The BEST vegan enchiladas filled with roasted, juicy jackfruit and covered in a tangy enchilada sauce, cheese, and a creamy avocado salsa verde.
After you’ve taken the time to marinate and cook the jackfruit, it turns into a wonderful meat alternative that resembles carnitas (pulled pork) in taste and texture. These vegan jackfruit enchiladas are super easy to make and packed with flavor in every bite!
My first official job ever was at a Mexican restaurant, and I loved it because I ate authentic Mexican food almost every night. Some of my favorite things to order were my friend’s special bean enchiladas or tacos al pastor, carnitas, or chorizo. I was definitely not vegan at the time, but I recently remembered how much I used to love enchiladas and carnitas. So I thought…why not combine them!
Don’t get me wrong, I love bean enchiladas, but there’s something about that juicy, rich flavor of carnitas that takes them to the next level. Jackfruit is the perfect alternative and is a godsend to vegans! How could there be a giant fruit that resembles pulled pork when cooked?!
I was looking through my cookbooks for inspiration one day and I saw a great recipe for Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos in my Nourish & Glow cookbook by Jules Aron. It was destiny. I decided to use her marinade for the jackfruit filling and it turned out amazing!
When I used to work at the restaurant, my friend always put tomatillo salsa on my enchiladas and I would then add avocado slices on top. The combination was perfect and I wanted to create a sauce that would bring these flavors to life, so I made the avocado salsa verde.
How to Make Vegan Jackfruit Enchiladas
These enchiladas are super easy to make once the jackfruit has been cut and marinated. I used store-bought enchilada sauce, vegan cheese, tortillas, and salsa verde to make this recipe even quicker and simple.
Once you have your canned jackfruit cut, marinate it for at least 2 hours so it can soak up all of the delicious Mexican spices. After the jackfruit has been marinated, put it on the stove with some vegetable broth and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to give it that carnitas flavor.
Now you’re ready to assemble your enchiladas! Wrap your jackfruit in tortillas in a casserole dish and pour on the sauce. Once the enchiladas have cooked, broil the vegan cheese on top to melt it. Next, top them with the avocado salsa verde, vegan feta, and pomegranate seeds like I did!
You can top your enchiladas with any condiment of your choice: sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo, cilantro, lime, etc. You may also decide to add corn or beans to the jackfruit filling, it’s very customizable to suit your liking!
I hope you make these vegan jackfruit enchiladas for your friends or family and see how delicious they are for yourself. If you do, make sure to tag me on Instagram @crueltyfreecrystal or hashtag #crueltyfreecrystal so I can see your creations!
Vegan Jackfruit Enchiladas
Ingredients
Jackfruit Filling
- 3 (14-ounce) cans of jackfruit in water, drained and rinsed well
- 1 medium onion minced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp liquid aminos (or coconut aminos or tamari)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce finely chopped
Enchiladas
- 8 8-inch tortillas (flour or corn)
- 15 oz red enchilada sauce
- 1 cup shredded vegan cheese
Avocado Salsa Verde
- 4 oz salsa verde (can or jar)
- 1/2 large avocado
Instructions
To make the jackfruit:
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Once your jackfruit is drained and rinsed, cut into shreds that resemble pulled pork. This will be easy because it naturally shreds like this. I like to take out the hard bulbs, but that's my preference.
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Mix the olive oil, paprika, chili powder, liquid aminos, maple syrup, onion, and garlic in a bowl and mix well. Add the jackfruit and marinate for about 2 hours.
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Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add the marinated jackfruit, vegetable broth, and chipotle pepper. Mix together and let cook down until all of the liquid is absorbed for about 15 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on it and stir occasionally. Take off the heat once done.
To make the avocado salsa verde:
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While the jackfruit is cooking, blend the avocado and salsa verde together until smooth. If it's too thick, add more salsa and if it's too thin, add avocado.
To make the enchiladas:
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Grease your baking dish and add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce to lightly coat the bottom.
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Fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup of jackfruit and roll tightly. Place in the baking dish, seam-side down.
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Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas and bake for 30-35 minutes until the sauce starts to brown on the side of the dish.
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Next, add the vegan cheese on top and broil until melted.
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Once it's out of the oven, pour the avocado salsa verde over the enchiladas and top with your desired condiments. I used pomegranate seeds and bits of vegan feta.
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Enjoy!
For more vegan recipes like this one, visit https://crueltyfreecrystal.com/category/eat/recipes/.
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