Crispy Baked Jackfruit Taquitos

Answer to the question: What are you having for dinner this week?Taquitos! These vegan or gluten-free taquitos have a great flavor, are crispy, and are easy to dip. These taquitos are also great for freezing in bulk and reheating when needed. What’s the best part? Just ten ingredients are required! We’ll show you!

What is a Taquito?

In Spanish, taquito means “small taco,” which is apt because taquitos consist of tortillas that are rolled with a tiny amount inside. They’re usually fried and then topped with guacamole or other tasty toppings.

In the early 1900s, taquitos were invented by two restaurants in Southern California. Mexican flautas probably inspired the dish. These are similar but made with flour tortillas rather than corn.

Our vegan version is a great alternative to the usual taquitos, which are typically filled with shredded meat.

Vegan Taquitos: How to make them?

The filling for these taquitos is made from the most versatile vegan meat: young (green jackfruit)! The jackfruit is neutral in flavor and texture, so it’s perfect for “crabcakes” and Tortilla Soup. It can also be used to make barbecue sandwiches and more!

Our spicy Jackfruit Tacos were our inspiration, with the same flavors of onion, garlic, and smoky spice, as well as umami-packed Coconut aminos.

Instead of deep-frying, we bake the taquitos to get a golden, crispy outside without any of the negative health effects of deep-frying.

You can eat them hot or store them in the fridge for those days when cooking just is not possible. Because you deserve a break, Rhonda!

Ingredients

• Two (20-ounce cans) of jackfruit brine or water (NOT syrup // We like Trader Joe’s brand).
• If you don’t want to use oil, substitute water.
• Half a large yellow or white onion, thinly sliced
• Four cloves of minced garlic ( optional
• Half a teaspoon of sea salt
• Use 1 Tbsp of ground smoked paprika
• Ground cumin, 1 Tbsp
• 1 tbsp Chili powder
• Use about 2-3 tablespoons of Coconut Sugar or maple syrup (or organic brown sugar).
• 1 or 2 small chipotle chilies in adobo (from a can*/ roughly chopped)
• Use more or less adobo to reach the desired spice level
• 3-4 Tbsp coconut aminos
• Water: 2/3 cup plus more as required
• The jackfruit brine has a tangy taste so you can use lime juice instead.
• 16 corn tortillas
• Avocado oil is used to brush taquitos and grease pans.

Optional FOR SERVING

• Refried Beans
• Guacamole
• Vegan sour cream
• Salsa verde

Instructions

• Drain and rinse jackfruit thoroughly. Then begin sorting. The pieces are in a triangle or chunk shapes. Separate the “core” of the jackfruit, which is the tougher part of the fruit. Chop into smaller pieces. Use your hands or fork to shred the remaining jackfruit. The jackfruit should be shredded/chopped into small pieces. Then, rinse the jackfruit again in a fine-mesh strainer. Drain and dry thoroughly.
• Once hot, add the oil of choice, onion, and garlic (optional). Once the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic (optional). Sautee for 4-5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.
• Add the jackfruits, salt, paprika, and cumin. Also, add coconut sugar, chili powder, chipotle and their adobo, coconut aminos (optional), water, and lime juice. Stir to coat, then reduce heat to low to medium. Stir occasionally and cover the pan for 10 minutes.
• Add more spices, such as adobo, chipotle, maple syrup, coconut sugar, or coconut aminos, to taste.
• Increase heat to medium-high and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes to add a little more color/texture. Remove from heat.
• Preheat the oven to 425 F (212 C). Brush avocado oil on a baking tray. Set aside.
• Wrapping your tortillas in damp paper towels or kitchen towels and heating them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds is a good way to warm them up. It will make them pliable and prevent them from breaking or unfolding.
• Fill each tortilla one at a time with two heaping teaspoons of the jackfruit mix. Filling should be placed in a small pile and closer to the side (see photo). Roll the taquitos gently but tightly. Place them seam-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat until the entire filling has been used. This should yield 16 tacos.
• Spray or brush generously the taquitos with avocado oil or another neutral oil and bake them for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Avoid burning by paying attention near the end. The bottoms of the potatoes are more browned.
• Serve them warm with refried beans or guacamole. Vegan soured cream and salsa verde. The leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month.
• To freeze, let the food cool down completely and then transfer it to a container that can be frozen. Reheat the food by covering it with a paper towel or lid and heating it in the microwave for 1-2 mins or until heated to the center.