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Vegan Jerk Nachos

Name: Vegan Jerk Nachos
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Jamaican
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp garlic powder; 2 tsp cayenne pepper; 2 tsp onion powder; 2 tsp dried thyme; 2 tsp dried parsley; 2 tsp sugar; 2 tsp salt; 1 tsp paprika; 1 tsp ground allspice; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper; 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg; 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 can (20 oz) green jackfruit in brine; 1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base; 2 tsp jerk paste (from above); 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight; 1 cup plant-based milk; 1/4 cup nutritional yeast; 1 red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1/2 tsp sea salt; 5 pickled jalapeños; 1 tsp tapioca starch; 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight; 2 tsp nutritional yeast; 1/4 cup lemon juice; 1/2 tsp sea salt; 1/4 cup water

September 29, 2026Sides & SnacksBy Carlos + Dominique

Serves 8Prep 30 minCook 15 minTotal 45 min

Prep and cook times are estimates — every kitchen moves at its own pace. Plus overnight cashew soak.

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Forget everything you think you know about vegan nachos. We're talking smoky jerk-spiced jackfruit piled over crispy tortilla chips, drenched in a velvety cashew nacho cheese, then loaded with fresh salsa, guacamole, and cool vegan sour cream. Every component is made from scratch, and every bite hits sweet heat, creamy, tangy, and crunchy all at once. This is the platter that disappears before the game even starts.

Watch it made

Ingredients

Jerk Paste

1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Jerk Jackfruit

1 can (20 oz) green jackfruit in brine
1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base
2 tsp jerk paste (from above)

Nacho Cheese Sauce

1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
1 cup plant-based milk
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
5 pickled jalapeños
1 tsp tapioca starch

Sour Cream

1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
2 tsp nutritional yeast
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup water

Salsa

2 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of black pepper

Guacamole

1 ripe avocado
1/2 lime, juiced
Pinch of sea salt

Assembly

1 large bag tortilla chips

Directions

Make the jerk paste: stir all the jerk paste spices together in a small bowl until evenly combined. Set aside.
Make the sour cream: add the soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, sea salt, and water to a blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until serving. Note: soak the cashews overnight in water. Optional: for a store-bought shortcut, Kite Hill or Follow Your Heart sour cream are good options.
Make the cheese sauce: add the soaked cashews, plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, red bell pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, pickled jalapeños, and tapioca starch to a blender and blend until silky smooth. Pour into a saucepan and warm over medium heat, stirring, until thickened and glossy.
Make the salsa: combine the diced tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and garlic in a bowl. Squeeze over the lime juice, season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, and toss.
Make the guacamole: mash the avocado in a bowl with the lime juice and a pinch of sea salt until creamy with a little texture.
Cook the jerk jackfruit: drain and rinse the jackfruit, remove the seeds and tough cores, and shred it with your hands or two forks. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the jackfruit with the bouillon base and 2 tsp of the jerk paste, and cook, stirring, until heated through and lightly crisped at the edges.
Assemble: spread the tortilla chips over a large platter or baking sheet. Pile on the jerk jackfruit, then drizzle generously with the warm nacho cheese sauce. Spoon over the salsa and guacamole, finish with dollops of sour cream, and serve immediately. Optional: warm the chips in the oven before assembling — cold chips shock the warm cheese sauce and it seizes instead of flowing. Optional: build in two thin layers, not one piled mountain — every chip gets toppings, no sad bare chips at the bottom. Optional: serve extra cheese sauce warm on the side — it keeps the chips crisp for scooping instead of going soggy under a flood of sauce.