Spicy mashed potatoes make the perfect filling for crispy tacos. Top them off with Mexican style coleslaw for an amazing crunch and huge flavor.
Crispy Fried Potato Tacos are one of my favorite Mexican dishes. In Spanish these are called “Tacos de Papa” or “Tacos Dorados de Papa”. Dorados means crunchy, and that is just what these are.
Lightly fried and filled with creamy smashed potatoes, they are the perfect combination of textures.
Make this Recipe
These Crispy Fried Potato Tacos are an ideal meal for a family on a budget. They are made from the most humble ingredients, but all together they are so rich and decadent.
They are a hearty, vegetarian option for non-meat eaters.
Mexican coleslaw is a perfect garnish for crispy potato tacos. The crunchy slaw makes every bite cool and crisp.
Ingredients
Potato Taco Filling
Russet Potatoes- Starchy potatoes like russet make the best mashed potatoes for potato tacos.
Mayonnaise- Mayo is used in both the potatoes and coleslaw which makes everything creamy and adds a great tangy flavor.
Mexican Hot Sauce- Choose your favorite hot sauce to spice up the potatoes. Use as much or as little as you like.
Corn Tortillas- Use either yellow or white corn tortillas for crispy tacos. Shoot for the 6 inch taco size so they will be easy to handle in the frying oil
Mexican Coleslaw Ingredients
Coleslaw mix- I recommend a bag of plain mix over chopping your own cabbage. I like that it has green cabbage, red cabbage, and shredded carrots already mixed together. It saves a lot of time.
How to Make It
Step 1: Make Mashed Potatoes
- Place peeled, cubed potatoes in a pot and cover with cool water.
- Bring to a low boil and let cook for approximately 20 minutes until they are fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes well.
- Then add mayonnaise, butter, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Mash until all of the large chunks are gone. (The consistency is thicker than regular mashed potatoes and doesn't need to be perfectly smooth.)
- Set these aside to cool.
Step 2: Make the Mexican Coleslaw
- Place the undressed coleslaw mix into a bowl and add diced green onions and chopped cilantro.
- Dress this with mayonnaise and apple cider vinegar.
- Toss the coleslaw until it is well combined and place in the fridge until it is time to serve.
Step 3: Assemble Tacos
- Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and place them in the microwave for 30 seconds. Warming the tortillas makes them easier to fill. They will be more flexible and break less.
- Fill each with about two tablespoons of potato filling. Fold them in half and set them aside for frying.
Step 4: Fry the Potato Tacos
- In a large frying pan, heat approximately one cup of canola oil on medium-high heat. (The oil should cover the bottom of the pan completely).
- Once the oil is hot, place your first round of tacos down in the pan. Let cook on the first side for 2-3 minutes. The tortilla should puff and become a light brown color.
- Turn the potato tacos over and cook the other side for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Once the tacos are fried and crispy, remove them from the oil and place a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil.
- Repeat this step until you have fried all of the tacos. Add oil as necessary.
Step 5
- Top with chilled coleslaw and serve with your favorite Mexican side dishes.
FAQs
Cold tortillas are not very flexible and tend to split or crack when they are folded and rolled.
To quickly soften tortillas to make tacos, simply wrap the stack in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. Warm tortillas will be supple and easy to fill and fry.
Diana’s Tips for Success
The consistency of the mashed potato filling should be much thicker than regular mashed potatoes. I usually just smash everything together with a fork and leave a few small chunks.
A smoother mashed potato mixture will leak out of the tacos and not feel as hearty and filling.
Related Recipes
- Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Bowl
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Cheesy Chicken Baked Taquitos
- Tender Pork Chili Verde
- Leftover Steak Quesadillas
- Best Guacamole Recipe
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"📖 Recipe"
Crispy Potato Tacos (Tacos de Papa)
Ingredients
- 10-12 Corn Tortillas 6” white or yellow corn
- 1 Cup Canola Oil
Potato Filling
- 1.5 Pounds Russet Potatoes peeled and cubed 1”
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 3 Tablespoon Mayonnaise
- Hot Sauce to taste
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Mexican Coleslaw
- 3 Cups Coleslaw Mix finely shredded
- ¼ Cup Cilantro chopped
- ¼ Green Onion diced
- 3 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
- Place peeled, cubed potatoes in a pot and cover with cool water.
- Bring to a low boil and let cook for approximately 20 minutes until they are fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes well.
- Then add mayonnaise, butter, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Mash until all of the large chunks are gone. (The consistency is thicker than regular mashed potatoes and doesn't need to be perfectly smooth.)
- Set these aside to cool.
- Place the undressed coleslaw mix into a bowl and add diced green onions and chopped cilantro.
- Dress this with mayonnaise and apple cider vinegar.
- Toss the coleslaw until it is well combined and place in the fridge until it is time to serve.
- Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and place them in the microwave for 30 seconds. Warming the tortillas makes them easier to fill. They will be more flexible and break less.
- Fill each with about two tablespoons of potato filling. Fold them in half and set them aside for frying.
- In a large frying pan, heat approximately one cup of canola oil on medium-high heat. (The oil should cover the bottom of the pan completely).
- Once the oil is hot, place your first round of tacos down in the pan. Let cook on the first side for 2-3 minutes. The tortilla should puff and become a light brown color.
- Turn the potato tacos over and cook the other side for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Once the tacos are fried and crispy, remove them from the oil and place a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil.
- Repeat this step until you have fried all of the tacos. Add oil as necessary.
Notes
Nutrition
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Liza
What a fun new way to enjoy tacos! Love the combination of tasty potatoes and the Mexican coleslaw. Such good flavors!
Gina
Love the potato stuffed tacos. A great swap from the traditional tacos.
Elaine
Now these are the tacos I could eat over and over again and not feel stressed about it. Love how easy it is to make them, too!
Dana
These are DELICIOUS! They're so warming and cozy and perfect for both Meatless Monday and Taco Tuesday. So like, eating them two days in a row is totally okay. Haha.
Tara
Fabulous texture and taste! The potato filling was excellent -loved the hot sauce!
MacKenzie
We made these fried potato tacos last taco night and they were AMAZING. The flavors of the crispy potatoes was perfect.
Shashi
These are my kinda tacos - so comforting with each bite! Definitely making this a again!
veenaazmanov
Creamy rich and delicious Coleslaw. Perfect evening snack or tiffin box option. This is yum.
Ieva
Delicious! We made these with sriracha sauce and it was just perfect! Loved the textures of crispy potatoes and crunchy coleslaw! Great weekend lunch 🙂