Tacos Dorados (Mexican-American Beef Tacos with Potatoes)

mexicanamerican-tacosdorados Ditch the deep fryer for these crispy Tacos Dorados. Simple to prepare, these shallow fried ground beef tacos are loaded with fresh toppings. Cooking them on the griddle promises all the crunch without the mess and guilt. One bite of these golden crispy tacos and they are likely to become your new weeknight favourite. Tacos dorados, or “golden tacos,” are popular Mexican tacos filled with various meats or potatoes and fried to a crisp. Typically they are deep fried, cooked in a deep pot of oil on the stove. This style of taco has influenced many restaurants and fast-food joints across America.

Tacos Dorados:
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1" chunks
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
½ small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb lean ground beef
1½ tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
¼ tsp. ground cumin
16 corn tortillas
oil, for frying

Toppings:
Mexican Avocado Crema
thinly shredded lettuce
salsa
chopped cilantro
Queso fresco or cotija cheese

Fill a large pot or Dutch oven with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and boil for 20 minutes or until they are fork-tender. Drain the potatoes, add them back to the pot, and mash them with a potato masher. Set aside.

Heat one Tbsp. of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add the ground beef and break it up using the back of a cooking spoon. Stir in the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and ground cumin. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until it is fully cooked through and remove the skillet from the heat.

Add the mashed potatoes to the cooked ground beef and stir thoroughly until fully combined. Taste and season with more salt as needed.

Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and warm them in the microwave for 30 seconds or until hot and pliable. Alternatively, you could warm up the corn tortillas on a skillet or comal over medium-high heat.

Working in batches of three, fill one-half of each tortilla with about 2-3 Tbsp. of the potato and meat mixture. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling and continue until the tacos have been assembled.

Pour enough oil into the bottom of a deep skillet or sauté pan so that the oil reaches halfway up the tacos. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350-375°F, then fry the tacos for about 45-60 seconds per side or until golden brown and crispy.

Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off any excess oil, and repeat until all the tacos have been fried.

Serve tacos with Mexican crema, shredded lettuce, salsa, chopped cilantro and queso fresco.

Cook's Notes:

Don’t overstuff. While it’s tempting to add a lot of filling, overstuffing can cause the filling to fall out during frying.
Make sure the oil is hot. Heat the oil to around 350°F (175°C). If the oil isn’t hot enough, the tacos will absorb too much oil and become greasy. If it’s too hot, they will burn on the outside really quickly. An instant-read thermometer is a great tool for this.
Assemble and fry the tacos in batches. If the assembled tacos sit too long before they’re fried, the tortillas may dry out and crack.

Suggested Toppings:

Toppings are the best part of tacos dorados - there are so many possibilities. You can be as creative as you want and serve it with anything. Here’s a list of classic toppings to get you started:

Mexican crema, sour cream, Avocado Crema, or Cilantro Lime Crema
Thinly shredded lettuce or cabbage
Diced tomatoes and white onions
Crumbled Cotija cheese or Queso Fresco
Guacamole or avocado slices
Salsa verde, Salsa Macha, Pico de Gallo, Roasted Tomato Salsa, or your favourite hot sauce

Storing and Reheating:

Leftover Tacos Dorados can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. If you need to stack the tacos inside their storage container, separate them with parchment paper or wax paper to prevent them from sticking together and help maintain their crispiness.
To reheat, use an oven or air fryer rather than a microwave to get them crispy. Preheat your oven to around 350°F, then place the tacos on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or until they are heated through and crispy.