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These tacos de papa are the crispy potato tacos I grew up eating at my mom’s house: corn tortillas stuffed with seasoned mashed potatoes, folded, and fried until golden. They’re about as simple as tacos get, and still one of my favorites, especially piled with shredded cabbage, cotija, and hot sauce.
A Note from Isabel
Tacos de papa were on constant rotation at my mom’s house growing up. Potatoes were cheap and everyone loved them, so she made them all the time.
They’re also everywhere in my parents’ hometown in Zacatecas. Even though it’s a very small town, there’s a taquería on just about every street, and every one of them sells these same potato tacos: folded, fried until golden, and served with a pile of thinly shredded cabbage and a few spicy salsas to drizzle on top.
That’s still how I make them at home. If you want something heartier, my tacos dorados use a beef and potato filling. For the salsa, I go back and forth between salsa macha and my chile de árbol salsa, or I just grab the Valentina.
What Are Tacos de Papa?
“Tacos de papa” just means potato tacos in Spanish. They’re corn tortillas filled with seasoned mashed potatoes, folded in half, and fried until crispy, which is why you’ll also see them called tacos dorados de papa. “Dorados” means golden, and it’s the name for tacos that get fried until crisp.
Mashed until smooth, the potatoes act like glue and hold the tortilla shut while it fries, so you usually don’t need toothpicks. Flautas and taquitos are rolled instead of folded, so think of these as their folded cousin.
Potato Taco Recipe Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients for tacos de papa. Full amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Russet potatoes: I use russets because they’re cheap and they’re what we always had growing up, but any potato works here.
- Butter: It gets melted with the garlic and mashed right into the potatoes.
- Seasonings: Fresh garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, and salt. If you like them spicy, check out the chipotle variation below.
- Corn tortillas: Regular store-bought corn tortillas work great, or use homemade corn tortillas if you have them. Warm them up first so they fold without cracking.
- Oil: I use vegetable oil like canola, avocado, and grapeseed. They all work. You only need about ½ cup since these get shallow-fried in a skillet, not deep-fried.
- Toppings: Thinly shredded cabbage, cotija or queso fresco, and your favorite salsa, just like the taquerías in Zacatecas. I add the cheese on top instead of mixing it into the filling, because it melts and oozes out while the tacos fry.
How to Make Potato Tacos
Once the potatoes are boiled, these come together fast.
1. Make the filling. Boil the potatoes until they’re fork tender, then mash them with butter, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Get them nice and smooth, so they hold the tacos shut later.
2. Fill and fold. Spread about ¼ cup of the potatoes over half of a warm tortilla and fold it over. Press down lightly so the potatoes stick to both sides, like glue.
3. Fry. Cook the tacos in hot oil for about 2 minutes per side, until they’re golden and crispy, then drain them on paper towels.
4. Serve. Pile them with shredded cabbage, cotija, and a drizzle of hot sauce or salsa.
Air Fryer Tacos de Papa
When I don’t feel like frying, I use the air fryer. Warm the tortillas in a skillet on both sides until they’re pliable, then fill and fold them like normal. Spray or brush both sides with oil and air fry at 400°F for 7 to 8 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
Recipe Tips
- Season the filling well. These tacos are all about the potato mixture, so taste it before you start filling and keep adding salt until it’s really flavorful on its own.
- Stick to about ¼ cup per taco. That’s about the max a regular corn tortilla can hold.
- Test the oil with a tortilla. Dip the edge in, and if it sizzles right away, the oil is ready.
- Assemble them all first. Fill and fold every taco before you start frying, so you can fry them back to back in batches.
- Make the filling ahead. The mashed potatoes keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the oven or air fryer. Leftovers crisp right back up that way.
Toppings and Salsas
My favorite way to eat these is still how the taco shops in my parents’ hometown serve them: stuffed with thinly shredded cabbage and drizzled with something spicy. Here’s what I reach for:
- Salsa: Salsa macha, chile de árbol salsa, or salsa mexicana
- Hot sauce: Valentina or Cholula when I don’t feel like making salsa
- Cheese: Crumbled cotija or queso fresco
- Something creamy: Mexican crema or sour cream
- Fresh stuff: Chopped cilantro and diced white onion
Variations
Here are a few ways I switch these up:
- Make them spicy. When I’m making these just for me and my husband, I mash 1 or 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce right into the potatoes. It’s too spicy for my kids, but I love the smoky heat.
- Add chorizo. Brown some chorizo and mix it into the mashed potatoes, the same combo as my papas con chorizo.
- Add ground beef. For a heartier filling, mix in cooked ground beef. That’s how I make my tacos dorados.
Tacos de Papa FAQs
Yes. The filling is just potatoes, butter, garlic, and spices, and I fry them in vegetable oil. They’re not vegan as written, because of the butter, but you can use margarine or your favorite plant-based butter to make them vegan.
Yep! You can make the potato filling up to 3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge, then fill, fold, and fry all the tacos.
Mash the potatoes until they’re smooth, and stick to about ¼ cup per taco. The potatoes act like glue and hold the tortilla shut. If one keeps popping open in the oil, thread a toothpick through the edge to hold it closed while it fries, then pull it out before serving.
Crispy Potato Tacos (Tacos de Papa)
Ingredients
For the tacos
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- ½ cup vegetable oil (canola, avocado, or grapeseed all work)
- 16 corn tortillas
For serving
- shredded lettuce or thinly shredded cabbage
- cotija cheese or queso fresco
- sour cream or Mexican crema
- chopped cilantro
- your favorite salsa or hot sauce
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and boil for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they’re fork tender. Drain well.
- Melt the butter in the same pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the potatoes back to the pot with the cumin, chili powder, and salt. Mash until smooth and creamy, then taste and add more salt if needed.
- Warm the tortillas in a skillet or on a comal for a few seconds per side, until they’re soft and pliable.
- Spread about ¼ cup of the potato filling over half of each tortilla. Fold it over and press down gently so it sticks closed.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. It’s ready when the edge of a tortilla sizzles right away. Fry the tacos in batches for about 2 minutes per side, until golden and crispy, flipping them carefully with a spatula.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Keep the finished tacos warm on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven while you fry the rest.
- Stuff with shredded cabbage, cotija or queso fresco, crema, and your favorite salsa or hot sauce.
Video
Notes
- Storage: Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat them in the oven or air fryer to get them crispy again.
- Make ahead: The potato filling keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Air fryer method: Spray or brush the filled tacos with oil on both sides and air fry at 400°F for 7 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Cheese: Add cheese on top when serving, not in the filling. It melts out while the tacos fry.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Taco Recipes
- Cauliflower Tacos
- Black Bean Tacos
- Tilapia Fish Tacos
- Ground Beef Tacos
- Easy Chicken Tacos
- Baja Fish Tacos
- Tacos Al Pastor
This post was originally published in September 2019 and has been updated with new photos and more helpful tips.
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
Delicious! This was just what I was looking for, wanted to recreate some delicious potato tacos I had at a restaurant.
Tara, love that! So much better when you can make them at home whenever you want. Thanks so much!
I made the potatoes tacos, they are so good, every body like them at my home. Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes.
Silvia, that makes me so happy! Thank you for making them for your family.
I loved them! they’re very similar to my mom’s 🙂 I’ll probably up the salt just a little next time. thanks for the recipe 😊
Veronica, so happy they reminded you of your mom’s! And yes, definitely salt to taste. Potatoes can take quite a bit, so give the filling a taste before you fill the tortillas. Thanks so much!
Good. Thx for sharing
Thanks for making them, Jesus!
great recipe
Thank you so much, Rosa!
Isabel, I just discovered you and can’t wait to try some of your recipes! Having grown up in an Arizona border town, potato tacos and burritos were a staple, almost as essential to the table as bean burritos and rolled tacos. Your potato taco recipe is very similar to mine so I know it’s going to be delicious! I look forward to my journey through your recipes. I think I’ll start with the street corn tostada!
Nancy, I love hearing that these are close to the ones you grew up with! That means a lot. I hope you love the street corn tostadas too. Thanks for being here!
We had these for dinner tonight and I loved them! The potato filling is so good. We do a meatless meal once a week and these were just perfect!
Coby, I love that these made it into your meatless night! That filling is my favorite part too. Thanks so much!
Just made these tonight and they are SO good.
Many thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much, Brieanna! So glad you loved them.
How much chili powder? It’s not listed on the ingredients. Thank you!!
Ooh, sorry about that! I just updated the recipe to include the amount. Thanks for catching that! 🙂
Under the nutrition info, it says 1 serving is 322 calories, but whats 1 serving? 1 taco? 2?
Hi Janis! One serving is 2 tacos.