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Tacos dorados feature crispy, golden tortillas filled with a classic ground beef and potato mixture. Topped with shredded lettuce, Mexican crema, and spicy salsa, these fried tacos offer a perfect balance of crunch and flavor, ideal for any mealtime treat.
Want more authentic Mexican recipes? You’ve got to try my fried quesadillas, potato tacos, and flautas.
What Are Tacos Dorados?
Tacos dorados, or “golden tacos,” are a popular Mexican dish made from corn tortillas stuffed with various fillings and then fried until golden and crispy. Fillings vary widely, from shredded or ground meat and potatoes to cheese and refried beans.
Different regions in Mexico top them with different things, from a spicy chile de arbol salsa and queso fresco, to a consomé made from chiles and tomatoes.
They’re commonly served as a main dish and are a staple in both Mexican street food and home cooking.
Why I Love Them
These crispy fried tacos are one of my favorite easy dinners! Here’s why I love them.
- They’re tasty and always a crowd-pleaser!
- Very budget-friendly. The ingredients won’t break the bank.
- Great for any day of the week!
In this recipe, I keep the filling simple by using two main ingredients – potatoes and ground beef. I topped them with a roasted tomato salsa, shredded lettuce, and a generous drizzle of Mexican crema.
Ingredients
- Tortillas: Corn tortillas are best. They crisp up nicely when fried, hold their shape, and offer a traditional Mexican flavor.
- Oil: I prefer using a neutral-flavored oil like canola, avocado, or vegetable oil to fry up the tacos.
- Ground beef: I used lean ground beef to keep the fat to a minimum since the tacos are also fried.
- Potatoes: I used russet potatoes. Peeled, boiled, and mashed, then mixed together with the beef. This creates a filling that sticks together and doesn’t fall out of the tacos during the frying process.
- Seasonings: I used a mixture of garlic, cumin, onion, chili, black pepper, and salt to season the filling.
How to Make Tacos Dorados
Cook the meat: Saute the onions and garlic in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Then add in ground beef and cook for 8-10 minutes, until it’s cooked through.
Cook the potatoes: Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil, add the potatoes, and cook for 20 minutes until fork tender. Drain them once finished, add them back into the pot, and mash them. Then add in the meat and stir to combine.
Assemble: Warm the corn tortillas in the microwave until hot and pliable. Then, fill one-half of each tortilla with 2 tablespoons of the meat and potato mixture, and fold the other half over the filling.
Fry: Heat the frying oil in a medium saute pan or skillet, ensuring it reaches 350-375°F degrees, then fry the tacos in batches for 45-60 seconds per side until golden and crispy. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off excess oil.
Serve: Place 2-3 tacos on a plate then top with Mexican crema, lettuce, salsa, cilantro, and more of your favorite toppings
Recipe Tips
- 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.
- 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 favorite hot sauce
Recommended Tools
Instant read thermometer. Great for making sure the temperature of the frying oil is hot enough.
Cast iron skillet. Perfect for frying as it holds heat very well.
Cutting board. These are my favorite non-slip plastic cutting boards to use for meat!
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.
More Taco Recipes
If you tried this Tacos Dorados Recipe or any other recipe on Isabel Eats, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below! I love hearing about your experience making it!
Tacos Dorados
Ingredients
For the tacos dorados
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for frying
- ½ small onion chopped (white or yellow)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more salt as needed
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 16 corn tortillas
For the toppings
- Mexican crema
- Thinly shredded lettuce
- Salsa
- Chopped cilantro
- Queso fresco or cotija cheese
Instructions
- 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 tablespoon 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 tablespoons 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 saute 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.
Video
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yum, but I’ll sub sautéed mushrooms or black beans for the meat, & def use sweet potatoes with the spices. Roasted diced sweet potatoes with salt & chili powder: 😋😋😋
Okey dokey. I made these for lunch today and they are SO rad. Totally going into the rotation!
Love, love, love the Tacos Dorados. Easy but packed with crunchy flavor. So far used, chorizo w/wo eggs, ground beef, chicken, carne asada, queso & serrano peppers. Family, friends all love the Dorados so much. I plan on making these outside during barbacoas, now THAT meat would be so yummy in the Dorados. List is endless, thank you for the inspirations. Keep up the great work ! Friend & Follower
I have always made this with Chicken instead of hamburger. Great recipe!
awesome idea! look forward to making this wonderful meal