknight dinner, or use it for entertaining! You can cook the jackfruit up to three days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. Then, mix up the salsa, reheat the jackfruit on the stove, assemble your tacos, and dig in!
If you’re looking for a side to round out your taco night, these vegan tacos would be fantastic with any of these recipes:
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Watermelon Salad
- Healthy Taco Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Summer Asian Slaw
- Grilled Avocados with Veggie Ceviche
- Refried Beans, Black Beans, or Pinto Beans
And don’t forget the margaritas! If you like yours spicy, check out this recipe, or for a fruity variation, try my favorite watermelon margarita.
What are you waiting for? Go eat tacos! Also, be sure to check out The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook. It includes SO MANY recipes that I want to make, like her Tofu Cauliflower Tikka Masala and her vegan Cookies ‘n’ Cream Cheesecake.
More Favorite Taco Recipes
If you love tacos, check out this post for more of my best veggie taco recipes! And if you want more jackfruit recipes, try my green chile taquitos or BBQ sandwiches next!
Then, find 85+ great vegan recipes here and more of my favorite easy dinner ideas here.
Jamaican Jerk Vegan Tacos
Ingredients
Mango Avocado Salsa
- 2 cups peeled and diced mango, about 2 medium
- 1 medium ripe avocado, diced
- ¾ cup diced red onion
- ½ cup diced cucumber
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- Sea salt
Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
- 1½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Jackfruit
- 2 (20-ounce) cans jackfruit in brine or water
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 scallions, white and light green parts, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1½-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
- 1 habanero, serrano or jalapeño pepper, minced
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or agave nectar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup tamari
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 12 corn tortillas, charred or warmed
Instructions
- Make the mango-avocado salsa. In a medium bowl, combine the mango, avocado, onion, cucumber, orange juice, lime juice, and cilantro and mix gently. Season to taste with salt.
- Make the Jamaican Jerk Seasoning. Combine all of the spices together in a small bowl.
- Prepare the jackfruit: Drain the canned jackfruit and lightly rinse under water, shaking off excess water. Use your fingers to remove any thick cores and pull the pieces apart so that it resembles shredded pork.
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the the scallions and cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and chile pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add all of the Jamaican jerk seasoning, stir to coat, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until very fragrant.
- Add the shredded jackfruit, coconut sugar, tomato paste, tamari, and lime juice. Stir well. Pour in 1/2 cup water and mix again. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve the jackfruit with the tortillas and mango avocado salsa.
I haven’t cooked with jackfruit much, so I was a little nervous about making this but it turned out wonderfully. The flavors are absolutely delicious, especially the melding of the spice of the Jamaican jerk seasoning and the sweetness of the mango salsa. Will absolutely be making again and again!
I’m so glad you loved it! I think the key to jackfruit is to really season it well.
incredible!! probably one of the most delicious recipes I have ever made! sooooo good. i followed the recipe almost exactly, only thing I did is prep the jackfruit differently (i always prep my jackfruit this way) ; i squeeze as much water as I could from it using a cheesecloth and then went on to marinate the jackfruit in the spices + other jackfruit ingredients. i let it marinate all day then cooked it as indicated. omg, seriously so good. i cannot wait to make this recipe again
I’m so glad you loved it, thanks for the jackfruit tip!
Can you let me know how to make this less spicy?
Hi Andrea, you could omit the cayenne, skip the hot paprika (smoked paprika is mild) and skip the jalapenos.
Everything was amazing! The salsa, the seasoning and the jackfruit. BRAVO! Not my first rodeo…AMAZING!!!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Definitely the best jackfruit tacos I’ve ever had! We loved the salsa and will make it again to pair with other tacos. The jackfruit still had a bitter briny taste that persevered through all the seasoning, so it’s just not something I would make again. Jackfruit just may not be for me. I made 40 oz as stated in the recipe, but would think 28 oz jackfruit would be enough compared to the ratio of salsa.
It’s possible the briny taste is from the brand of jackfruit you bought. The brand I usually buy only contains jackfruit, salt and water. I almost replaced it with a different brand that contained about ten ingredients, including vinegar and spices. The sodium level was 3x the brand I normally buy! I was afraid it would taste like pickled jackfruit.
Alternatively, you could try rinsing the jackfruit first. It reduces sodium levels and salty taste.
I made these tonight for my boyfriend and I and they were a huge success. They are explosively flavorful and the salsa balances out the jackfruit perfectly. My eyes were seriously rolling back. We will be making this again soon!
What can I substitute for the jackfruit?
Hi Cecily, it’s the main component of this recipe, but if you type “tacos” into our recipe search, maybe there’s another taco recipe that catches your eye: https://www.loveandlemons.com/recipes/
Made this several times, so tasty and flavourful! Love it.
I found frozen jackfruit chunks in the frozen fruit/smoothie section. I’m hoping these work for this!!! I’ll update 🙂 Either way, salsa and instructions look awesome!
*Also…I don’t have an insta pot either. Nothing about it appeals to me or seems right in the science of cooking 😆
Hi Sheila, I would check and make sure the frozen jackfruit doesn’t say “ripe” on it, or it’ll be sweet and not right for this recipe. I bought a frozen bag recently thinking the same thing…
I don’t often leave comments but holy sh-t this recipe deserves it. Cooked it on the stove because I forgot I had an instant pot but I was blown away. Truly blown away. The flavors the spice – the mango paired with the jackfruit is just wow. I made guac to add to the taco as well. Best taco I have ever had/made in my life. By far. Will 110% be making this again. Took a while to prep for but wow was it worth it. 12/10
Hi Marissa, I’m glad you loved these so much!
10/10! 5 Stars! I’ve had trouble with jackfruit in the past but this recipe was amazing!!!! Super flavorful and the mango salsa was my favorite part!! Would make again
I’m so glad you loved them!
OMG! These are soooo good! Definitely going to be in the rotation in my house. We are a vegan family & its nice to have new recipes to try. Thank you for sharing!
Trying this recipe tonight….can’t wait to taste it. Thank you for such a wonderful vegan recipe that has jackfruit. I love jackfruit but only know 1 recipe to cook it. This will definitely add variety.
Btw I bought an instant pot after a long time of contemplating its usefulness and finally after I bought it, its been used as a rice cooker in my kitchen. 😳
I hope you enjoy it!
Well it is much inspirational, Spanish food in vegan style’ awesome. Muy bien tacos vegans ☺
I was a little leary of this jack fruit but this was so so GOOD! I didn’t change anything.
Thank you for sharing !
This recipe is on my to do this summer. Thank you for the step by step instructions and your authentic feedback. I have never heard of jackfruit but plan to check it out. BTW-I do not have an instant pot either so you are not alone.
Delicious! Great flavor combination and without telling my family these were vegan they just assumed it was chicken. It was a little spicy for the kids but I can easily adapt next time. My first try with jackfruit and I’m a newfound fan!
Thank you!
Ha ha, I’m so glad everyone loved the jackfruit!
These tacos look so good! I know what I’m making next taco tuesday!
I hope you love them!
Oh Jeanine! I am so floored by your post! Thank you so much for sharing my cookbook with your audience. It means so much to me! You made this recipe look SO beautiful. I’m totally in love with the photos and possibly even more in love with your suggestion to serve them with margaritas 😉
Jeanine, you are not the only person on the planet who doesn’t have an instant pot – I don’t, either, and they have absolutely no appeal for me. Somehow, everything I would make seems to work just fine on the stove top, and my kitchen stays less crowded.
I don’t have one either! *waves hand in air*
I’m glad to see the recipe worked out fine with a regular pot. I’m always afraid to try insta recipes because I’m not sure how to adapt them to suit my regular speed of cooking. Can’t wait to try these YUM!
in this case, I just cooked it a little longer! Her recipe cooked the jackfruit for 4 minutes, and I cooked mine on the stovetop for 20. Super easy to adapt.
ha ha, glad to have another fan of stovetop cooking 🙂