Mexican style Potato Tacos are made with spicy skillet cooked potato filling, quick cilantro lime sauce, pico de gallo and with all the taco fix-ins. Ready in 30 minutes, this a delicious vegetarian taco recipe for next taco Tuesday!
The perfect way to celebrate meatless Monday is with loaded Spicy Potato Tacos topped off with pico de gallo and a drizzle of quick cilantro sauce that is lip smacking good!!!
What is Potato tacos?
Also known as Tacos de Papa, they are made with crisp seasoned potatoes in crispy fried tortillas and topped with a queso fresco, salsa, lettuce, onion, and cilantro. It is often made with leftover mashed potatoes as a quick weeknight dinner.
Taco bell introduced a potato soft taco that is made with crispy potatoes, flour tortillas, lettuce, tomato, cheese and served with their spicy chipotle sauce. What's not to love?
Tacos are always a family favorite dinner idea around here (and, we eat a lot of 'em!). They are mostly easy to prepare, loaded with flavors, customizable and fun to eat.
My favorite part about these tacos is that it can be ready in about 30 minutes and without cheese when you want a quick vegetarian meal that is flavorful and SPICY.
Spicy Potato taco
- Ready in about 30 minutes
- Chock full of flavor <----Spicy, Zesty, Tangy, Creamy
- One skillet recipe
- Homemade recipe
- Mostly healthy
- Made with no cheese
- Delicious
What makes this one of the BEST VEGETARIAN TACO recipe? Balance of flavors and textures! It is spicy, tangy, crunchy, creamy —-> makes for one tasty bite.
Ingredients
- Spicy potatoes – A well seasoned, skillet cooked potato.
- Pico de gallo– Crisp, crunchy, tangy, sweet accompaniment that is perfect for any taco recipe.
- Cilantro lime sauce – Creamy, spicy and tangy Cilantro sauce made easily without any blenders or mixers.
- Corn tortillas - Charred over open flame
- Fresh lettuce
How to make potato tacos?
- Cook potatoes - Toss chopped potatoes with minced garlic, spices and salt, until evenly combined. Cook in a large non-stick skillet, covered for about 15 minutes, until tender (stirring occasionally so that they cook evenly and does not burn).
2. Make pico de gallo - Stir chopped tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapenos, lime juice and salt together
3. Make cilantro lime sauce - Stir together minced cilantro, jalapeños, sour cream, mayonnaise, salt and lime juice together.
4. Assemble tacos - Top a charred corn tortilla with chopped lettuce, potatoes, cilantro sauce and pico de gallo.
Expert tips:
Charred corn tortillas is optional, but it makes the tortilla pliable and helps in adding a touch of complex flavors. Keep them wrapped in a clean kitchen towel until serving time.
To char tortillas - Turn your gas burner to medium-low and using tongs, place tortilla, one at a time, directly over the flame. As soon as it starts to brown, give a quick flip to color the other side and then take off heat. Alternatively, you can cook tortillas in a cast iron skillet – Place tortilla in a hot cast iron skillet, for about 15 to 30 seconds on each side. You want to look few browned or darkened spots on both sides. Keep them warm wrapped in a clean kitchen towel.
What types of potatoes to use? We love the buttery Yukon gold potatoes for this recipe. Russet or the regular yellow potatoes are all great options.
Both cayenne and jalapeños can be adjusted depending on your spice level.
Flour tortillas or Corn Tortillas?
Taco Bell's and Tacos de papa are usually made with flour tortillas since the are usually fried crisp. We have used corn tortillas for this recipe or a mix or corn and flour may be used instead.
How to make ahead?
- Spicy potato filling can be made ahead, cooled and refrigerated for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before using.
- Pico de gallo and cilantro sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
- Char or warm tortillas just before serving.
Variations:
Potato Lettuce Cups - Skip the tortillas and simply serve the potato filling and all the fix ins in lettuce cups.
Make a burrito bowl – Skip the tortilla, assemble all other ingredients over some cilantro lime rice.(More burrito bowls: Chickpeas rice bowl or Chicken Rice Bowl )
Make it gluten-free – Use gluten-free corn tortillas and please make sure that all other ingredients used are gluten free as well.
Like it SPICIER – Turn up the heat by making following adjustments : Increase cayenne in the spicy potato / Add more jalapeños in the sauce recipe / Add more chopped jalapeños in pico de gallo / Top with as much sliced jalapeños as desired.
Make it less SPICY– You can reduce the heat by making following adjustments : Decrease or skip cayenne in the potatoes / Use less jalapeños in the sauce recipe / Skip jalapeños in pico de gallo
Storage instructions :
Cooked potatoes can be refrigerated for up to 4 days (reheat in microwave before using) or frozen in a sealed zip lock bag for up to a month (thaw overnight in refrigerator and heat in microwave until heated through).
Pico de gallo and sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
What goes well with potato tacos recipe?
Mexican rice dishes like cilantro lime rice or Spicy Mexican rice with black beans and corn, grilled/steamed corn on the cob, Refried beans, corn bread and ice cold margarita are delicious with potato tacos.
Spicy Mexican Potato Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
Spicy Potatoes
- 2 pounds potatoes Yukon gold or russet
- 2 large garlic cloves chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Pico de Gallo
- ½ cup finely chopped Roma tomato
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 jalapeño pepper finely chopped (remove seeds to make it less spicy)
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- Salt to taste
Cilantro Lime Sauce
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup finely minced cilantro
- ½ jalapeño pepper minced (remove seeds to make it less spicy)
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons water
- Salt to taste
Additional ingredients
- 8 corn tortillas
- Chopped lettuce as required
Instructions
- Peel and chop potatoes into about three-fourth inch dice. Add them into a large bowl along with all other ingredients (except vegetable oil) and toss well, until the spices evenly coats the potatoes.
- Place a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add vegetable oil. When hot, add potatoes, toss once, spread them into a single layer, cover pan with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender (stir occasionally so that potatoes cook evenly and reduce heat if potatoes begin to burn).
- Make pico de gallo, cilantro lime sauce and char tortillas in the mean time.
- Make Cilantro Lime Sauce - Stir all cilantro lime sauce ingredients together in a small bowl, until evenly combined (add required water to make sauce slightly thinner, DON'T MAKE IT WATERY)
- Char Tortillas - Turn your gas burner to medium-low and using tongs, place tortilla, one at a time, directly over the flame. As soon as it starts to brown, give a quick flip to color the other side and then take off heat. Alternatively, you can cook tortillas in a cast iron skillet - Place tortilla in a hot cast iron skillet, for about 15 to 30 seconds on each side. You want to look few browned or darkened spots on both sides. Keep them warm wrapped in a clean kitchen towel.
- Assemble - Top a tortilla with chopped lettuce, potatoes, a generous drizzle of cilantro lime sauce and pico de gallo. serve with additional lime wedges, chopped jalapeños and cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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Melonie
thank you... it is all amazing. My biggest thank you though if for the fried potatoes, I have never been able to get them right and these are perfect!.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear! So glad you love it – Maria ♡