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These Mexican Potato Tacos (tacos de papas), are crispy on the outside, creamy and cheesy on the inside! Corn tortillas are filled with an easy, cheesy mashed potato making these a perfectly indulgent meat free and budget friendly, family taco dinner.
Why we love these potato tacos…
- Cheesy Mashed Potatoes: this recipe uses a quick and easy mashed potato with cheese added. Frying the tacos gives us a bit of crispy fried potato and cheese, pure comfort food!
- Quick and Easy: this recipe comes together in around 30 minutes. It can be even quicker if you have leftover Mashed Potatoes. Either way this recipe is a great, easy weeknight meal idea.
- Budget Friendly: simple ingredients, mostly pantry items, means this is one inexpensive family meal that will fit within most budgets!
Ingredients You Need
Notes on Some Ingredients
- Corn Tortillas: use store bought or make your own homemade corn tortillas. White or yellow corn will work, just use what you prefer.
- Potatoes: russet potatoes work great for this recipe. If you would prefer to use a gold or yellow potato, or that’s what you have on hand those will work also. This is a great, forgiving recipe.
- Cheese: I love using a combination of cheddar and Monterey Jack. You could spice it up and use a pepper jack if you would prefer.
- Oil: Avocado oil is a great high smoke point oil to use for this recipe.
- Butter: this is used to smooth out the potatoes and add a little extra creaminess. If you don’t have butter on hand you could add a little bit of milk or cream, or use sour cream to help get that spreadable texture to the potatoes.
How To Make
- Boil potatoes: scrub your potatoes clean and give them a rough chop, cutting into 1 inch chunks. This makes the cooking process much quicker. Cover the potatoes with water and boil until fork tender.
- Season the potatoes: add in the spices, salt, cheese and butter.
- Mash the potatoes to desired consistency. Add butter as needed to get a nice spreadable texture to the potatoes.
- Fry Tacos: heat the tortillas in a small amount of oil in a skillet or comal over medium heat. Spread potatoes on one side of the tortilla and top with cheese. Once the tortilla is warmed and pliable, fold the other side over to create the taco shape. Continue frying each side until crispy and golden.
Tips
- Potato Skins: the skins of the potatoes contain great nutritional benefits, leave them on to take full advantage of them.
- Frying: fry the tortilla to get it nice and warmed up, this makes it easy to fold over into a taco without causing the tortillas to rip or split.
- Overstuff: let’s be honest, the best part of this recipe is that bit of crunchy, golden fried mashed potato and cheese that escapes the taco. So just add a little extra filling causing the potato to spill out over the top to achieve those parts!
Toppings and Variations
- Vegan: these tacos are naturally vegetarian, but can easily be made vegan with a swap of vegan butter and cheese substitutes.
- Meat: want to add meat to these potato tacos? That’s an easy add, simply add some chorizo, ground beef, shredded chicken, shredded beef or pork carnitas to these tacos before frying.
- Toppings:These tacos are perfect for adding your favorite toppings. Ideas include: salsa, guacamole, sour cream, pico de Gallo, shredded lettuce, cream, queso fresco, sliced radishes, diced tomatoes, green onion, and fresh diced cilantro.
Commonly Asked Questions
Where did potato tacos originate?
These fried potato tacos, or tacos de papas, are originate from Mexico. They are traditionally made from boiled and mashed potato seasoned with onion, garlic and salt and fried until golden in corn tortillas.
What are tacos dorados?
Tacos dorados are tacos made in corn tortillas that have been pan fried until “golden”. They can be rolled, like a taquito, or simply folded like a taco. Traditionally they will be topped with a tomato salsa or consommé, shredded lettuce and cotija or queso fresco.
More Taco Recipes
Crispy Mexican Potato Tacos (Tacos de papa)
Easy and crispy, these Mexican Potato Tacos are pan fried corn tortillas stuffed with cheesy mashed potatoes. The ultimate in comfort food, this budget friendly meal is sure to please the entire family!
Ingredients
- 1 pound potatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- 12 corn tortillas
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
Toppings
- guacamole
- salsa
- sour cream
- cilantro
Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes clean then chop into 1 inch chunks.
- Add potatoes to a small dutch oven or pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Cook potatoes until they are fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes using a large strainer. Pour the potatoes back into the pot.
- Add the seasonings to the potatoes and mash to desired consistency.
- Stir in the cheese and butter. Add butter as needed to get a smooth, spreadable consistency.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle oil over a large skillet or comal. Place corn tortillas in the oil on the skillet, swirling the tortillas around to coat the entire bottom side in oil. Add only as many tortillas as comfortably fit on the skillet.
- Spread 2-3 tablespoons of potatoes on one side of the tortilla and top it with shredded cheese.
- Let the tortilla heat and start lightly crisping, then carefully using a spatula fold the tortillas over creating a taco shape and pressing down to help them keep their shape.
- Continue frying the tacos until golden and crispy, then flip to continue frying the other side until crisp and golden.
- Remove tacos to a plate or baking sheet and continue frying in batches, replacing the oil as needed, until all tacos are fried.
- Serve warm with desired toppings.
Equipment
Notes
- Corn Tortillas: use store bought or make your own homemade corn tortillas. White or yellow corn will work.
- Potatoes: russet potatoes work great for this recipe. Gold or yellow potatoes can be used also.
- Cheese: Cheddar and Monterey Jack are used in the photos. Spice it up and use a pepper jack if you would prefer.
- Oil: Avocado oil or other high smoke point oil.
- Butter: this is used to smooth out the potatoes and add a little extra creaminess. If you don’t have butter on hand you could add a little bit of milk or cream, or use sour cream to help get that spreadable texture to the potatoes.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, heat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through and taco shell is crisped back up.
- Potatoes can be mashed and stored in a sealed container for up to 3 days before frying the tacos.
Nutrition
Serving: 1taco | Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 333mg | Potassium: 225mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 189IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
These are surprisingly tasty! The potatoes taste a little overly seasoned on their own but the recipe needs it so the taco is not bland. Served mine with a pineapple corn salsa.