So when I say "tastes just like real carnitas!" with a cheesy exclamation point at the end (you can just imagine my wide-eyed face staring at you after I say it too right?), I feel totally ok with the statement. Because it's true.
"Real Carnitas? Yea. Right."
That's what I thought too, until my wife Sarah made them for me for the first time. And now I'm a true believer in the following:
Delicious food, no matter vegan or not, is all about how you season it.
So when I say "tastes just like real carnitas!" with a cheezy exclamation point at the end (you can just imagine my wide-eyed face staring at you after I say it too right?), I feel totally ok with the statement. Because it's true.
Not convinced? All good, check out the video below and it might change your mind (recipe just below it):
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cans young jackfruit in brine
- 2 bags small corn tortillas (the smallest you can find is usually best, using 2 per taco).
- 1 white onion
- 4 clove garlic
- Juice of 1 orange
- 2 Tbs tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tsp smoke flavor
- 2 limes
- 1/2 cup unsweetened nut milk
- 1 bunch cilantro
MARINADE
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
- Salt
OPTIONAL FOR PICKLING
- 2 carrots
- 1 fresh jalapeño
- 1 red onion
- 1 white onion
- Vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS:
Prepare and Marinate Jackfruit:
- Chop Jackfruit
- Add: cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper, chili powder, salt
- Mix until jackfruit is coated well
- Cover jackfruit and put in fridge
Veg Prep for Tacos:
- Dice white/yellow onions - save some for garnish
- Chop garlic
- Juice an orange
- Cut limes
- Chop cilantro - for garnish
- Optional (radish) - to eat on the side
Cooking Jackfruit:
- Cook onion and garlic in oil
- Add jackfruit once onion and garlic are translucent
- Stir jackfruit over medium heat for 3-5 min until more dry
- add fruit juices
- Let simmer for 5 min, covered.
- Uncover to simmer off liquid for about 10 min
Enjoy in tacos, or on nachos or in a burrito!
OPTIONAL
Pickle the red onion:
- Slice onion
- Boil vinegar
- Pour vinegar on the onion
- Put in fridge to pickle for 1-2 days (if shorter than this they'll be super spicy!)
Pickled veggies (you can also buy at the store):
- Cut veggies
- Submerge in boiling vinegar
- Put in fridge ideally do this a couple days in advance if making yourself, way cheaper, healthier, make a ton to put on any Mexican dish. If you like the veggies and not so much the jalapeños, making it yourself is best because the canned version is mostly jalapeños.
How to Heat Tortillas
- Put stack of 4 tortillas in the pan over low heat
- After a couple minutes, flip the top two and replace into the stack
- After another couple minutes, flip ENTIRE stack
- Another couple minutes repeat flipping top two
- Another couple minutes, flip entire stack
- Put all in towel
Thank you so much for checking this recipe out, if you made it let us know! Tag us @HellaPhatVegan on Instagram or on Facebook :)
And don't forget to share the recipe with your friends!
