jackfruit tinga quesadillas or tacos
This savory tinga filling and chunky guac work perfectly in quesadillas or tacos! The real question is... which one's YOUR favorite?
Servings 4 quesadillas or 10 hard tacos
Ingredients
jackfruit tinga filling
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¾ C yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder or chili powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoon vegan chicken flavored bouillon paste (such as Better than Bouillon)
- 2 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, chopped (include some adobo sauce)
- 3 C fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 ½ C drained young jackfruit, in brine, pulled by hand into 1 inch pieces
- 1 ½ C canned refried beans
- 3 C vegan mozzarella and cheddar shreds (3 C for quesadillas, if making taco bake halve this amount)
- ¾ C loosely packed cilantro, chopped
- 4 x 10-inch soft tortillas OR 10 hard tacos *see recipe note
- 3 limes, wedges
chunky guacamole
- 2 avocados, diced
- ½ C red onion, finely diced
- ½ C tightly packed cilantro, finely chopped
- ¼ C jalapeño, finely diced
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 425°F.
- In a medium pot over medium heat, add vegetable oil and white onion. Cook for 2 minutes until soft. Stir in dried oregano, chipotle powder, cumin, sea salt and vegan chicken flavored bouillon paste. Add garlic and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Then add chipotle chilis, roasted tomatoes and sugar. Add jackfruit and cook until slightly reduced, about 3 to 4 more minutes.
- Spread filling on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly caramelized and a little more dry. Once jackfruit is baked, cool the oven temperature to 200°F.
- To assemble the quesadilla, on half of the tortilla add refried beans, cheese shreds, a heaping ½ cup of jackfruit filling and sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Fold it in half and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- Pan fry 1 or 2 quesadillas at a time in a non-stick skillet over medium for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Cover the pan with a lid so the vegan cheese melts on the inside. You may need to lower the heat.
- For an extra crispy cheese crust, turn the heat back up to medium-high and sprinkle more vegan cheese shreds right on the non-stick skillet. Add the pan fried quesadilla on top of the vegan cheese shreds. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes trying not to move it too much. Add more cheese shreds to the skillet before frying the other side and fry the other side for 1 to 2 more minutes. The cheese on the outside should be brown and toasty. Keep the quesadillas warm in an oven at 200°F.
- To make the chunky guacamole combine red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, freshly grated lime zest, sea salt, pepper and the diced avocado in a bowl. Gently stir so the diced avocados remain intact.
- Serve the quesadillas with the chunky guacamole and a squeeze of lime juice.
- To make the taco bake, repeat all the steps including baking the filling at 425°F. Once the filling is baked, let the oven cool to 350°F.
- Add 10 hard taco shells to a baking dish or roasting pan. Spread a heaping tablespoon of refried beans, a ¼ cup of jackfruit filling, cilantro and sprinkle vegan cheese shreds into each taco shell.
- Bake in the oven covered with foil for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve the hard tacos with extra lime wedges and chunky guacamole.
Notes
If making both the quesadillas and hard tacos, double the jackfruit filling ingredient amounts above. Depending on the brand of jackfruit, if it’s not soft right from the can, you may need to boil it for at least 30 minutes.
