Crispy Vegan Potato Tacos (Tacos Dorados de Papas)
These Crispy Potato Tacos (Tacos Dorados de Papas) are satisfying and easy to make vegan. Stuffed with spiced mashed potatoes and cooked until golden and crispy.
Crispy Potato Tacos are a comforting and common vegetarian Mexican dish. Also known as “Tacos Dorados de Papas” (golden potato tacos), these tacos are traditionally filled with a potato filling and cheese then pan-fried in oil until golden and crispy.
For many families, it’s a convenient and cheap meatless meal that can be enjoyed during the season of Lent leading into Easter. But, meatless meals like this dish or even bean based one’s like these Vegan Tostadas can be enjoyed any day of the year.
Why You’ll Love These Easy Potato Tacos
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free
- A fun meal idea for your next Taco Tuesday
- Can be pan-fried, baked or air-fried to your desired crispiness
- Easy to make and assemble
- A budget-friendly recipe that uses simple staple ingredients
- Can be made in advance and reheated to enjoy when ready
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
While many households keep the potato filling very basic to potatoes, cheese, and salt and pepper, I am adding a little more umami flavor in the form of spices as we are omitting the cheese to keep these tacos budget friendly.
- Russet Potatoes: These potatoes are drier, which will make the cooking process easier and the tacos crunchier. You can use other potatoes, but you will want to cook them differently to help avoid them from getting waterlogged. I have instructions in my FAQ for this.
- Vegan Mayonnaise: This will help to bring out some more umami flavor. You can also use vegan butter as an alternative.
- Garlic: Use freshly crushed garlic using a garlic press for an even distribution of flavor in your potatoes.
- Spices: Chipotle powder, smoked paprika, and cumin. You can swap the chipotle powder for more smoked paprika or chili powder based on preference.
- Corn Tortillas: These get crispier and golden when cooked. They also make these tacos gluten-free.
- Nutritional Yeast: This is optional, but it does help add another layer of umami flavor to the filling.
How to Make Crispy Potato Tacos
Potato Taco Filling
Start by peeling and cubing your potatoes. Place them in a large sauce pan filled with cold water on the stove top and then bring them to a boil. Cook them until fork tender, then remove from heat and drain.
Add the seasonings to your potatoes and mash them like you would mashed potatoes. Once smooth, warm up your tortillas to soften them. Spread your mashed potatoes and then fold the tortillas over. Now, you can cook them how you like.
Pan Fried
Add enough oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet and then in small batches pan-fry your tacos on both sides for a few minutes until crispy and golden. Place on a paper towel to blot out excess oil and continue with the remaining tacos.
Baked
Take your folded tortillas and carefully brush or spray both sides with some high heat oil. Then place on a baking tray and place in the oven to bake at 400F for 10 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Air Fryer
Brush or spray both sides of your taco and place in the air fryer basket making sure not to overcrowd it. Place in the air fryer at 400F for 5-7 minutes or until your tacos are crispy to your liking.
Expert Tips
- Warm up your tortillas before stuffing. This will prevent the tortillas from cracking when folded in half and cooked.
- Feel free to add vegan cheese to your taco filling. Shredded vegan cheese like Miyoko’s works especially well for this. I left it out to keep these truly cost effective.
- Avoid overstuffing your taco. This will make it more difficult for your taco to both flip and properly crisp up.
- Cook the way you like it. Traditionally these tacos are pan-fried, but you can bake or even cook in the air-fryer.
- Avoid overcrowding when cooking. Whether it’s in a pan, in the oven or air-fryer, make sure you give the tacos enough space to cook and crisp up properly.
- To make sure your taco stays closed after folding, carefully flip the taco over so the filling placed on the bottom of the taco is weighing down on the other side.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes, but you want to boil the potatoes whole with the skin. This will prevent your potatoes from becoming waterlogged and too mushy when mashed. After boiling the potatoes, remove from the water and remove the skins once the potatoes are cool enough to handle. This can also be made with sweet potatoes. For these I recommend roasting them until soft, scoop out the inside and use to make your mashed potatoes.
Make the mashed potatoes in advance and place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When ready to use, heat up the tortillas to soften and spread your mashed potato filling inside then cook as instructed.
While you can use flour tortillas, this recipe is best when using corn tortillas. Not only does it make this dish gluten-free, but it also tends to crisp up easier when cooked. You can choose between both white and yellow corn tortillas. White corn tortillas tend to be a little softer, while yellow corn tortillas tend to be more delicate and easier to crack when folded. I prefer to use yellow corn tortillas for this recipe. Just warm them up a little before using and you should avoid cracking the tortillas. This page shares a full ranking of different tortillas by brand.
Vegetarian meals like this are comprised of two nutritious complex carbohydrates in the form of corn and potatoes. This traditional meal has provided nourishment for hard working families for a very long time, so for many it can be the right amount of carbs. To make these tacos suit your nutrient needs, refer to serving suggestions and eat what makes you feel your best.
How to Serve
These crispy tacos can be served with your favorite salsas, guacamole, vegan sour cream, or Avocado Crema. And as a reminder, adding salsas like this on top of your favorite traditional dishes does add nutrition in the form of fresh vegetables, antioxidants and fiber.
For some extra protein, I tend to enjoy these tacos with a side of freshly made Refried Beans. And to add some extra freshness, I also love to serve with some fresh lettuce and tomatoes.
More Vegan Taco Recipes
- Crispy Potato Tacos with Smoky Chipotle Lentils
- Black Bean Tacos with Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos
- Vegan Walnut Taco Meat
Crispy Vegan Potato Tacos (Tacos Dorados de Papas)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 10 tacos 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Crispy Potato Tacos (Tacos Dorados de Papas) are satisfying and easy to make vegan. Stuffed with spiced mashed potatoes and cooked until golden and crispy.
Ingredients
- 2 Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise or 1 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chipotle powder or chili powder
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, optional
- 1/4 tsp salt or more to taste
- 10 yellow corn tortillas
- High Heat Oil for cooking
Instructions
- Fill a pot with room temperature water, add a generous pinch of salt and add your potatoes. Bring the pot to a boil and allow the potatoes to cook until fork tender, about 10-12 minutes.
- Drain the water completely then to the pot with the potatoes add in the mayo, seasonings and nutritional yeast as listed. Use a potato masher to mash your potatoes until they are fairly smooth.
- Heat up your tortillas in a skillet for a few seconds on each side to help make them pliable. Then, scoop 2 tbsp of the potato filling onto half the tortilla and fold it over to close. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- Heat a pan and add oil to cover the bottom of a skillet (about 3 tablespoons). When the oil is hot, cook the tortillas in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side until crispy and golden. Repeat with remaining the remaining tacos and make sure not to over crowd the pan.
Baking instructions: Brush or spray the outside of the assembled tacos with oil and place in a preheated oven at 425F. Bake for 10 minutes or until the tortillas have crisped up to your liking.
Air fryer instructions: Place the oiled tortillas in an air fryer (do not over crowd the basket) and cook at 400F for 5-7 minutes or until crispy (the cooking time may vary depending on your air fryer).
Notes
- Warm up your tortillas before stuffing. This will prevent the tortillas from cracking when folded in half and cooked.
- Feel free to add vegan cheese to your taco filling. Shredded vegan cheese like Miyoko’s works especially well for this. I left it out to keep these truly cost effective.
- Avoid overstuffing your taco. This will make it more difficult for your taco to both flip and properly crisp up.
- Make sure not to overcrowd the pan or basket with tacos. They should have space to cook and crisp up evenly.
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★ Catherine
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These were tasty and crispy! I only cooked half the recipe tonight so they’re freshly cooked and crispy as leftovers. I made this first batch in the air fryer and the tortillas curled after a couple minutes. Tomorrow I’ll try baking them so they stay flat. Definitely will make these in the future! I served them with a slaw and your refried black beans (also delicious!).