Tacos De Papa Recipe: Topping Ideas for Potato Tacos
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: May 25, 2022 • 3 min read
Featuring seasoned mashed potatoes, these tacos de papa—or potato tacos—will instantly transport your taste buds to Mexico.
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What Are Tacos de Papa?
Tacos de papa is a version of the classic handheld Mexican dish consisting of cheesy mashed potatoes tucked inside of a warm corn tortilla. Home cooks flavor the boiled potatoes with crumbled cotija cheese and traditional Mexican seasonings before mashing them and folding the filling inside the tortillas, which get pan-fried until crispy. Serve these cheesy potato tacos with accompaniments like salsa, guacamole, and tortilla chips.
7 Topping Ideas for Tacos de Papa
Some popular toppings for fried potato tacos include:
- 1. Cheese: Top cheesy potato tacos with plenty of extra cheese, from crumbled queso fresco to a shredded Mexican cheese blend.
- 2. Crema: Add a drizzle of Mexican crema or a dollop of sour cream to your tacos for a refreshing finish.
- 3. Guacamole: This popular avocado-based dip pairs well with just about any type of taco, including tacos de papa. Learn how to make guacamole.
- 4. Hot sauce: Add your favorite fiery hot sauce to this street food for some extra heat.
- 5. Raw vegetables: Bring some crisp flavor to your tacos with fresh veggies such as thinly sliced radishes, shredded lettuce, chopped cilantro, diced onions, and red peppers.
- 6. Salsa: Cover the tacos with your favorite store-bought or homemade salsa, from a classic salsa verde to a fruity watermelon salsa.
- 7. Slaw: For a fresh finish, garnish your potato tacos with a creamy shredded cabbage slaw. Learn how to make red cabbage slaw.
4 Tips for Making Tacos de Papa
Follow these simple tips for making the best tacos de papa possible:
- 1. Go vegan. Adjust this satisfying vegetarian dish to omit animal products altogether by swapping the dairy cheese for a vegan cheese alternative.
- 2. Experiment with additions. Adapt the creamy potato taco filling to include the spices, herbs, and vegetables of your choice. Incorporate diced roasted veggies, such as bell peppers, onions, squash, corn, and tomatoes. For some heat, incorporate spicier additions like cayenne pepper, adobo-seasoned chipotle peppers, hot sauce, or smoked paprika.
- 3. Change up the tortillas. Although tacos de papa recipes traditionally call for gluten-free corn tortillas, use flour tortillas or whole-wheat tortillas for a dish similar to a quesadilla.
- 4. Assemble the tacos in advance. For easy party prep, prepare the potato filling or tacos in advance. The potato mixture will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Pre-assembled tacos will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to serve the tacos, simply fry them and add the toppings of your choice.
Cheesy Tacos de Papa Recipe
makes
18 tacosprep time
10 mintotal time
40 mincook time
30 minIngredients
- 1
In a medium stockpot, add the cubed potatoes and cover them with 2 inches of water. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the potatoes until they are fork-tender, about 10–15 minutes. Drain the potatoes.
- 2
Transfer the boiled potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes to break down the large chunks.
- 3
Add the cotija cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, and chili powder to the mashed potatoes and stir to incorporate. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
- 4
In a large skillet over medium heat, warm up 2 tablespoons of oil.
- 5
Prep the tacos. Add a ¼-cup portion of the potato mixture to the center of each warm tortilla and fold it over itself into a half-moon shape.
- 6
When the oil is shimmering, add a batch of potato tacos to the pan and fry them until they are golden brown and crispy, about 2–3 minutes per side. Use a spatula to press the tacos down periodically during the cooking process to keep them sealed. Transfer the cooked tacos to a paper towel–lined plate and repeat this process with the remaining taco ingredients.
- 7
Garnish the cooked tacos de papa with diced onion and cilantro and serve immediately with hot sauce.
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