bbq pulled jackfruit, pinto bean & caramelized onion taquitos
Caramelizing onions is a favorite pasttime of mine, clearly. My Black Fig, Goat Cheese and (wouldn’t you know it) Caramelized Onion Pizza recipe features the dangly delights in all their sweet glory. I’ve also got a thing for jackfruit now since discovering that all the rumors of its pulled pork-esque characteristics are entirely accurate. I don’t pretend it’s an apt protein substitute, however, which is why pinto beans enter the equation in this taquito formula. Taquitos are also my favorite. Such an easy way to wrap delicious fillings into a crispy shell of temptation, nevermind how they scoop up dips and salsas perfectly. Mmmm. Excuse me while I interrupt writing to find a snack.
We returned from an unexpectedly eventful road trip this week. Traversed six hours before stuff flung against the fan, got whirled and torn, then spat out in the middle of the road in the form of some metallic object that decided to smash the underside of J’s car badly enough to require a tow. We hadn’t even crossed the Georgia-South Carolina border. His car later did, about when we managed to in a rental Kia – we saw the tow truck lifting his poor car onto its seat. I teared up a bit. I’ve watched my own little wounded Chevy be pulled off on a foreign vehicle to a foreign repair shop and can’t help but liken it to seeing a sick pet or child taken into an infirmary. Cars inspire emotion. Attachment isn’t weird or uncommon. Though it wasn’t my car per se, I still fell sad. Not to mention it threw a metal object into our timing and caused some unexpected detours, and of course a load of burden on J, who handled all of it so wonderfully that I can’t help but swell up produly at the thought of his calm demeanor when I, who doesn’t even own the car or have to deal with insurance and repair shops and all that, wailed like a demon on the side of the interstate.
I cooked a fast and furious supper on the night we busted through our front door, and while it wasn’t taquitos, these are perfect for time-crunched nights or for when you have pieces of time throughout the day to prep food. I caramelized the onions and tossed the filling together in the afternoon, refrigerated it until ready to assemble the tortillas and crunch them up in the oven. I used corn-flour blend tortillas since they’re far easier to handle than corn alone, but you can customize based on your own dietary needs and taste preferences. I enjoyed these with a pair of Trader Joe’s finds: Vegan Cashew Fiesta Dip and Harvest Salsa. No sponsorship here. If you can find the harvest salsa before it peeters out for the season, do!
Related: Smoky Corn Couscous Pilaf with BBQ Salmon & Sesame Roasted Tricolor Pepper Tray Bake
Jalapeno Lime Mushroom & Kale Taquitos
A word to the wise on jackfruit…
No part of a jackfruit is harmful to eat, but the little beads attached to the main part of the plant are slightly bitter tasting and you might find them a textural deterrent in any culinary jackfruit adventure. I separate my jackfruit bits over a small bowl to separate the pods to prevent them intermingling with the rest of the recipe at hand. If a pod slips in, it’s really no big deal! On the same note, creating the “pulled” mimic is quite simple. I just rub the pieces together in between my fingers, tugging a bit at more stubborn bits, until I get nice strings to work with.
Ingredients
- 1 white or yellow onion, sliced into strips
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 can young jackfruit in brine
- 1 can pinto beans, drained
- 1/3 cup barbecue sauce of choice
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 8-10 corn, wheat, or corn-wheat blend tortillas (fajita-size)
- olive oil spray
- queso, salsa, guacamole, and cilantro, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- First, caramelize your onions. This is quite hands-off, really, so you can clean your kitchen or dance in the process. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over low-medium in a large nonstick skillet. Add your onion strips, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cook for at least 20 minutes, preferably closer to 40-45, stirring occasionally and monitoring heat to ensure the onions get juicy and soft but don't char. In the last 5 or so minutes, add balsamic vinegar and stir to coat. This is optional, but really emphasizes the caramelization.
- Preheat the broiler to high and line a baking sheet with parchment. Spray generously with oil. In the pan with the onions, toss pinto beans and jackfruit. Stir to combine and heat for a few minutes until warm. Stir in barbecue sauce and arugula. Shut off heat and fold ingredients over one another until arugula wilts and the sauce coats all of the components evenly.
- When ready to assemble, microwave your tortillas underneath a damp paper towel or tea towel for 10 seconds to soften and make them less likely to snap when filled. One at a time, lay a tortilla on a flat and clean surface, like a cutting board. Measure about 2-3 tbsp of filling and place in the center of the tortilla. From the top, roll the tortilla until bottom overlaps. If it does not neatly overlap, you've filled the taquito too much. Don't worry about some spillage – this'll happen! Carefully transfer each finished taquito onto the baking sheet seam side down and pat any rogue filling into the open ends. When all are complete – you'll likely get 8-10 out of the recipe – spray with a heavy hand of oil.
- Broil taquitos about 3-5 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning. Flip and broil about 3 minutes more until nicely browned. Remove from oven and let cool a moment or two. Plate and serve with desired dips and toppings.
