Jackfruit Birria

These easy vegan Jackfruit Birria tacos are filled with delicious layers of bold flavor! Shredded jackfruit is cooked in a comforting chile sauce with warm herbs and spices. Eat it out of a bowl as hearty consommé, as cheesy quesabirria tacos, or both! 

Birria tacos are a unique type of traditional Mexican dish with mildly spicy flavors. The rich, chile-based sauce becomes a vibrant red color that’s perfect for cooking pulled jackfruit “meat” in and dipping tacos into.

This vegan birria is great for special occasions or for taco nights with the family. We like to stretch this into two meals by making a big pot and eating it as stew one night and then using the leftovers for tacos the next night. 

Tacos with birria in them are called quesabirria or quesatacos. This is because they are set up like quesadillas and grilled on the pan. Something special about them though is that the tortillas are dipped in the broth before cooking the tacos.

Birria is really quite simple to prepare from scratch. First, make the broth with veggies and seasoning. While it stews together, prepare the jackfruit. Then, blend the soup into a smooth purée and cook the jackfruit in it a little longer. Eat it as a tasty soup or go on to make tacos.

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Ingredients and Substitutions

For the Birria

• Oil - such as olive, avocado, or canola is used to sauté veggies and make the tacos. 
• Onion - I like white onion for its strong flavor here, but any will do. 
• Tomatoes - A couple of roma tomatoes or any other favorite are used. 
• Garlic - Freshly minced or powdered works.
• Chiles - A combination of guajillo, ancho, and arbol are rehydrated and cooked into the soup. Find these dried chiles in the Mexican food section of your grocery store. Arbol chiles are very spicy, so feel free to omit them if you prefer a more mild heat level. It is okay to adjust the recipe if you can’t find these specific chiles at the store. 
• Boullion + Water - I like vegan Better than Bouillon. Another option is to use vegetable broth.
• Jackfruit - Use canned or packaged jackfruit in brine or water. I usually find this in the canned fruit aisle or in the international food section at the store. Shredded oyster mushrooms can be used with or instead of jackfruit.
• Vinegar - This acidic element adds an important depth to the flavors. I use apple cider vinegar, but white vinegar or lemon juice can be used instead.
• Bay Leaf - One whole dried bay leaf or half of a fresh one. 
• Cinnamon Stick - One cinnamon stick or ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

Seasoning for the Birria 

• Peppercorns - Use whole peppercorns or ⅛ of a teaspoon of black pepper.
• Whole Cloves - Or use ⅛ of a teaspoon of ground cloves.
• Dried Oregano - Either regular or Mexican oregano works.
• Cumin - I think this is needed for any traditional Mexican dish.
• Salt - Just a bit to enhance the flavors. Feel free to add more.
• Marjoram - Add more oregano or thyme if you don’t have any of this on hand.
• Thyme - I use the dried version, but fresh works too!
• Ginger - Use fresh or ground.

For the Tacos

• Tortillas - Corn tortillas are more authentic to this dish, but you can use flour, gluten-free, etc. 
• Vegan Cheese - Choose any that melts well and tastes good such as Violife, Chao, or Daiya. 

How to Make Plant Based Jackfruit Birria 

Here are some quick visual steps. Find the full recipe with exact measurements on the recipe card below.

Gather the ingredients, and chop the tomatoes and onions into big chunks. Peel and halve the garlic. Deseed the dried chiles by cutting the stems off and shaking or scraping them out. (It’s okay if some are left in.)

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large sauté pan, that has a fitted lid, over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and cook them until they’re soft and fragrant (5 minutes). Next, add the tomatoes, garlic, and seasoning to the pot. Stir continuously for 4-5 minutes until the tomatoes have softened.

Stir in the dried chiles, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, bouillon, and water. Cover the skillet and let the broth cook for 15 minutes as the flavors come together nicely. 

Cook the Jackfruit

Meanwhile, rinse the canned jackfruit really well. Crush and pull the pieces apart with your fingers or a fork. Discard the seeds. 

In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the jackfruit over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. This is to cook off the excess moisture and to create crispy edges so the jackfruit doesn’t become too soft.

Discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaf from the birria sauce. Scoop out all of the solid ingredients from the pan and place them in a blender. 

Purée the ingredients as fine as possible with 1 cup of the broth from the pot. Then push the blended ingredients back into the pan through a sifter and stir them into the broth.

Add the jackfruit to the skillet. Stir occasionally as this cooks for 15 minutes on medium heat (uncovered). This will give the jackfruit plenty of time to absorb all the delicious flavors. Taste the consommé broth to see if you’d like to add any more seasoning. Enjoy it as a stew by garnishing it with cilantro, chopped onions, and lime juice, or read on to see how to make jackfruit birria tacos.

How to Make Vegan Quesabirria Tacos

Wrap the stack of tortillas in a damp kitchen towel and microwave them for 1 minute to make them pliable. If not, they will be brittle and tear easily.

Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add a thin layer of oil to the pan. Briefly dip a tortilla on top of the birria soup and then flip it over. Don’t let it soak up too much or it will become soggy. Then, add it to the pan with hot oil. 

Cook the tortilla for 2-3 minutes so it can firm up and not tear. Next, sprinkle some cheese in the middle and a couple of spoonfuls of jackfruit birria meat onto one side. 

Fold one side over the jackfruit to form a taco. I do this by gently, yet swiftly sliding a very thin spatula underneath the tortilla and using tongs to fold it over. Cook it on each side for 1-2 more minutes. Repeat these steps until all of the tacos are made. Make sure to add more oil as needed so that the pan always has a thin layer. 

Serve the quesabirria tacos with a side of consommé for dipping. Garnish the plate with raw onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.  

Storage & Reheating

Store leftovers in a sealed dish in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Reheat the consommé in a pot or the microwave until hot. Reheat the tacos in a pan to maintain some of their crispness. 

Make Ahead

You can make the consommé a day or two ahead of time. Store it in the refrigerator in a covered dish and reheat it in a pan when ready. The tacos are best when eaten fresh. 

Related Vegan Recipes

• Pineapple Mango Habanero Salsa
• Green Chile Chimichangas
• Mexican Pizzas
• Queso Fundido
• Chiles Rellenos

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