The real hero of sporting events

I’m gonna let you in on a little secret: I don’t watch sports. Maybe it’s my insecurities with never being athletic or my disdain for the high school jock trope, but I cannot even pretend to be interested. In my life, one of the only positive thing to ever come from sporting events is the FOOD. Whether it’s stadium nacho cheese, or tailgate chips and dip, or crock pot chili at a super bowl party…or a Cosco-sized tray of brownies…if I continued this list you’d be scrolling for the length of a football game (with commercials.) Seriously, who gave sporting events the permission to be the medium for all of my favorite things!?

These taquitos are a grand slam? Touchdown? Goal? Pick your favorite and they are THAT!

These BBQ jackfruit taquitos are the perfect meatless snack to bring to your next game day. Jackfruit is a pretty common meat substitute for good reason: it is versatile, can easily be pulled into a shredded texture and, like tofu, takes on any flavor you give it. The chipotle peppers and BBQ sauce help the jackfruit take on that classic spicy and sweet combination. Paired with melty Chihuahua cheese and a creamy, avocado-based dip, these handheld snacks are sure to be a new favorite. Go team!

BBQ Jackfruit Taquitos with Avocado Lime Dip

Makes: 16-20 taquitos
Prep time: ~30 min
Cook time: ~45 min
Total time: 1 hour and 15 min

Ingredients

Taquitos

32 oz of canned jackfruit (plain or in brine, not in syrup)
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 tsp of smoked paprika
3 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups of BBQ sauce
1/2 cup of vegetable broth or beer
16-20 corn torillas, warmed
1 cup of shredded Chihuahua cheese, or your favorite Mexican melting cheese
Olive oil for rubbing

Avocado Lime Dip

1 avocado
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of greek yogurt
1 lime, juiced
Half of 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced
2 tbsp of olive oil

Instructions

Rinse and drain the jackfruit in cold water and shred into pieces using your hands. Wrap in a paper towel and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently until translucent.
Add the jackfruit, chipotle peppers, paprika, salt and pepper and stir to combine for about 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and add BBQ sauce and broth/beer. Cover and simmer the mixture for about 30 minutes. If it begins to look too dry, add in more liquid (broth/beer) to thin it out.

5. While that is cooking on the stove, make your dip. Simply combine all of the dip ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until combined. Set aside for later.

6. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Corn tortillas are hard to work with when cold, so warm them up by wrapping them in a damp paper towel and microwaving for about 1 1/2 minutes until steamed.

7. On a baking sheet, rub the tortillas with olive oil. Spoon about 2 tbsp of the BBQ jackfruit near the edge of the tortilla (if we are thinking in thirds, spoon onto 1/3 of the tortilla) and sprinkle with cheese. Roll it up and place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Continue this process with the rest of the tortillas.

8. Bake for about 7 minutes in the oven, then flip and cook for another 7 minutes until the cheese has melted and the tortillas have crisped up.

9. Serve with the dip and enjoy!