Crispy Potato Tacos
Updated Oct. 11, 2023
- Total Time
- 1¼ hours
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Sea salt
- 1½pounds potatoes (any variety), scrubbed and cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 1½cups grated Cheddar
- Handful of cilantro, leaves and stems finely chopped
- 1small garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- 1teaspoon paprika
- 16 to 18corn tortillas
- Neutral oil, as needed
- Any combination of sliced lettuce or cabbage, very finely sliced red onion or sour cream (all optional), for serving
- 3tomatoes (about 1 pound), chopped
- ½red onion, roughly chopped
- Small handful of cilantro, leaves and stems roughly chopped
- 1fresh serrano or Fresno chile (seeded, if you prefer less spice)
- 1garlic clove, chopped
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- 1teaspoon dried oregano
- 1teaspoon granulated sugar
- Sea salt
- ¾cup vegetable stock
For the Tacos
For the Spicy Red Salsa
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
656 calories; 27 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 86 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 22 grams protein; 1202 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. (Check them by inserting a fork or knife into the largest potato piece. If it goes in and out easily, the potato is ready.) Drain and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- Step 2
Make the spicy red salsa: Place tomatoes, onion, cilantro, chile, garlic, cumin, oregano, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt into a blender or food processor and blitz until completely smooth. Pour the purée into a saucepan, add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until darker in color and slightly thickened, while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Step 3
Place the cooled potatoes in a bowl and roughly mash them. (It does not have to be smooth; a chunky texture is great.) Add the Cheddar, cilantro, garlic, cumin, paprika and 1 teaspoon sea salt and mix to combine.
- Step 4
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and, working in batches, add the corn tortillas and heat until soft and pliable. Remove from the pan and cover the tortillas with a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm. Fill each warmed tortilla with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture, then fold in half and press down lightly.
- Step 5
In the same skillet, add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan and warm over medium-high heat. Place three or four tacos in the oil, pressing down lightly with a spatula so that the edges are in the oil, and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden and crispy. Flip them over and repeat on the other side. Repeat with the remaining tacos.
- Step 6
Serve the tacos with the spicy red salsa and any of the optional serving suggestions. (The potatoes can be cooked and mashed 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. The salsa can be made 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge. For freezing info, see Tip.)
- You can freeze these assembled tacos by wrapping them tightly and storing in a freezer bag or airtight container. To cook, there is no need to thaw; you can fry them straight from frozen.
Private Notes
Comments
If you want authentic Mexican tacos de papa: skip the Cheddar, the cumin and the paprika. Makes no sense to mix the cilantro inside the potatoes. You may want to sauté the mash with some onion and garlic instead. Not all Mexican food requires cilantro. You can make flautas by rolling the tortillas with the cooked potato inside, secure them with a wooden toothpick and fry them in neutral oil until golden and crunchy. Top with crema, crumbled Cotija cheese, and the salsa.
I’m confused. The description says “Cooking the potatoes whole, skin intact,” but the recipe itself says, “1½ pounds potatoes (any variety), scrubbed and cut into 1½-inch pieces,” then boiled. Which yields a better result?
I just made these tonight. I am a vegetarian and my husband and eight year old are not. We all devoured them. I wish I had made a double batch so I could freeze them and pull some out on a night we're in a rush. I will definitely do that next time. Comfort food on a Monday night. Fabulous. P.S. the salsa recipe was good but I added a splash of apple cider vinegar just to give it a kick.
This is fun and is tasty but could be more flavorful. Consider using a habanero chile. Get the oil really hot, lard helps and a use a pan that can handle high heat. Use a good quality tortilla. Don’t be afraid to save yourself the time of making salsa and use one of your own favorite salsas or fresh pico de gallo. A mango pico de gallo is a game changer. Finely dice fresh red onion for one of the toppings. And try pickled red onion. I found that I really didn’t need sour cream. Try crema? Cojita? A nice addition would be some homemade guacamole. In fact I think guacamole would hit it out of the park. My family really enjoyed this on Christmas Eve.
I made a huge batch of the filling and then didn’t have the bandwidth to make the tacos with what was leftover. It made an AMAZING SOUP! 10/10 will make the soup again.
These are goooooood. It always takes me longer to make a recipe than the recipe says it will, so booked two hours, which was the right amount of time for me.