I’m a big lover of Mexican food. Hand me a marg and I’ll be smiling from ear to ear. But being mostly plant-based can make classic Mexican cuisine a little tricky sometimes. With these Jackfruit Enchiladas Verdes, you won’t be missing out. On Cinco de Mayo, this dish needs to be your go-to. Whip up a batch of margaritas, some salsa and guac and get these enchiladas in the oven. Your night is bound to be flavour-packed, filling and an absolute fiesta!
gluten free enchiladas
The filling in these jackfruit enchiladas is simple. Jackfruit, black beans, some spices and salsa. Simple is best. Especially in these current COVID-19 times. Jackfruit is one canned good I like to have in my pantry because it adds a yummy texture to hearty, savoury meals. It’s quite versatile. If you are looking for more jackfruit recipes, check out my Vegan Pulled Pork Sandwiches– they are life-changing.
These gluten free enchiladas are topped with a from-scratch Verde sauce, that is tangy and green! It complements the aromas and textures in the wraps really nicely. The Verde sauce is also super easy to make. Basically you saute onions and garlic and then blend them along with the rest of the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.
how to make jackfruit enchiladas
- This vegan Mexican recipe is a pretty straightforward one to make. It should take you about an hour from start to finish. I would suggest soaking your cashews in boiled hot water at the start of the process. Let them soak until you are ready to make the cashew sauce. The next step would be to saute the onion and garlic for the Verde sauce and then once done, move the onion mixture to a blender.
- To make the Verde sauce, you simply add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. And then set it aside until you are ready to roll the enchiladas up.
- Next comes the jackfruit preparation. To start off I like to rinse my jackfruit underwater. Then you have to remove the core part of the jackfruit pieces. The core is the extra hard part of the jackfruit. Simply slice it off and then add the jackfruit to the onion pan (sans onions) with a little oil. The jackfruit will need to be sauteed for a few minutes until it starts to brown and it can be shredded apart. Take two forks and just pull on one piece of jackfruit until it resembles shredded pork. Then add in the black beans, vegetable broth and the spices. Next, take the pan off the stove and add in the salsa to incorporate (the salsa is different than the Verde sauce FYI).
- Now the fun part starts. The rolling of the enchiladas. If you aren’t gluten-free, you can use whatever wraps you want. But for my gluten-free friends out there these are my favourite gluten-free tortillas to use. I highly suggest warming each one up in the microwave (for about 10 seconds) before adding the jackfruit filling and rolling them up. Rolling a warm tortilla stops them from breaking/ripping. I would suggest you do this even if you are using wheat tortillas.
- Pour half of the Verde sauce in the 9×13 pan. and then wrap your jackfruit mixture in the tortillas. Pour the other half of the Verde sauce on top. Pop these jackfruit enchiladas in the oven for 23 minutes. While the Vegan Enchiladas Verdes are baking make the cashew sauce to drizzle on top of the tortillas once they are out of the oven.
Don’t forget the margaritas, the guacamole and the vegan pinwheels to go with your Cinco de Mayo feast.
here are a few reasons why I love these gluten free enchiladas, so listen up!
- These Vegan Enchiladas Verdes are filling and use basic ingredients. The ingredient you will have the hardest time tracking down is the jackfruit. I tend to have success at Save On Foods, and my local health food store (Nature’s Fare). But once you have the jackfruit, the other ingredients are simple and you most likely have them in your pantry. We are all about the vegan pantry staples these days.
- The cashew sauce on top is next-level. It is creamy and acts as the cheesiness you might be craving when biting into an enchilada. The cashew sauce uses four ingredients and blends to velvety goodness that will have you licking your lips for more. These Jackfruit Enchiladas have a little spice and tanginess to them so the cashew sauce levels out the spice and adds a nice richness. Word of advice, don’t skimp on the cashew sauce, and if you think you and your family will be fighting over more, then double it.
- These gluten free enchiladas make for tasty leftovers! If you don’t eat all the enchiladas in one evening store them in the fridge and then just reheat them before eating. You can also save the jackfruit filling, Verde sauce, and cashew sauce separately in the fridge and then assemble the next day. I had this filling in just a heated up wrap (didn’t bake it) and it was phenomenal. This is a vegan Mexican recipe that is perfect for leftovers, for a Cinco de Mayo party or just for any regular weeknight dinner.
These Vegan Enchiladas Verdes are a versatile meal that is the perfect way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Bring on the margaritas, the guacamole and these hearty jackfruit enchiladas. It might just be a party for two this year (hello COVID-19) but it’s going to be one hell of a delicious party.
Jackfruit Enchiladas Verdes
Ingredients
Cashew Drizzle
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked in hot water for 30 minutes)
- 1/2 cup fresh water
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3-4 tbsp nutritional yeast
Verde Sauce
- 2 tsp oil of choice
- 1 small white onion (finely chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 2 cans green chilies (two 127 mL cans)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 of a lime, juiced
- salt and pepper to taste
Jackfruit Filling
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 can jackfruit (398mL)
- 2 tbsp vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups black beans
- 1 cup salsa verde
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 5-6 medium tortillas
toppings
- guacamole (optional)
- green onion
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Soak the cashews in a bowl of hot water for 30 minutes to soften (or overnight in room temperature water). Set aside.
- Heat 2 tsp of oil to a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and saute until browned. Remove from the heat. Add the onion and garlic along with the rest of the Verde sauce ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Prepare the jackfruit. Remove the core part of the jackfruit pieces with a knife. The core is usually the smaller side of the jackfruit and the core will be very hard. Using the same pan that the onions were in, heat a little more oil in the pan. Once hot, add the jackfruit. Saute until the jackfruit browns (roughly 3-5 minutes). Then begin to pull the jackfruit apart using 2 forks. It should shred quite easily at this point.
- Add in the black beans, saute for a few minutes, then add the vegetable broth. Let the vegetable broth incorporate for a minute or so and then add the spices. Take the mixture off the stove and add the salsa
- In a 9″x13″ pan, add half of the Verde sauce to the bottom. Heat your wraps for 10 seconds in the microwave before adding the filling (as I find this stops the wraps from breaking when you are rolling them up). Add 1/3 cup of the filling to each wrap and then roll them closed. This mixture should make 5-6 wraps.
- Top the enchiladas with the rest of the Verde sauce. Cook in the oven for 23-27 minutes.
- While the enchiladas are cooking prepare the cashew sauce. Drain the water from the cashews then add the cashews, new water, nutritional yeast, and garlic powder to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.
- When the enchiladas are done, dish them out and top with the cashew drizzle, green onion and guacamole. Best enjoyed immediately. If you have leftovers, store them in a container in the fridge and reheat before eating.
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Ok, Cinqo de Mayo… we are going to be having a fiesta with these jackfruit enchiladas verdes! Another winner for Greens, Eggs and Yams!
so yummy!
I really like this recipe but note that you can use the core part of jackfruit too! Just toss it in the food processor and do a few pulses, you will get a lot more jackfruit and it works/tastes just as good.
thanks Caitlin!