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Best Vegan Game Day Food Recipes

Vegan game day food is essential, whether you're watching the big game with friends or hosting a casual get-together. Try my vegan carnitas with pico de gallo! It's a vegan game day recipe perfect for tacos!
Author: Kim Grimmett
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
Servings: 6

Ingredients
 

Jackfruit Carnitas

  • 2 20oz cans of young green jackfruit in brine or water
  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or any neutral oil (canola, vegetable also work)
  • 1 medium white onion, small dice (1 ½ cup diced)
  • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for spice)
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 pinches ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup or agave
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup low sodium tamari (low sodium soy sauce if not gluten-free)
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

Pico de Gallo

  • 3 roma tomatoes, deseeded and diced to medium size  (a little bigger than the onion dice)
  • ½ medium red onion, diced small  (a little smaller than the tomato dice)
  • 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, deseeded and diced very small
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1-2   teaspoons fresh squeezed lime juice

Instructions

Make Pico de Gallo

  • Deseed and chop the tomatoes to a medium dice. You want the tomatoes to be a tad bigger than the onions. All the cuts should be about the same size.
  • Chop the red onion to a small dice. The onion should be chopped a little smaller than the tomato.
  • Deseed the jalapeno pepper and chop to a very small dice. Smaller than both the tomato and onion
  • Chop enough cilantro to fill 2 tablespoons.
  • Add the diced tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, salt, and 1 teaspoon of lime juice to a bowl. Then gently mix together.
  • Taste for salt, lime, and spice. Add more lime and salt to your desired taste. More diced jalapeno can be added for more spice as well.

Make Vegan Carnitas

  • Drain the jackfruit well. Then shred the jackfruit. There are few different ways to do this.
    You can do this by cutting the hard core off the triangles and shredding the softer bits with a fork into what looks like pulled pork. Then chop the cores into finer pieces to match the shredded.
    You can also throw all the jackfruit into a large bowl and squeeze the jackfruit with your hands, which will shred the softer bits and leave the core. If you choose the squeezing method you have to pick out the hard cores that are left over and chop them into pieces just as you would with the first option. This is how I do it.
    When you complete this step drain the jackfruit again to remove any extra liquid.
  • Combine all the spices in a small dish so they are ready to go before you start cooking. This includes the cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, oregano, cinnamon, and salt.
  • Heat the oil at medium high heat in a large saute pan. Then add the onions and garlic to cook for about 1 to 2 minutes until the onions are translucent.
  • Next add the spice mix of cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, oregano, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to coat the onions well and continue cooking for about 1 minute.
  • Now add the jackfruit, maple syrup, water, low sodium tamari, and liquid smoke. Stir to combine and cook at medium heat uncovered for about 10-15 minutes. Check every few minutes and turn the jackfruit as needed. You want for the liquid to reduce and the jackfruit to turn into what looks like shredded pork.
  • When the jackfruit liquid has reduced to virtually nothing, turn the heat up to high and cook for 2-3 minutes turning often to evenly crisp up.
    For extra crispy carnitas, you can also spread the jackfruit out onto a sheet pan and place under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp up. I find that I can achieve the same results on the stove top. It's just a matter of preference.
  • Serve as a filling for tacos, burritos, bowls, and more!

Notes

  1. Feel free to use the carnitas to make any of your Mexican favorites.
  2. The vegan carnitas will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days or in the freezer for about 3 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 21.5g | Protein: 3.1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Sodium: 705mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 10.5g | Sugar: 6.1g | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 8mg
Keyword Carnitas, Jackfruit, Jackfruit Carnitas
Tried this recipe?Mention me on Instagram @dances_with_knives and add the hashtag #danceswithknives! Would love to see your yummy creations!