Fried Tacos (Tacos Dorados)
Tacos dorados Say it: TAH-kohs doh-RAH-dohs
Tacos dorados are folded corn tortillas packed with a soft filling, then fried until the shells shatter and turn deep golden. Sold across Mexico at street stalls and markets, they are eaten at breakfast, as a midday snack or late at night. Potato and shredded chicken are the classic fillings. The magic is the contrast: a crisp, faintly toasty corn shell around a creamy, savory center, cooled by crema, crumbled cheese, lettuce and a sharp tomato or tomatillo salsa.
Fried Tacos (Tacos Dorados)
Tacos dorados
Pronounced TAH-kohs doh-RAH-dohs
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Potato filling
To shape and fry
To serve
Method
Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch (2.5 cm) and add 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until a knife slides in with no resistance, 15–18 minutes. Drain well, then mash until mostly smooth with a few small lumps.
Heat the 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, 4–5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the mashed potato, pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is thick enough to pull away from the pan, 2–3 minutes. Taste for salt and let cool for 5 minutes.
Warm the tortillas on a dry comal or skillet for 20–30 seconds per side, or wrap them in a damp towel and microwave for 45 seconds, until soft and pliable. Keep them covered as you work.
Spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons (35–40 g) of filling onto one half of each tortilla, fold the other half over and press gently. Pin the seam with a toothpick if it springs open.
Pour the 1 cup (240 ml) oil into a heavy skillet to a depth of about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) and heat over medium-high to 350°F (175°C). Fry the tacos seam-side down, in batches without crowding, until deep golden and rigid, 2–3 minutes per side.
Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate and pull out the toothpicks while the tacos are still hot. Pile on the lettuce, drizzle with crema, scatter the queso fresco and spoon over salsa; add pickled onion if you like. Eat immediately, while the shells still crackle.
Regional variant: Chicken Tacos Dorados (Tacos Dorados de Pollo)
Swap the potato for 2 cups (280 g) shredded cooked chicken simmered 3–5 minutes with 1/3 cup (80 ml) salsa roja and 1/2 cup (70 g) soft cooked onion until moist but not soupy. Fill, fold and fry exactly as above. Chicken tacos dorados are not vegetarian.
Cook's notes
- Warm the tortillas until fully pliable — cold or dry ones split the moment they hit the oil.
- Hold the oil at about 350°F (175°C): too cool and the tacos turn greasy, too hot and the shell browns before the filling heats through.
- Check your tortillas are 100% corn masa: some brands blend in wheat flour, which adds gluten, and a few are dusted with flour to stop sticking.
Serve with
Salsa roja or verde, crema, queso fresco, shredded lettuce, pickled onions and a cold agua fresca or horchata.
Make ahead and storage
The potato filling keeps 2 days refrigerated; fry the tacos just before serving. Leftovers keep 2 days and recrisp in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8–10 minutes.
