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Jackfruit Quesadilla recipe by Joyful Balance.

Jackfruit Quesadillas (Vegan!)

Delaney Marie
These Jackfruit Quesadillas are a dream come true for Tex-Mex-loving vegans! Hearty jackfruit, nutritious veggies, and a tasty queso. Perfect for your next lunch or dinner!
Note: From Start to Finish is an estimate that includes the time that it takes to make the queso (which is 30 minutes of soaking cashews, and 10 minutes of active time to make the queso).
From Start to Finish1 hour 10 minutes
Servings2 servings

Ingredients

Quesadillas:

  • 1 recipe of Quick Vegan Queso
  • 1 recipe of Jackfruit Filling (see below)
  • 4-6 tortillas (I use 8-inch whole wheat tortillas, but flour will also work!)

Jackfruit Filling:

  • 1 cup canned jackfruit - drained and rinsed
  • ½ small red onion - diced
  • 2 cloves garlic - minced
  • ⅔-1 cup veggie broth
  • ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • ½ cup frozen corn - thawed
  • ¾ cup canned black beans - drained and rinsed

Optional Toppings/Sides:

  • Salsa
  • Pico
  • Guacamole
  • Vegan sour cream (or plain coconut yogurt)

Instructions

Make your Jackfruit Filling:

  • Prep your jackfruit pieces by draining and rinsing them, and then lightly pull them apart with your fingers so that they look a bit like shredded chicken. A few large chunks are fine, you will be able to break them apart more later if needed. Set aside.
  • Add your red onion and a couple tablespoons of water (or veggie broth) to a pan over medium-high heat. Add more water/broth as needed to prevent sticking. Saute for 3-4 minutes, so that the onion has just barely started to lighten in color. Add in your minced garlic and saute for another minute.
  • Lower the heat to medium and add in your shredded jackfruit and ⅔ cup of veggie broth. Cover with a lid.
  • Allow your jackfruit to cook (covered) for 10 minutes total. Every few minutes, uncover briefly to give it a stir and add more veggie broth as needed to prevent sticking.
  • After 10 minutes, uncover and keep the heat at medium. If you still have some larger chunks of jackfruit, you can now use the edge of a spatula to break the jackfruit into smaller pieces. If there is still a significant amount of liquid, allow the mixture to cook (uncovered) for a few more minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated (you still want just a bit to prevent sticking).
  • Once most of the liquid has evaporated, add in your smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Give everything a stir so that the jackfruit is evenly coated with the spices.
  • Add your corn and black beans. Give it all a mix so that it is thoroughly incorporated and the beans and corn are heated through.
  • Remove your jackfruit filling from heat and set aside.

Assemble your Jackfruit Quesadillas:

  • To make a "whole circle" quesadilla: Grab two tortillas and spread a couple spoonfuls of the Quick Vegan Queso on both tortillas. Next, add a few spoonfuls of the jackfruit filling onto just one of the tortillas. Sandwich the two tortillas together so that the jackfruit filling is in between the two layers of queso. Doing it this way helps the quesadilla stick together so that it doesn't fall apart when you cook it!
    To make a "half circle" quesadilla: grab one tortilla. Spread a couple spoonfuls of the Quick Vegan Queso onto the entire tortilla, and spread a couple spoonfuls of the jackfruit filling onto just one half of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half so that the jackfruit filling is sandwiched between the two layers of queso.
  • Bring a nonstick pan to medium-high heat. Place your quesadilla in the pan and allow it to cook for 1-3 minutes (this will largely depend on how hot your pan gets and how cooked you want your tortilla). Flip and cook on the other side for another 1-3 minutes, until it is cooked to your liking. I personally like to cook it just until the tortilla starts to develop golden-brown spots. But you do you!
  • Remove from the heat and plate however you'd like! If you want to cut your quesadilla into triangles, I recommend allowing it to cool for 2-3 minutes prior to cutting. This allows the queso to firm up just a bit so that the cutting process is a little less messy.
  • Serve on its own or with optional toppings such as salsa, pico, or guac.
  • Repeat this process with the remaining queso and filling until you have made as many quesadillas as your heart desires!

Notes

Note: The amount of servings you get out of this will vary a bit based on how much filling you like in your quesadillas and the size of your tortillas. I generally use 8 inch tortillas and am able to make 2-3 servings worth. I consider one serving to be one "whole circle" quesadilla (using 2 tortillas), or 2 "half circle" quesadillas (using 1 tortilla each).
Did you make this recipe?Mention @joyfulbalanceofficial on Instagram and show the world your plant based creation!