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    Home » Recipes » Plant-Based Slow Cooker Recipes

    Vegan Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos (Slow Cooker)

    Published: Jan 5, 2022 · Modified: Oct 12, 2022 by Nicolette · This post may contain affiliate links. By browsing this website, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use.

    Jump to Recipe

    These easy vegan jackfruit carnitas are slow cooked over 8 hours, then lightly broiled to make them crispy! Stuff them in your favorite corn tortilla and top with my favorite mango corn salsa or fajita veggies and Guacamole. They are my favorite vegan meat substitute to serve to non vegans and great for busy weeknights as they only take 15 minutes to prep.

    Three vegan carnitas tacos in a white bowl topped with mango corn salsa.
    TABLE OF CONTENTS show
    1 What Exactly is Jackfruit?
    2 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
    3 Ingredients and Substitutions
    4 Step by Step Instructions
    5 FAQs
    6 Storage Instructions
    7 Expert Tips
    8 Other Easy Recipes Using Jackfruit
    9 More Easy Vegan Dinners To Try
    10 Vegan Jackfruit Carnitas (Crockpot)

    What Exactly is Jackfruit?

    Jackfruit is a large fruit that is in the same family as figs, mulberry and breadfruit. It typically grows on tree in tropical and subtropical areas of the world and is very unique looking!

    What does jackfruit taste like?

    When jackfruit is fully ripened, it can taste sweet. This variety is great for desserts and is typically found in cans or tins at the grocery store and stored in sweet syrup. Underripe jackfruit, however is much more bland and mild in flavor and has the texture of pulled pork or pulled chicken which is why it makes for an amazing vegan meat substitute in recipes like vegan carnitas or BBQ jackfruit. Underripe jackfruit is found in cans at the grocery store stored in brine.

    What does jackfruit look like?

    Jackfruit is a very large (up to 40 pounds) fruit that has a very thick, green bumpy outer shell and filled with stringy yellow, jackfruit pods.

    How do you cook jackfruit?

    The best way to cook jackfruit is in either a pressure cooker or a slow cooker. These methods ensure the brine flavor is cooked out of the jackfruit, and sufficiently softens the jackfruit into the best, melt in your mouth texture.

    Jackfruit ebook informational graphic.

    Why You’ll Love This Recipe

    • Slow cooking jackfruit makes the best carnitas texture that you simply will never get cooking it on the stovetop.
    • Almost completely hands free recipe! The slow cooker does all the work – all you need is 15 minutes to dump the carnitas ingredients in.
    • Freezer friendly and easily doubled, tripled or quadrupled. Great for parties, large family get togethers or meal prep.
    • Customize-able! In this recipe, I’ll teach you how to make these carnitas into tacos, but you can put this vegan taco meat in anything. Burritos, quesadillas, burrito bowls, mac and cheese, etc.

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    Jackfruit carnitas ingredients with labels on baking sheet.
    • Canned jackfruit – Make sure to buy jackfruit in brine, not syrup! Any brand of canned jackfruit will work. I typically use the Trader Joe’s brand or Native Forest.
    • Orange juice – I highly recommend using freshly squeezed orange juice as opposed to store bought. It makes a world of a difference in flavor.
    • Reduced-Sodium Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base – This vegetable base paste is typically mixed with water to make vegetable broth. I add a dollop of this to the slow cooker for a convenient source of savoriness and a boost of flavor without watering down our meat.
    • Liquid smoke – Adds a great subtle smokiness to the jackfruit meat. I recommend the Lazy Kettle Brand.
    • Apple cider vinegar – Adding an acid to the meat helps balance the sweet and savory flavors. Substituting with lemon juice or white vinegar is not recommended.

    Step by Step Instructions

    1. Thoroughly rinse the jackfruit. One of the biggest complaints I see time and time again about jackfruit is that it tastes too much like the brine from the can. Slow cooking the jackfruit will alleviate this issue, but be sure to reduce that brine flavor even more by thoroughly rinsing it off of the jackfruit in fresh, cold water.
    1. Shred the jackfruit into a carnitas like texture. My favorite method for doing this is in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. It shreds the jackfruit evenly in less than a minute and is extremely convenient. However, if you don’t have a stand mixer, you can shred the jackfruit by chopping it into a similar texture and pulling it apart with your hands! You’ll end up with the same great tasting tacos, it’s just a bit more laborious.
    Jackfruit pods in silver mixing bowl.
    Before Shredding
    Jackfruit after being shredded with paddle attachment in stand mixer.
    After Shredding with Stand Mixer Paddle Attachment
    1. Dump all of the carnitas ingredients into the slow cooker and mix to combine. Set the slow cooker to 8 hours on low. It’s really that easy!
    Jackfruit added to the slow cooker.
    1
    Ingredients for carnitas added to slow cooker bowl.
    2
    Jackfruit carnitas ingredients mixed together before cooking.
    3
    1. After 8 hours, you can eat the carnitas directly out of the crockpot, or for a crispier taco meat, transfer the jackfruit carnitas to a small baking sheet and place under the broiler for 10-15 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
    Texture of meat after slow cooking.
    Jackfruit before broiling.
    Before Broiling
    Jackfruit carnitas after broiling.
    After Broiling until Crispy
    1. Add the carnitas to warm corn tortillas and top with my super easy homemade mango corn salsa. Enjoy the tacos immediately while hot!
    Jackfruit taco topped with mango salsa on a corn tortilla.
    Jackfruit ebook informational graphic.

    FAQs

    Can I make these jackfruit carnitas in the Instant Pot?

    Yes and no. You can make these carnitas in the Instant Pot on the high, slow cooker setting for a minimum of 4 hours. Pressure cooking them, however, does not work as there is not enough liquid and it triggers the burn warning. The pot will never come to pressure because it just burns to the bottom.

    The Trader Joe’s can of jackfruit is 20 oz and the Native Forest is 14 oz. Can I use them interchangeably?

    Yes, the drained weight of both cans is ironically almost the exact same. Use them interchangeably in this recipe (or any jackfruit recipe!)

    Can I make this recipe with fresh jackfruit?

    I have only tested this recipe with canned varieties of jackfruit so I unfortunately cannot advise.

    Storage Instructions

    This carnitas taco meat will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, simply warm over the stovetop or microwave.

    Freezing Instructions

    Allow the carnitas to cool completely, then transfer the jackfruit to any freezer safe bag, jar, or Souper Cube (my favorite! ) for up to 6 months.

    To thaw, simply transfer to the fridge and allow to thaw completely (about 24-48 hours). Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

    Expert Tips

    • Double this carnitas taco meat recipe and put half of it in the freezer. Make two dinners at once to save time in the future when you don’t have time to cook dinner!
    • Try these vegan carnitas in tacos, but also try it on a taco salad, in a burrito or in a quesadilla with your favorite vegan cheese! It’s so versatile!
    • Be sure to use reduced sodium Better than Bouillon vegetable base. Full sodium will be too salty!
    Closeup of vegan carnitas taco on corn tortilla.

    Other Easy Recipes Using Jackfruit

    If you love this recipe, grab my 10 Vegan Jackfruit Dinners ebook! It contains this carnitas recipe, as well as 9 other vegan jackfruit recipes! It’s gluten-free friendly, oil-free, and has tons of freezer/make ahead options!

    Jackfruit ebook informational graphic.

    More Easy Vegan Dinners To Try

    • Vegan Hamburger Helper (One Pot Pasta!)
    • Vegan Lentil Meatloaf with Oats
    • Vegan Taco Salad Bowl with Tempeh
    • Vegan Potato Corn Chowder
    • Vegan Tempeh Walnut Taco Meat
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    Three vegan carnitas tacos in a white bowl topped with mango corn salsa.

    Vegan Jackfruit Carnitas (Crockpot)

    These easy vegan jackfruit carnitas are slow cooked over 8 hours, then lightly broiled to make them crispy! Stuff them in your favorite corn tortilla and top with my favorite mango salsa. They are my favorite vegan meat substitute to serve to non vegans and great for busy weeknights as they only take 15 minutes to prep.
    5 from 13 votes
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 8 hours hours
    Total Time: 8 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe

    What You’ll Need

    • Slow Cooker
    • 5 Qt. Stand Mixer
    • Baking Sheet
    • Freezer Souper Cubes

    Ingredients

    • 2 (14 ounce) cans jackfruit in brine -
    • 4 cloves garlic - minced
    • 1 cup orange juice - freshly squeezed
    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon Reduced Sodium Better than Bouillon Organic Vegetable Base
    • 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • ½ teaspoon coriander
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper

    Taco Ingredients (optional)

    • 12 corn tortillas
    • mango corn salsa
    • guacamole
    • cilantro
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Slow Cooker Instructions

    • Drain and rinse the jackfruit thoroughly. 
    • In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or by hand, shred the jackfruit. See pictures in post for reference on how you want the texture to look. In the stand mixer, this will only take 1-2 minutes. 
    • Add the shredded jackfruit to an Instant Pot or a Crockpot. Add all of the marinade ingredients in the ingredient list and stir to combine (see post photos for reference). Slow cook on low for 8 hours. 
    • After 8 hours, you can serve immediately from the slow cooker. Or, if you prefer crispier meat, transfer the meat to a small sheet pan and broil the jackfruit under the oven broiler for 10-15 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
    • Serve the jackfruit carnitas in warm corn tortillas with mango salsa, guacamole, lime juice, and cilantro. Enjoy! 

    Storage Instructions

    • Store this jackfruit in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    • To freeze: Allow the carnitas to cool completely then transfer to a freezer safe bag, jar, or freeze in Souper Cubes.

    Instant Pot Instructions

    • Add all ingredients to bottom of Instant Pot with ½ cup of water (this will prevent burning). Cook on manual high pressure for 15 minutes. Release remaining pressure, then turn on the "saute" function for 5-10 minutes to thicken up the sauce. Transfer to a sheet pan to broil or serve immediately right from the Instant Pot.

    Recipe Notes

    • Be sure to buy the type of jackfruit that is in brine, not syrup. This is the one I used.
    • You can cook this on the slow cooker setting in either an Instant Pot or Crockpot. You cannot however cook these carnitas in the Instant Pot on manual high pressure. There is not enough liquid and it will burn. 
    • Make sure to use freshly squeezed orange juice – makes a huge difference! I juice citrus at home with this very affordable juicer.
    • This recipe is easily doubled or tripled. Adjust to your servings needs!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 354mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 1mg

    Disclaimer: The Nutritional Information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.

    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mexican-American
    Author: Nicolette Wax

    This recipe was originally published May 3, 2020 and has been updated on January 5, 2022 to include an improved recipe, new step by step photos, ingredient notes, tips for success and answers to the most asked jackfruit questions.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Erin Armendarez

      August 24, 2022 at 2:56 pm

      Hi I have a smaller crock pot, a 4qt, will that be okay for this recipe???? Thank you!

      Reply
    2. Angel

      August 03, 2021 at 7:01 pm

      5 stars
      We love tacos! This is a great recipe to add to our rotation. Not only is it an easy-to-make, delicious recipe, but the slow cooker and instant pot recipes also help to keep my kitchen cool in summer. The mango salsa is amazing and adds so much flavor to this recipe.

      Reply
      • Nicolette

        August 05, 2021 at 9:05 am

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the review.

        Reply
    3. Betsy

      May 28, 2021 at 1:20 am

      Hi! This will be my first time using this recipe.
      I was just wondering how many tacos would this make to a serving/per person?
      I am planning to take this to a pot luck lunch, as there aren’t often many options for vegetarians (even though I prefer meat, it’s easy for me to have whatever but not so much for people who are vegetarian or vegan, and I want them to have something amazing)

      Since I would be making this for a shared lunch, I wasn’t sure if I should increase the quantity if people are have several different items on their plate. I plan to double the recipe, and am currently planning it around ‘3x taco pp for a normal meal = 1 or 2 pp for shared lunch’….

      Reply
      • Nicolette

        May 28, 2021 at 7:08 am

        Hi! This recipe written as is makes about 3 tacos per person so about 9 tacos. I just doubled this recipe recently for Mother’s day and it made 18-20 tacos, depending of course how much your coworkers stuffed them! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Molly

      November 11, 2020 at 7:23 pm

      The texture was awesome. I may only add 1 tsp of bouillon next time. It came out a bit too salty in my opinion. The mango salsa was delicious. Will definitely make a version of this recipe again!

      Reply
      • Nicolette

        November 13, 2020 at 7:11 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed it, Molly! We really love Jackfruit.

        Reply
    5. Dave

      June 02, 2020 at 9:23 am

      I understand what you are trying to do here, but you are confusing people. This are not carnitas, ir even authentic Mexican food. This is why many people believe Taco Bell is authentic Mexican food when is not, and this is why it was considered the best Mexican restaurant in 2018.

      Reply
      • Nicolette

        June 02, 2020 at 12:06 pm

        Hi, Dave! I completely understand your point and apologize this caused confusion. You are right – this is not traditional or authentic Mexican food. I did call this recipe “Jackfruit Carnitas” and labeled the recipe as Vegan as all the recipes are on my site. It’s simply called carnitas because most people are familiar with that texture and taste and it helps readers understand what this vegan version is meant to emulate. Thanks again for your opinion! I will consider it with future recipes.

        Reply
    6. Laura

      May 24, 2020 at 10:01 am

      5 stars
      This was my first time eating jackfruit and it was so delicious. The flavors all go together so well, especially with the mango salsa. I already restocked on ingredients to make this again!

      Reply
      • Nicolette

        May 24, 2020 at 11:26 am

        Yay! So happy to be your first introduction to jackfruit! I think I’m going to have to make this one again soon too.

        Reply
    7. cookilicious

      May 05, 2020 at 3:57 pm

      5 stars
      That is simply delicious! I am drooling just looking at this!

      Reply
      • Nicolette

        May 05, 2020 at 8:33 pm

        Thank you! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Capri

      May 05, 2020 at 3:49 pm

      5 stars
      The flavor of the jackfruit is sooo delicious! I love the mango salsa on top! This recipe came out perfect!

      Reply
      • Nicolette

        May 05, 2020 at 8:32 pm

        Hi Capri – so glad! The mango salsa is one of my favorites too!

        Reply
    9. Emily

      May 05, 2020 at 3:45 pm

      5 stars
      These jackfruit carnitas tacos are so delicious! I never knew jackfruit could taste THIS GOOD!

      Reply
      • Nicolette

        May 05, 2020 at 8:31 pm

        Yay, I am so glad to hear that!

        Reply
    10. Jeannette

      May 05, 2020 at 3:12 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks sounds SENSATIONAL. I love all the sweet and savouriness you’ve got going on in this dish. It’s fantastic to enjoy!

      Reply
      • Nicolette

        May 05, 2020 at 8:30 pm

        Thank you, Jeannette!

        Reply
    11. Traci

      May 05, 2020 at 3:11 pm

      5 stars
      What a stunning dish…and it’s vegan!!! Jackfruit is one of those meat substitutes I simply don’t mind using. Thanks for this beautiful recipe 🙂

      Reply
      • Nicolette

        May 05, 2020 at 8:30 pm

        Hi, Traci. Jackfruit is definitely one of my favorites. It really works well here. Thanks for stopping by!

        Reply

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