Potato Tacos are Tacos de Papa, and they are a star vegetarian dish any day or party. Douse a couple papa tacos (rolled or folded) with all your favorite toppings like fresh shaved lettuce, pickled veggies, sprinkles of cotija cheese, and crema drizzle *chefs kiss happy*.
You’ll love them, I know it! Don’t forget about the salsa ranchera and guacamole to go with your crispy taco spread.
Why you Should make this Recipe
Cause it’s delish and has mad nutritional value! Tacos de Papa is on the list of authentic foods that represent Mexican flavor + culture. I mean, obviously don’t play it out.
It’s a simple antojito or meal you’ll recognize. You’ll love them once you try. Around here we often eat them accompanied with arroz blanco, fresh greens, and a molcajete (traditional mortar and pestle) salsa on the side.
Specific foods like this one, send me into thought of the generations before me. Eating these amongst an awesome food spread and enjoying a little bit of everything. People just happily eating tacos as a starter, mid day comida, or family dinner.
My dad always said that growing up there was an abundance of potatoes everywhere because so many farmers grew them. Super accessible, to this day!
A Taco de Papa, gives me the same kind of happiness that taking a bite of cake would. It just taste a little better that day.
Ingredients For Crispy Potato Tacos
Grocery Quick List: tortillas, potato of choice, oil, garlic, onion, salt.
- 1 large russet potato (weighing about 1.1 lb)
- 12 white corn tortillas (1 dozen)
- ½ cup oil (or less)
- 1-2 pieces onion, diced small for about ¼ cup
- 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
- Salt ½ teaspoon, (add a pinch of salt at a time if you prefer more to avoid over-salting).
Optional Toppings (recommended)
- Fresh Salsa of choice
- Pico de Gallo
- Shredded cabbage, romaine or iceberg lettuce
- Crema and grated Cotija, queso fresco, or shredded cheese
Ingredient Notes / Variations
- Tortillas – White corn tortillas are my traditional recommendation in making this taco de papa recipe. Yellow corn or white corn are authentic tasting no matter what tortilla type you use. Our first pick is freshly made known as Recien Hechas from a local tortilleria (tortilla factory).
- When picked up fresh, the tortilla is still warm and pliable, so they don’t require preheating before filling with papa.
- Packaged tortillas will also work but must be warmed to be pliable for filling, followed by frying. Photo below will show you this step.
- Potato for filling – Russet, gold, or red potato can be used in making tacos de papa. Russet is the most frequented potato for making this recipe. It’s high-starch so comes out the fluffiest in texture. Regardless, feel free to use any gold or red available.
- If adding any sour cream or crema, russet potato is my preferred.
- You will have extra filling leftover because you’ll likely make more than a dozen.
- Optional: Add yogurt, sour cream, or crumbled cheese for cheesy potato filling.
- My measurement ratio for potato to sour cream is 1:1; large potato: 1 tablespoon sour cream.
- Made-ahead filling: simple potato filling to make tacos de papa and enchiladas is normally the same and can be made ahead.
- Oil can be vegetable, canola, olive, avocado, corn. The oil needs to get hot to fry the crispy taco correctly. Any of these oil types will work.
- My preference is in order of indulgence. I almost always use EVOO if making this recipe bi-monthly.
- I focus on improving the nutritional aspect with choice of oil in my traditional and authentic tasting recipes.
- Use oil spray to lightly spray the tacos if you prefer to air-fry [or oven bake].
Equipment Tip: An instant pot is a time saver for boiling/steaming potatoes whole but not required. I like this option because it doesn’t warm up the whole house.
Best Salsas For Tacos de Papa
Choose any of our salsas to complement your tasty potato tacos. A red salsa that is not spicy is our traditional favorite, I refer to it as a “Salsa Floja”.
- Salsa Guacamole
- Salsa Floja
- Creamy Jalapeno Salsa
- Warm Tomatillo Sauce
The salsas of your choice can be made during your papa taco process or made ahead.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Lots of info but you’ll find that my recipe includes all my tips, tricks + detail. Once you have it down, it’s easy and for life!
For the potato filling
- Cook potato until tender; confirm cooked potato by piercing potato through with a fork easily. If not sliding though, cook 5 extra minutes.
- Meanwhile, dice onion and garlic clove (optional).
- Once cooked, remove the potato from the water and let cool. Once cooled, peel and place the potato in a large bowl, then sprinkle with salt.
- Use the backside of a large fork to break up the cooked potato. Do not over mix, just about 1 minute max.
- Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Heat 2 tortillas stacked at a time until heated on both sides and can easily fold, use tongs for assistance if you need them.
- Once all heated, set tortillas to the side inside a towel or a tortilla basket to keep warm until ready to fill.
- If using a microwave, wrap cold tortillas in a kitchen towel and heat for 60-90 seconds.
[Skip This Step if not adding onion/garlic to potato.]
- Using the same fry pan, add 2 teaspoons of oil, let heat on medium-low, and add onions/garlic until sauteed.
- Once completely softened, add onions to the bowl of potatoes and fold into the potato a few times.
- If not using onion/garlic in the mixture, your filling is ready.
- Cool time: about 15 minutes, if you’re going right into it, watch those fingertips on a hot potato. Be careful!
- Over mixing will result in gummy potato, please be gentle.
A printer-friendly recipe card with instructions is available at the bottom of this post.
To fry crispy potato tacos
- Add 1/4 cup oil to the frying pan and heat on low.
- Meanwhile, fill the warmed tortillas with 1-2 teaspoons of potato filling and fold. Gently press to spread from side to side.
- Rolled papa flautas will require a toothpick to keep closed while frying. This is your heads up!
Recipe Note from Erika: I use 1-1/2 teaspoon of potato filling in each taco. This is how I traditionally know my tacos dorados, so this is how I share the recipe. This makes them turn out super crunchy, even with all the salsa and fixings on top. Overfilling with potatoes won’t result in the same crunchy-crispy taco. If you prefer more potato and like them a little softer, go ahead and do your thing. 🙂
- Turn up stove to medium heat. Carefully place filled and folded tortillas into a frying pan laid flat. You’ll fry 3 / 5 / or 7 tacos at a time, depending on the size of your pan.
- Cook in oil for 3-4 minutes on each side 2x’s for delicious crispy tacos.
Repeat the previous step of adding ¼ cup of oil once the oil has been used up for the batches.
- Once fried, remove with tongs and let any excess oil back into the pan.
- Set crispy tacos on a cooling rack or a dish layered with a paper towel to cool and release any excess oil.
- After about 2-3 minutes of cooling, plate your tacos and top with lettuce, fresh shaved onions, salsa, grated cotija cheese, and a drizzle of crema natural or avocado crema.
Additional Cooking Tips
- A cooling rack maximizes their crispiness! Do not cover the tacos; this will soften them.
- Sprinkle them with cotija cheese or a drizzle of natural crema; so satisfying when craving these tacos.
Foods To Eat With Tacos de Papa
Wondering what to serve with your tacos? Here’s a few of our favorite traditional sides:
Ways To Flip Leftover [Potato filling]
We love repurposing to maximize ingredients and avoid food waste. Stay inspired with the following meal favorites.
- Veggie sopes – add veggies to the filling and have sopes with all the same ingredients and salsa fixings.
- Chile Relleno filling for poblano and anaheim peppers.
- Red enchiladas de papa. So good when crispy and spicy from salsita guajillo.
- Potato fritters or croquettes with addition of queso fresco.
Reheating Tacos de Papa Dorados
To reheat your taco dorado:
Pre heat toaster oven to 350, then let warm for 5 minutes.
Comal – warm pan on low heat, once warmed for 3 minutes, place taco on it and heat for 3 minutes on each side. There is no need to re-fry or add any oil.
Re-heating note – If tacos are filled with more potato filling then the recipe suggest you’ll need to increase reheat time. This is to ensure internal temp of taco is warm enough to enjoy.
Pro Tips / Receta Notes
Recipe yield: 12 potato tacos.
Storage: Once cool, place tacos in food storage with airtight lid for best taste.
Reheat any remaining tacos in toaster oven at 350 or on low heat for stovetop on comal / pan, or in air fryer.
Enjoy your tasty Tacos De Papa with all your freshest greens!
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Crispy Potato Tacos
DESCRIPTION
Equipment
- Small pot to cook potato
- Large frying pan or skillet
- Fork
- Tongs
- Knife
- Cooling rack (strainer basket works too)
Ingredients
- 1 large russet potato weighing about 1 lb
- 12 white corn tortillas 1 dozen
- ½ cup oil or less
- 1-2 pieces onion (optional, I used red, diced small for about ¼ cup)
- 1 whole garlic clove optional and minced
- ½ tsp Sea Salt to taste (add a pinch of salt at a time if you prefer more to avoid over-salting).
Optional Toppings
- Fresh Salsa of your choice
- Pico de Gallo
- Shredded romaine/lettuce
- Crema and grated Cotija queso fresco, or shredded cheese
Instructions
For the filling and tacos
- Cook potato until tender; confirm this by easily piercing potato through with a fork. Meanwhile, dice onion and garlic clove (optional).
- Once cooked, remove the potato from the water and let cool. Once cooled, peel and place the potato in a large bowl, then sprinkle with salt. Use the backside of a large fork to break up the cooked potato. Do not over mix, just about 1 minute. If not using onion/garlic in the mixture, your filling is ready.
- Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Heat 2 tortillas stacked at a time until heated on both sides and can easily fold, [use tongs for assistance if you need to].
- [Skip This Step if not adding onion/garlic to potato.] Using the same fry pan, add 2 teaspoons of oil, let heat on medium-low, and add onions/garlic until sauteed.
- Once completely softened, add onions to the bowl of potatoes and fold into the potato a few times.
- Once all heated, set tortillas to the side inside a towel or a tortilla basket to keep warm until ready to fill.
To Fry The Tacos
- Turn up stove to medium heat. Carefully place filled and folded tortillas into a frying pan laid flat. You’ll fry 3 / 5 / or 7 tacos at a time, depending on the size of your pan.
- Cook in oil for 3-4 minutes on each side 2x’s for delicious crispy tacos.
- Repeat the previous step of adding ¼ cup of oil once the oil has been used up for the batches.
- Once fried, remove with tongs and let any excess oil back into the pan.
- Set crispy tacos on a cooling rack or a dish layered with a paper towel to cool and release any excess oil.
A cooling rack maximizes their crispiness. Do not cover the tacos; this will soften them.
Notes
- Recipe yield: 12 potato tacos
- Storage: Once cool, place tacos in food storage with airtight lid for best taste.
- Potato cool time is about 15 minutes, if you’re going right into it, watch those fingertips on a hot potato. Be careful!
- Over mixing will result in gummy potato 😋
- Microwave tortillas: If using a microwave, wrap cold tortillas in a kitchen towel and heat for 60-90 seconds.
- Reheat any remaining tacos in toaster oven at 350 or on low heat for stovetop on comal / pan, or in air fryer.
- After about 2-3 minutes of cooling fried goodness, plate your tacos and top with lettuce, fresh shaved onions, salsa, grated cotija cheese, and a drizzle of crema natural or avocado crema.
Please see the full Crispy Potato Tacos post at LatinasQueComen website. You will find all the information and tips to help you make the perfect tacos!
Nutrition
Equipment
- Small pot
- Large frying pan or skillet
- Fork
- Tongs
- Knife
- Cooling rack (strainer basket works well too)
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