Caramelized Red Onion and Jackfruit Tacos with Tropical Fruit Salsa
Recipe by Danielle Lavallee
These tacos are my new obsession. They are sweet and smoky, with a meaty texture similar to pulled pork. They are brimming with flavor, packed with nutrients, full of fiber to feed your good gut microbes, and low in calories.
They are also rich in anthocyanins, which are fabulous for brain and heart health. Anthocyanins are found in purple, blue, and deep red foods, such as the purple cabbage and red onion used in this recipe. For more information on the protective power of anthocyanins, please see: www.thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/anthocyanins-purple-perfection.
Ingredients for the Jackfruit Taco Filling:
1 20 oz can of young green jackfruit in brine
1 red onion
4 TBS maple syrup
1 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. (or more) chipotle chili powder.
(Chipotle chili powder is SPICY. If you are sensitive to spice, you may want to start with less than this. For optimal smoky flavor, do not substitute regular chili powder.)1/2 to 1 cup finely chopped pineapple.
(This is optional, but it really adds to the sweetness of the dish. If you have extra pineapple on hand from making the salsa, I highly recommend adding some in.)Salt to taste
Ingredients for the Tropical Fruit Salsa:
Fresh pineapple
Fresh mango (1 large mango or 2 small champagne mangos)
1 red chili
2 -3 small limes (depending on size and juiciness)
Salt to taste
Serve with shredded purple cabbage and your tortillas of choice.
Method:
Preheat oven to 450 degreees.
Drain the jackfruit.
Using your fingers, shred the jackfruit triangles.
Chop any firm ends of the jackfruit into small pieces.
Roughly chop the red onion.
Place the onion in a non-stick pan, add a splash of water, and sprinkle with salt.
Water sauté the onion on medium to heat until caramelized. You can easily make beautiful caramelized onions using only water. Cook off the water until the onions start to brown, add more water and deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits. As Gordon Ramsay would say, “Color equals flavor!” Repeat this process several times until your onions are soft and golden brown. Be sure to watch your onions carefully, as they burn easily!
Once your onions are soft and golden, add in the maple syrup, soy sauce, jackfruit, cumin, chipotle powder, and optional pineapple chunks. Stir to combine.
Add in a cup of water and deglaze the pan by scraping up the nicely browned bits.
Sauté, stirring often until the water has evaporated, breaking up any larger jackfruit pieces.
Taste the jackfruit mixture and adjust your seasonings to suit your palate. The jackfruit filling is now ready to use.
However, if you have extra time and you want to deepen the flavor, spread the jackfruit mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake at 450 degrees until slight crispy (about 20-25 minutes).
Make the Tropical Fruit Salsa:
Chop the pineapple and mangos. I used approximately two cups of pineapple and two champagne mangos, but use any combination and amount of fruit you like best.
Chop half of the red chili (or less if you are sensitive to spice).
Combine the fruit and chili in a bowl, sprinkle with salt (this will increase the sweetness of your pineapple), and squeeze in the juice of two limes.
Stir and let stand for at least five minutes, allowing the flavors meld.
Stir again, taste, and adjust the seasonings. You can add more chili or more lime, as desired.
Finely chop or microplane purple cabbage.
Once your jackfruit taco filling is done, set out your ingredients and let your family prepare their tacos to their liking.
We cook our tortillas one at a time in a hot nonstick pan. No oil is needed. You can also bake them in the oven.
Jackfruit is a fabulous meat substitute, as it mimics the texture of shredded chicken or pulled pork. It is very low in calories (140 calories for an entire 20 ounce can), while being high in fiber, magnesium, potassium, multiple B vitamins, and vitamin C. It contains various carotenoids that act as antioxidants, and it has been shown to lower blood pressure, to reduce heart disease risk, and to be anti-inflammatory. For more information on jackfruit and health, please see: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6339770/
I hope you like these jackfruit tacos with tropical fruit salsa as much as we do. This recipe doubles easily if you are feeding a crowd or a hungry teenager.
Wishing you a delicious day and abundant good health! 🌱💕
