BBQ jackfruit quesadillas inspired by Jamaican flavors and made with a chili cashew cream! 100% plant-based and the best replacement to anything with pulled meat.
These are some of the coolest quesadillas I’ve ever made and they’re absolutely hassle-free. Every time I make something with jackfruit I ask myself why I don’t use it more often. I’ve been making an effort to experiment with plant-based ingredients lately and jackfruit imitates the texture of pulled pork or chicken so perfectly. It’s soft and juicy, in between the crunchiest tortilla, and complimented by the chili cashew cream.
As for the flavors in these BBQ jackfruit quesadillas, I tried to imitate the sweet, spicy, and tangy feel of Jamaican jerk seasoning! It’s not authentic because I didn’t have scotch bonnet, but it definitely brought the flavor. I added some BBQ sauce from Primal Kitchen Foods (my favorite healthy dressing brand!) to increase the flavor complexity without making the recipe hard, but you can also use tomato puree. You can also use any tortilla you want here; I’ve been enjoying the Angelic Bake House 7-grain tortillas.
The Rundown
1. Soak cashews overnight or in boiling water for 15 minutes.
2. Use canned jackfruit and squeeze it dry. Cook with a simple base of onion, garlic, ginger, spices, BBQ sauce, and coco aminos or soy sauce. It’s sweet and hot.
3. While the jackfruit cooks for 15 minutes, blend the cashew cream! Cashews, lemon juice, chilis, and nutritional yeast if you want a cheesier flavor.
4. Cut tortillas in half to make it easiest. Spread cashew cream, add some kale, add jackfruit to half, and fold in half. Cook until CRISPY!
BBQ Jackfruit Quesadillas with Cashew Cream
Ingredients
- 2 20 oz. cans jackfruit use one can if you don't want leftover filling
- 3 medium tortillas
- ¾ cup chopped kale
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp BBQ sauce sub tomato paste
- 2 tbsp coco aminos sub tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Cashew Cream
- ½ cup cashews soaked for 4+ hrs or 15 min in boiling water
- 2 small green chilis
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
- pinch salt n pepper
- water to thin
Instructions
- Soak cashews overnight or in boiling water for 15 minutes.
- Squeeze excess liquid from the canned jackfruit.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add onion and cook for about 2 minutes, until translucent. Add ginger and garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add all spices: cumin, red chili powder, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon, and black pepper. Combine well for a minute.
- Add the jackfruit and continue cooking for a few minutes before adding BBQ sauce, coco aminos, lemon juice, and ½ cup water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add kale 3-4 minutes before the end of that period.
- While the jackfruit cooks, blend all ingredients the cashew cream! Add water until it's creamy, so around ¼ cup.
- Heat a pan over medium heat, no oil necessary. Cut tortillas in half and spread cashew cream on one half. Place on pan, add kale, add jackfruit to half of it, and fold in half. Cook on both sides for 2-3 minutes until it's CRISPY.
If you like this quesadilla, you’ll also love…
The Garlicky Mushroom Hummusadilla
Let me know if you try this recipe on Instagram or the comments!
sorry for the very late response! it should be added after the ground spices. will update the recipe!
is the jackfruit added at the very beginning with the onion ?
You would love this simple meal and it’s a great recipe to get started with using jackfruit!
This jackfruit recipe is one of my favorites! It makes such a simple and delicious lunch!
I’ve been looking for a good jackfruit recipe and am SO happy I found yours! This is everything I was looking for and more!
Wow these are lovely! I still haven’t gotten into jackfruit yet, but clearly I need to. Thank you for inspiring me!