You all loved my BBQ pulled sweet potato sandwiches so I thought I’d create a similar recipe using carrots! Carrots are shredded and then braised in barbecue sauce, then piled with tasty toppings to make these BBQ pulled carrot tacos.
I’ve added lots of fresh jalapenos, avocado, and crunchy purple cabbage to my BBQ pulled carrot tacos and… I hate to admit it, but the sauce on top in the pictures is my secret fave ranch dressing. In all seriousness, 75% of the reason I used it is to help make the colors pop in the pictures. (Food blogger hacks!) These tacos are actually perfectly great without any sauce added at all. Or, you can use my recipe for homemade avocado ranch dressing, cashew cream, or even just extra avocado. The BBQ pulled carrots are already saucy and juicy, so there’s no need to worry about the tacos being dry.
I’m so happy that it’s finally spring! I’ve got spring veggies on the brain, which is part of why I’ve shared these pulled carrot tacos today. Some other recipes I’m working on include a fantabulous carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, my first-ever asparagus recipe on this website (what the what?!), and a fresh and bright pesto to rival my spinach pesto pasta, if I may say so myself. Also, I was on the west coast last week and I discovered a new-to-me brand of vegan pudding using a super weird ingredient that totally worked, so I’m now feverishly trying to recreate it. If I succeed, you’ll be the first to know. Happy spring, and I hope you enjoy these barbecue pulled carrot tacos!
BBQ Pulled Carrot Tacos
Ingredients
For the BBQ pulled carrot:
- 2 cups shredded carrot (3 to 5 carrots)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce scant
For the quick re-fried black beans:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 white or yellow onion diced
- 1 and 1/2 cups cooked black beans with liquid (see notes)
- salt and pepper to taste
For the BBQ pulled carrot tacos:
- 6 corn tortillas
- BBQ pulled carrots (above)
- quick re-fried black beans (above)
- 2 avocados cubed
- 1/4 head of purple cabbage shredded
- (optional) dressing or sauce of choice (I used ranch)
- other toppings as desired
Instructions
For the BBQ pulled carrots:
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep skillet. When hot, add the shredded carrot and quickly stir to distribute the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring and flipping the carrot occasionally.
- Once the carrot is starting to dry out and lightly brown, add the BBQ sauce and stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the carrot is cooked to your preference. I like mine to still have a little bit of bite to them. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, hot sauce, etc.
For the quick re-fried black beans:
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is starting to brown.
- Add the black beans with liquid and stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally (taking care to scrape around the bottom of the pan) and mashing the beans as you stir, until the mixture has thickened to your liking.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
For the BBQ pulled carrot tacos:
- (optional, but recommended) Warm the tortillas in a skillet for 30-40 seconds per side to make them more pliable for filling.
- Spread a dollop of re-fried black beans onto a tortilla, then top it with a handful of the BBQ pulled carrots, and the other toppings to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
More taco recipes!
Nimisha Abraham says
amazing recipe ! Thanks a lot!
Evan says
We make these all the time now, they’re great. I use a homemade cashew ranch and a homemade BBQ sauce but other than that, I follow the recipe.
Bahiyyah says
What ranch dressing did you use? I am looking for vegan ranch dressings. Any options?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Yes! I love Just Ranch. Any creamy sauce will also taste great on these tacos, even if it’s not exactly ranch.
Karen says
We had this for dinner yesterday. I ended up just making your carrots method and switched up all of the rest of the toppings. I used some salsa verde that I had in the fridge, some crispy roasted chickpeas, and sprinkled some hemp seeds for more protein. I really liked this way of making the carrots, super tasty.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Karen, wow, the roasted chickpeas with this sounds delish! Thank you for sharing and I’m glad you enjoyed!
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says
These look fantastic 🙂
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thank you Kari!