Tacos dorados are crispy, golden tacos filled with delicious, seasoned shredded beef, tomato, onion, and spices, then tucked into corn tortillas and fried until crunchy.
Tacos dorados are different from soft tacos because these are fried (the name dorados literally means golden) and they have that perfect crunch when you bite into them.
You can fill these crispy tacos with just about anything — veggies, cheese, or your favorite meats. There’s really no wrong way to make them.
In this recipe I am using a simple but flavorful shredded beef mixture combined with a bit of potato so everything holds beautifully inside the tortilla.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Corn tortillas (they fry up crispier than flour ones)
- Shredded beef leftovers
- Tomato, onion, garlic
- Mashed potatoes
- Serrano or jalapeño
- Ground cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper
- Oil for frying
For serving: lettuce, crema, cheese, your favorite salsa, and Mexican pickled onions.
How To Make Tacos Dorados
Make the salsa
Roast tomatoes, onions, and garlic. You can also toast some chilies for a bit of heat (totally optional, but I always do).
Once done, place everything into a blender and add two cups of water. Blend until you’ll have a smooth sauce.
Heat some oil over medium heat in a medium pot. Add sauce and season with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano.
Bring to a boil then set the heat to low. Let the consomé sauce simmer for about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste and set aside.
Make the filling & assemble tacos
You can use beef leftovers or make my recipe for shreeded beef.
Heat a little olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and chili pepper, and sauté for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
Add tomato, season with cumin, salt, and pepper, and cook for another 2–3 minutes.
Now add the shredded beef and about ½ cup of mashed potatoes ( this is just enough to help everything stick nicely inside the tortillas).
Stir well, taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Heat the tortillas on a skillet or comal until soft and pliable.
Take one tortilla, add about two tablespoons of the filling in the middle, and fold it in half.
You can also roll them up like flautas if you prefer (both ways are delicious!).
Fry & serve
Heat about 1.5-inch vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the tacos on all sides until nicely golden and crispy.
Tip: Gently press the edges with a spatula while frying so they stay closed.
Transfer the crispy tacos to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any extra oil.
Garnish and serve
Place tacos on serving plates. Top with lettuce and pickled onions, then generously drizzle with the tomato sauce.
Add a dollop of Mexican crema and sprinkle with cheese. Enjoy!
My Little Secrets for Crispy Tacos
- Keep the filling in the center of the tortilla so it doesn’t spill out while frying.
- Don’t overfill. Too much mixture can make the tacos burst open in the oil.
- Use enough oil to cover the tacos completely for an even, golden crunch.
- Make sure the oil is hot before you start frying, or the tacos will soak up too much grease.
- Gently slide each taco into the oil with a spatula to avoid splashes.
What To Serve With Tacos Dorados
Even though those tacos dorados are perfect on their own with various toppings, you can also serve them with other sides.
- My favorite way of serving them is with sopa de fideo or conchitas soup, they just make the perfect side!
- If you want to include more veggies, try a side of calabacitas or top them with this nopales salad.
- Other salsas are perfect to serve with, like green tomatillo salsa or guacamole salsa.
Looking for more ideas? Check my What to Serve With Tacos guide and choose over 20 recipes for inspiration!
How To Store And Reheat
Leftovers: Store them for up to 4 days in an air-tight container. To reheat them pop them into the oven at 400°F (200°C) for 4-5 minutes.
Make ahead: You can make the meat and potato mixture 2-3 days ahead and store it in the fridge in a container well covered.
Freeze: The beef and potato mixture freezes well for up to 3 months in a bag or container.
FAQ
What is the difference between tacos dorados and flautas?
Even though most people will say that tacos dorados are folded and flautas rolled, the truth is that in some regions of Mexico, the names are interchangeable as both dishes share similar preparation and ingredients such as being filled with the same ingredients, deep-fried, and served with the same toppings.
More Crispy Tacos Recipes
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Tacos Dorados
Ingredients
- 25 corn tortillas (medium size)
- 2 ½ cups shredded beef meat
- ½ cup mashed potatoes
- 1 medium tomato (diced)
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 1 jalapeno pepper (chopped)
- pinch of ground cumin
- salt and pepper
- vegetable oil (as needed)
For salsa
- 3 medium tomatoes
- ½ small onion
- 3 chile de arbol (optional)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- salt and pepper (to taste)
For toppings
- Pickled onions
- lettuce (shredded)
- Mexican crema (or sour cream)
- queso fresco (or any cheese you prefer)
Instructions
Make the tomato salsa
- Roast tomatoes, onions, garlic, and chilies.
- Place into a blender and add two cups of water. Blend until you’ll have a smooth sauce.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a sauce pot. Add sauce, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Allow the salsa to simmer for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Make the filling
- Heat a little olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and chile pepper, and sauté until fragrant (about 1 minute).
- Add diced tomato, season with cumin, salt, and pepper, and cook for another 2–3 minutes.
- Now add the shredded beef and the mashed potatoes. Stir well, taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Assemble & fry
- Warm tortillas until soft and pliable. Put them between a kitchen cloth to keep them warm.
- Place a flat tortilla on a surface, and spread two tablespoons of the meat and potato mixture in the middle.
- Fold the filled tortilla into a half-moon. Or you can also roll them. Repeat with all tortillas.
- Heat about 1 ½ inches of oil on a frying pan and fry tacos until golden and crispy. Use a spatula to press down the edges while frying, to prevent tacos from opening.
- Remove tacos and place them onto a plate with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Garnish and serve
- Place tacos on serving plates. Top with lettuce and pickled onions, then generously drizzle with the tomato sauce. Add a dollop of cream and sprinkle with cheese.
Notes
- Don’t overfill the tortillas overfilling can cause them to burst during frying.
- Make sure there’s enough oil to submerge the tacos completely.
- Check out that oil is nicely heated up before adding the tacos or they will absorb too much grease.
- Add them carefully to the hot oil, place them in a spatula then slice them into the oil.
Can flour tortillas be used, or do they have to be corn?
Hi Stefanie, I’ve used flour tortillas but to be honest, frying them didn’t result on the same crispy and crunchy texture that with corn. They were still delicious tho.
We had tacos dorados last night and paired it with your delicious consome. They were delicious, and everyone loved them. It was so easy to prepare and it’s also budget-friendly!
I made these tacos dorados and let me tell you that they were the best I ever had! the filling is really flavorful, nothing I had before. Definitely those are now my favorite tacos dorados for life.
My favorite tacos ever are indeed tacos dorados. I like them just with potatoes but the beef mixture seems delicious too.