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Tacos de papa is a simple and vegetarian Mexican dish made with creamy spiced mashed potatoes and cheese.

Those Mexican potato tacos are also budget-friendly and a favorite for any game day, Taco-Tuesday, or casual parties.

Tacos de papa (aka fried potato tacos) garnished with various toppings. this recipe

About Mexican Potato Tacos

Tacos de papa, known in English as fried potato tacos is a Mexican dish you can find anywhere in the country. From humble diners and street-food stalls to the fanciest and most luxurious restaurant.

Potato tacos is one of the most popular Mexican Lent recipes as they don’t contain any meat, but truth is, you can find them also all year round because they’re cheap, delicious and so easy to make!

Tacos de papa garnished with lettuce, red onions, cheese, and tomato sauce.

The traditional recipe calls only for mashed potatoes seasoned with salt and that’s it. But from family to family, some variations included adding spices, cheese, and vegetables.

How To Make Tacos de Papa

Wash potatoes thoroughly and place them into a large pot. Cover with water and boil them until very tender.

Transfer potatoes to a bowl and let them cool enough to handle, peel them and mash them with a potato masher to your desired consistency.

Add to the bowl the crumbled cheese, paprika, cumin, pepper, and garlic powder. Season with salt and mix until combined. Set aside.

A collage with two photos of the potato mixture preparation to make tacos de papa.

NOTE: The mixture should be somehow creamy enough so it can be spread easily onto a tortilla, and not crumbly that will fall apart. So, add a little bit of cooking water in the case is needed.

Next, heat corn tortillas on a hot skillet or griddle until soft and pliable. Wrap them with a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm.

Lay one tortilla flat and fill half with a spoonful of the potatoes mixture. Fold in half and press down lightly so that the tortilla sticks a bit to the potatoes and stay closed.

A collage with two photos of filling and folding potato tacos.

Place tacos in the refrigerator while continuing the recipe, this will make tortillas “stale” a bit and make them easy to fry.

Make the salsa

Place tomatoes on a saucepan and cover with water, boil until you see the skin is falling off. Reserve 2 cups of water and discard the rest.

Peel tomatoes, place them into a blender and add garlic, cumin, and pepper. Pour in one cup of tomatoes cooking water and blend until smooth.

Ingredients for sauce on a blender. Sauce blended.

In the same saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the tomato sauce and let it sizzle for about half a minute.

Add the remaining cooking water and season with salt and pepper. Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, adjust with salt and add oregano. Mix well and set aside.

Sauce cooking process on a pot.

Fry Tacos

Before starting, prepare a large plate or bowl lined with paper towels.

Heat about 1.5 inches (4cm) oil on a frying pan over medium heat.

Carefully place 3 or 4 tacos into the oil, using a spatula firmly press down the edges of tacos while frying, to prevent them from opening.

Fry until both sides are golden and crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the fried potato tacos from the hot oil and place them onto the plate with paper towels.

Frying tacos on a pan. Tacos just fried on a plate with kitchen paper towels.

Repeat the process until all potato mixture is used.

Serve

Place fried potato tacos on plates and add lettuce on top, pour sauce, and finish with onions and crumbled cheese. Serve immediately.

Close up to the filling of fried potato tacos served on a plate.

Super Tips

  • For crispy and evenly fried potato tacos use enough oil.
  • Cooking potatoes with the skin on and without cutting them into chunks prevent them from absorbing too much water and forming bubbles that will splatter when tacos de papa are frying in hot oil.

Other toppings you might like

  • Queso Fresco – Authentic Queso Fresco goes amazing with these tacos de papa. Use store-bought that you can find at Mexican supermarkets or make your own at home.
  • Fake Guacamole Sauce – A Guacamole without avocado? Yes it’s possible and is also delicious drizzled over crispy tacos.
  • Salsa Bandera – Also know as Pico de Gallo this sauce is easy to make and add a fresh kick.
  • Mexican Chili Oil – This is my favorite sauce for Fried Potato Tacos, is very spicy indeed but the flavour is amazing.
A man squeezing a lime over fried tacos.

Make Ahead And Store

Want to serve tacos de papa at a party, bring them to a potluck or just have them ready for when you crave them? Here are some tips to do so:

  • Make the potato mixture up to 4 days ahead and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
  • Assemble your tacos up to 3 days ahead, layer them in a container and store in the fridge. Or arrange them in a single layer and freeze them for up to 3 months! You won’t need to thaw them before frying, just just fry them right away.
  • Make the salsa 3 or 4 days ahead, reheat in a saucepan before drizzling over your tacos de papa. Or freeze it for up to 3 months, thaw and reheat before using it.

More Crispy Tacos To Try

Crispy Potato Tacos

author Maricruz Avalos
24 tacos
These crispy tacos are stuffed with a creamy and cheesy potato mixture. A delicious and budget-friendly recipe for every days meal.
prep 30 minutes
cook 20 minutes
total 50 minutes
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Ingredients 

For the potato mixture

  • 18 oz (500 gr) potatoes
  • 1 cup (130 gr) Queso Fresco or Cotija cheese (or cheedar if you prefer)
  • 2 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salt (to taste)

For tacos

For the sauce (optional)

  • 1.1 lb (500 gr) tomatoes (about 3 medium)
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves (peeled)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • Salt (to taste)

Toppings

  • Cotija, Queso Fresco or Feta cheese (as needed)
  • Shredded Iceberg lettuce (as needed)
  • Onions (sliced)

Instructions
 

MAKE POTATO MIXTURE

  • Boil potatoes until tender. Peel them and transfer to a bowl.
  • Mash them with a potato masher to your desired consistency.
  • Add crumbled cheese, paprika, cumin, pepper and garlic. Season with salt and mix until combined. Set aside.

MAKE TACOS

  • Heat corn tortillas on a hot skillet or griddle until soft and pliable.
  • Lay one tortilla flat and fill half with about 1 tablespoon of the potatoes mixture. Fold in half and and press down lightly.
  • Place tacos in the refrigerator while continuing the recipe.

MAKE THE SAUCE (optional)

  • Boil tomatoes until you see the skin is falling off. Reserve 2 cups of water and discard the rest.
  • Peel tomatoes, place them into a blender and add garlic, cumin and pepper. Add one cup of cooking water and blend until smooth.
  • In the same sauce pan heat oil over medium heat. Add sauce and let it sizzle for about half minute.
  • Add the remaining cooking water and season with salt and pepper.
  • Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, adjust with salt and add oregano. Mix well and set aside.

FRY TACOS

  • Heat about 1.5 inch (4cm) oil on a frying pan over medium heat.
  • Carefully place 3 or 4 tacos into the oil, using a spatula firmly press down the edges of tacos while frying, to prevent them from opening.
  • Fry until both sides are golden and crispy, about 2 minutes per side.
  • Remove the tacos from the hot oil and place them onto a plate with paper towels to absorb excess of oil. Repeat the process until all tacos are fried.

SERVE

  • Place tacos on plates and add lettuce on top, pour sauce and finish with onions and crumbled cheese. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 126kcal
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Recipe Rating




6 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    i am a white lady living with a mexican man for almost 30 years. since my mom did not make tacos or other mexican food, these recipes are very helpful for me. easy-well layed out, and tastes great!–thank-you

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    I know I don’t want to be one of those people that comments that I made something and then didn’t follow the recipe. But I need to comment because I just love your blog! My daughter loves all things potato so I thought I’d give these a try for lunch. I couldn’t follow the recipe exactly because I didn’t have cotija cheese. I used some thick crema (Honduran Mantaquilla) and a little bit of cheddar cheese. Oh my did my daughter love these! Topped with a mixed chili salsa my husband had made and some shredded romain lettuce. I then spent the afternoon exploring all your recipes. I made more potato tacos the following day for dinner and my daughter is asking to bring the leftovers for her lunch to school tomorrow. Big hit! My husband is Honduran but lived in California and loves Mexican food. I will be back to try more of your recipes!

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much Michelle! Cooking is also about experimenting and being creative, so I am so glad you tried the recipe and give it your own touch. I often add other types of cheese too! So happy you and your family enjoyed those tacos de papa :)

      Reply

  3. 5 stars
    Easy, cheap and delicious! I added Mexican sour cream (Cacique brand) and topped with shaved shallots and since I didn’t have iceberg lettuce I just finely chopped romaine lettuce.

    Reply