Vegan Korean Jackfruit Tacos w/ Gochujang Sauce

Growing up in sunny Los Angeles, the amount of authentic Mexican restaurants was plentiful.

So, I’m proud to admit that my standard of a good taco is pretty high.

Have you had an authentic taco and noticed how simple they are? There’s no spoonfuls of sour cream or guacamole masking the juicy, savory flavors of the base, which is typically carnitas or chicken. Instead, the base is accentuated by adding a bit of freshly chopped raw onions, cilantro and a mild salsa on top.

These Korean tacos follow the same “formula.” Keeping toppings simple with the purpose to round out the savory flavors of the base. But the base is not carnitas or chicken – it’s jackfruit.

Yes, jackfruit is a fruit. But it’s not like other fruits.

First and foremost, because we’re using unripe jackfruit, it’s not sweet at all.  Actually, there isn’t any real flavor or taste. Rather it’s texture is why a lot of vegetarians and vegans gravitate towards this fruit. It has a bit of a chew – like real meat and it can easily be pulled apart, closely resembling pulled pork.

I love anything spicy and sweet so I dressed the jackfruit in a mild gochujang marinade. With a quick pan fry, the marinated jackfruit is ready to be served on a bed of warm tortillas! Then topped is the usual raw onions and cilantro mix with the addition of scallions. But I swapped the usual mild salsa for a gochujang tahini sauce, giving it a spicy and smoky punch!

As all these simple ingredients come together, these appetizing jackfruit tacos will make your taste buds tingle as it’s the perfect combination of spicy savoriness and zestiness!

Love Korean food? Check out my other Korean recipes here!

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quick notes

• As stated above, unripe (not ripe) jackfruit is used. Canned unripe jackfruit will either be soaked in brine or water. Any canned jackfruit soaked in syrup is usually ripe and used in desserts.
• If using jackfruit soaked in brine, make sure to rinse thoroughly.
• When pulling apart jackfruit, you will come upon seeds and hard stems. Do not throw them away as they are edible!
• Gochujang, or 고추장, is a spicy, slightly sweet, fermented chili paste. It’s most known as the spicy sauce served with bibimbap.

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VEGAN KOREAN JACKFRUIT TACOS

Serves 6 jackfruit tacos

Marinade

• 1 tbsp of gochujang
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• ½ tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Combine ingredients together and set aside.

• 1 can jackfruit
• 2 garlic cloves

Rinse jackfruit with water thoroughly. Either pull jackfruit apart with hands or slice them laterally with a knife.

To your shredded jackfruit, add in the marinade and stir until all is incorporated.

Heat pan in medium high heat and add oil when pan is hot. Add in garlic and cook until lightly browned. Then add in the marinated jackfruit and pan fry for 5-8 minutes.

Gochujang Sauce

• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp water 
• ½ tsp gochujang

Stir sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Taco

• 6 tortilla
• ¼ cup green onion, chopped
• ⅓ cup cilantro
• ¼ small onion, chopped
• 1-2 jalapeños, sliced

Lightly heat tortilla in the oven or on a pan. Transfer ~¼ cup of jackfruit to each tortilla and garnish with a pinch of green onions, cilantro, onions and jalapeños. Top with a generous drizzle of gochujang sauce and enjoy!

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p.s. If you like this recipe, click the icons below to share and leave a comment below! Make sure to tag me @girlmeetsradish & #girlmeetsradish so I can see what you are making!