These vegan nachos with jackfruit and vegan queso knock my socks off every time! Crunchy tortilla chips, savory jackfruit, black beans, tomatoes, guacamole, jalapeños, cilantro, and creamy queso... Are you drooling yet?!
Vegan Nachos with Jackfruit and Vegan Queso
As somebody whose body doesn't love cheese, nachos and I don't get along. I love all the flavors of nachos, but it's definitely unrequited love. Enter my recipe for vegan nachos with jackfruit and vegan queso! All the familiar flavors without feeling heavy or bloated!
Are traditional nachos vegan?
No. Traditional nachos are full of cheese, and often have shredded or ground meat in it, making them non-vegan.
How to make vegan nachos
Nachos have many components to them, but once you cook the jackfruit and make the queso, the rest is just assembly! I promise it looks more complicated than it actually is!
How to make vegan shredded meat
The meat substitute in my take on vegan nachos comes from Nature's Charm jackfruit confit! Cook it in a pan in its marinating oil for about 5 minutes, discard the oil, and flavor it with cumin, oregano, chili powder, and salt.
Can I use regular young green jackfruit instead of jackfruit confit?
Absolutely! I would use 1 and a half cans of young green jackfruit in water or brine. When you're cooking the jackfruit, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil, and add some dried rosemary, thyme, and garlic powder along with the other seasonings.
How to make vegan queso
In a high powered blender (I use this one), add cashews, water, lemon juice, salt, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, miso, Chef’s Choice coconut milk (the creamiest!!), a pickled jalapeño, the juice from the jar of jalapeños, and tapioca starch.
Once the mixture is smooth, pour it into a small saucepan or pot and heat on medium while stirring until it thickens to your preferred consistency!
How to assemble vegan nachos
On the platter you're serving the nachos on (either a big plate or baking sheet), put down a layer of tortilla chips. Add a layer of jackfruit and a layer of beans. Add another layer of tortilla chips, jackfruit, and beans.
Stick the platter in a preheated oven for about 5 minutes, just to warm everything up. Although we're not trying to melt cheese like you would when making traditional nachos, we still want everything to be nice and warm, right?
Top with dollops of queso, guacamole, diced tomatoes, jalapeños, and cilantro! I also like to have some lime wedges on the side for anyone who likes an extra kick!
Want more vegan dishes?
Try my creamy grits with jackfruit, or red curry mac and cheese! Make sure to follow up with some matcha tiramisu or chocolate haupia pie for dessert!
Vegan Nachos with Jackfruit and Queso
Ingredients
Queso
- ⅔ cup / 100g raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
- ¾ cup / 180ml water
- 1 tablespoon / 15g lemon juice (about half a lemon)
- ¼ cup / 60ml nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons miso
- 1 can / 400g Chef's Choice coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 pickled jalapeño
- 2 tablespoons pickling juice from the jalapeños
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon tapioca starch
Jackfruit
- 4 cans / 800g Nature's Charm jackfruit confit (See Notes for instructions on using regular young green jackfruit)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Assembly (as much as you like)
- tortilla chips
- black beans
- tomatoes, diced
- guacamole, storebought or homemade
- jalapeños, fresh or pickled
- cilantro
- lime wedges
Instructions
Queso
- Add all the ingredients into a high powered blender and purée until smooth.
- Pour it into a small saucepan or pot and heat on medium while stirring until it thickens to your preferred consistency.
Jackfruit
- Heat a pan on medium heat. Add the jackfruit and the oil from one of the cans. Cook it for about 5 minutes while breaking the chunks into smaller pieces to resemble shredded meat. Discard the oil if you like, and add the ground cumin, oregano, chili powder, and salt. Stir and take it off the heat.
Assembly
- On a platter, put down a layer of tortilla chips. Add half the jackfruit and some black beans. Layer on more tortilla chips, the rest of the jackfruit, and more beans.
- Stick the platter in a preheated oven for about 5 minutes, just until warm. Top with dollops of queso, guacamole, diced tomatoes, jalapeños, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Notes
SAVE TO PINTEREST FOR LATER
Disclosure – Thank you to Chef’s Choice Foods and Nature's Charm for sponsoring this post! I love both their products and brand values, and I’m so excited to be working with them!
Links included in this post might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product using these links I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you 🙂
Barb says
Hands down, the best queso I've ever made. The coconut milk is a game changer, as is the pickled jalapeno juice. In place of water, I used broth from the beans I cooked. Amazing. Thank you!
Ai says
Hi Barb! Thank you so much for your comment and rating! I'm so happy you enjoyed the queso!!