An authentic recipe for Tacos Dorados! These Crispy Tacos are also known as Tacos Ahogados. Filled with a potato mix, smothered with a savory consomé and delicious toppings!
Dorados
Oh, these delicious tacos dorados are a true culinary delight! They are filled with a savory mix of potato and a shredded meat if you want plus a sorts of other tasty toppings. So grab a napkin and get ready to enjoy one of the most satisfying and delicious foods on the planet!
Each region in Mexico has slight variations of these crispy tacos. Today I’m showing you how we eat Tacos Dorados in the northern parts like Sonora, Sinaloa & Chihuahua.
Some areas only eat them as rolled tacos (taquitos), some don’t top them with consomé (broth) or use a different sauce, and some fill the inside vs adding the garnishes on the top etc.
Did you know? The word “dorados” stands for the word “crispy” in Spanish. The verb “dorar” means “to crisp” …. and now you know! 😉
**This post was originally published on Jan 2021. It has been updated to be more helpful.
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Ingredients
Let’s dive into the ingredients for making tacos dorados!
- Corn tortillas: Corn tortillas are the traditional choice for crispy tacos. They have a distinct corn flavor and are usually thinner and smaller than flour tortillas. They also tend to crisp up better when fried, giving you that perfect crunch.
- Potatoes
- Shredded beef or chicken (optional but highly recommended)
- Chopped onions
- For spices: chicken or beef bullion, garlic salt, regular salt & pepper.
- Flour – this is our secret binding ingredient!
- Oil for frying the tortillas: You’ll want to use an oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable oil or canola oil. Make sure to heat the oil to the correct temperature before frying to ensure that the shells cook evenly and don’t absorb too much oil.
How To Make Tacos Dorados
Making Tacos Dorados is simple but once you start assembling the tacos, be ready to fry them right away. It’s better if you don’t multitask at this point 🙂
- Start by cooking the potatoes in water until soft and mashable.
- In a medium bowl, mash the potatoes with a fork.
- Then add the flour, salt, pepper and chicken bouillon. Mix everything very well until all ingredients are integrated.
- In a nonstick skillet, add 2 tablespoons of oil and saute the onions on medium heat until soft. About 2 minutes.
- Add the mashed potato and integrate well with the onion. At this point the flour starts acting as a binder and the potato mix won’t separate anymore. This is what we want so that the potatoes don’t come out of the tacos when frying. Otherwise it will make a mess!
At this point you have two options: 1) Just make the tacos with Potatoes only (Tacos Dorados De Papa) or 2) add some shredded beef or chicken. If you do the latter, make sure you incorporate the shredded meat really well with the potatoes.
Pro Tip! Before assembling the tacos, warm the tortillas in a ziploc bag until barely warm. This will prevent the tortilla from breaking when folding it! However, you must fry them quickly after assembling to prevent the tortillas from cracking. Corn tortillas dry very fast.
- How to assemble: Here you also have two options: 1) Make them rolled like taquitos or folded in half.
- For rolled tacos, roll them gently and place the edge of the taquito face down on the plate and the skillet.
- Fry the tacos in hot oil in a small skillet. Fry about 45 seconds to a minute per side. Keep your eye on them!
- Remove and place on a plate with paper towels to drain the excess oil. I also like to blot the top with a paper towel.
It’s best that you fry the tacos as you roll or fold them so that the tortilla doesn’t crack while sitting on a plate. Corn tortillas get dry very quickly!
The Toppings
The toppings are crucial for these Tacos Dorados and that’s where most of the flavors come from! Here are my favorites that you can pick and choose from but I highly recommend you use them all ☺️.
- Consome – this is a must!
- Shredded lettuce – use a thick crunchy one like romaine or iceberg. They hold the texture better than the others.
- Crumbled queso fresco
- Sliced radishes
- Salsa Guajillo or Chile De Arbol (or your favorite hot sauce like cholula)
- Mexican Crema or sour cream (optional)
- And a squeeze of fresh lime juice!
In Mexico, for these types of tacos, the toppings are actually placed on top of the taco rather than inside! They’re messy but oh so delicious!
Now it’s time to take one BIG bite of your taco! These Tacos Dorados are finger licking good! My mouth waters just looking at these.
What To Serve These Tacos Dorados With:
When it comes to serving crispy tacos, there are plenty of tasty options to choose from. Here are a few popular options:
MORE OF MY Favorite…
Tacos Recipes
Personal note: This recipe is dear to my heart as I ate them a lot growing up. It’s one of my favorite dishes to eat and make and is one of the most requested recipes from my boys & family. We can’t ever say NO to this meal!
My wish is to preserve this family recipe and for new families to adapt it as part of theirs. I hope you enjoy it! ❤️
xoxo, Ana
Tacos Dorados (Crunchy Tacos)
Ingredients
- 16 corn tortillas
- 2 large russet potatoes peeled and cut
- ½ cup onions finely chopped
- ¼ tsp chicken or beef bullion
- ¼ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 2 cups shredded beef or chicken
Instructions
Make the filling
- In a medium saucepan, add the potatoes with enough water to cover them. Cook until soft for about 15 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, mash the potatoes with a fork or potato masher.
- Add the flour, salt, pepper and chicken bouillon. Mix everything very well until all ingredients are integrated.
- In a nonstick skillet, add 2 tablespoons of oil and saute the onions on medium heat until soft. About 2 minutes.
- Add the mashed potato and integrate well with the onion. If using shredded beef or chicken, add it at this point.
Frying the tacos
- Before assembling the tacos, warm the tortillas in a ziploc bag until barely warm. This will prevent the tortilla from breaking when folding it!
- With a spoon, add some filling to half of the tortilla and fold gently. (See note #1)
- Fry the tacos in hot oil in a small skillet. Fry about 45 seconds to a minute per side. Keep your eye on them!
- Remove and place on a plate with paper towels to drain the excess oil. I also like to blot the top with a paper towel.
- Serve while hot and top them with Consomé, lettuce, radishes, queso fresco, Mexican crema, hot sauce, and a drizzle of lime juice.
Muy Delish Notes:
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Nutrition
The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.
Make Ahead
If you want to make crispy taco shells ahead of time, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Firstly, let’s talk about how to make and store crispy taco shells in advance. To make the shells ahead of time, you can follow the same process as if you were making them fresh. Once the shells are cooked and crispy, let them cool completely before storing them.
To store the shells, place them in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. You can store them at room temperature for up to 24 hours, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you need to store them for longer, you can also freeze them for up to 1 month.
When it comes to reheating the shells, there are a few tips to keep in mind. If you’re reheating them in the oven, preheat the oven to 350°F and place the shells on a baking sheet. Bake them for 5-10 minutes, or until they are heated through and crispy.
Rica tradición mexicana: Tacos dorados !! una delicia!! Gracias Ana por compartir la receta !!
Absolutely mouth watering good. What type of potato do you use doll? I’ve been using the Yukon gold. I soak my chopped potatoes in water to release the starch (with skin). Then I rinse and “steam” them. Beautiful texture.
Hi Katherine!
Thanks for the question! You can use any potato you like! You can leave the skin too for extra texture. Sometimes I do that (I’ll add this detail to the recipe card).
If you have any other questions I’ll be glad to help.
XO,
Ana
Deliciosas todas tus recetas ???? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Muchas gracias!! ?. Happy birthday Ana !! ?????
Oh yum! We love Mexican food and these sound so delicious! Adding the Ingredients to my grocery store list. Can’t wait to make it.
These tacos look amazing! I am looking forward to making them, yum!
These look truly incredible and I have pinned them to make next week.
These tacos look amazing. These are making me really miss Mexico now!
Uno de mis platos favoritos, son de los pocos ke puedes comer a diario … deliciosos !!!
Estos tacos dorados tambien son de mis favoritos Eddy! Muchas gracias por tu comentario!
Por acá pal sur los chilangos le ponemos crema de vaca y aguacate rebanado ! ! A y harta salsa ?
De seguro que saben riquisimos!! La comida del sur de Mexico esta riquisima tambien. Es bueno saber que le ponen por aya…y aparte que el aguacate va con todo jaja! Saludos y bechos!
Delicious Ana, congrats for you blog.
Thank you so much Naner!! I really appreciate it!!! 😀
Que delicia!!!!
Siii! These Tacos Ahogados are amazing!
The BEST tacos ever! So easy to make
Thank you so much Tina!!! I’m so glad you like these Tacos! I agree they’re the best right? I want this to be my last meal LOL!