Jackfruit Tinga Tostadas

4.75 from 4 votes

Tender jackfruit is simmered with tomatoes and Mexican spices, then served over refried bean slathered tortillas to make these spicy jackfruit tinga tostadas.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Main

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 391kcal

Author: Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

For the Refried Beans

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (14 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

For the Jackfruit Tinga

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (20 ounce) cans young green jackfruit in brine, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (use less for a milder version)
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Pinch ground cinnamon
1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Tostada Shells

8 corn tortillas
Oil or cooking spray

For Serving

Shredded lettuce
Avocado slices or guacamole
Fresh cilantro

Instructions

To Make the Refried Beans

Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with olive oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cumin, and continue to sauté for about 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
Stir in the beans and about ½ cup of water. Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow to cook, uncovered for about an hour, until the beans fall apart completely, adding more water to the skillet as it dries up during cooking. You can shorten the cook time and mash the beans with a fork if you prefer, but I find the texture is much nicer if you just let them simmer. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Make the Jackfruit Tinga

While the beans cook, coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jackfruit and continue cooking until the jackfruit softens up a bit, about 5 minutes more.
Stir in the cumin, oregano, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, and cinnamon, then stir in the tomatoes, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, liquid smoke, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow to cook for about 20 minutes, until the jackfruit is tender, adding a splash or two of water to the pot whenever it becomes too dry. As the jackfruit cooks, begin pulling the pieces apart with a fork. Remove the skillet from the heat. Remove the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Finish and Serve

When the beans and jackfruit are almost finished cooking, preheat the oven to 400°. Lightly oil or spray the tortillas with cooking spray, then arrange them directly on the rack of the preheated oven. Bake until crispy and lightly browned around the edges, about 8 minutes.
Slather each tortilla with a thin layer of refried beans, then top with jackfruit tinga and toppings of choice. Serve.

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