Potato Tacos Dorados with Spanglish Asadero All Purpose Seasoning
Potato Tacos Dorados with Spanglish Asadero All Purpose Seasoning
The crunch is the whole point. Potato tacos dorados are not soft tacos with a potato filling, they’re folded corn tortillas pan-fried in hot oil until the outside shatters and the inside stays creamy. That’s what dorados means: golden. Get the fry right and you get the dish.
Crunch by construction, folded and fried, unlike most of our taco recipes.
The filling is mashed Russet potatoes seasoned with Spanglish Asadero All Purpose Seasoning, a blend built around the flavor profiles of traditional Mexican cooking, not a diluted approximation of them. The seasoning goes into the warm mash right after draining, which means it works all the way through the filling instead of sitting on top. That’s the difference between a potato taco that tastes like spiced potato and one that actually has depth.
The process runs in one direction: boil and mash the potatoes, season, spoon the filling into warmed corn tortillas, fold them, secure with a toothpick, and fry in oil at 350°F. Two minutes per side. The oil temp is the one thing that matters most, hot enough to set the crust immediately, not so hot it burns before the interior heats through.
This makes 12 tacos and serves 6 in 45 minutes. It scales without changing the method, double the potatoes, double the tortillas, same fry time in the same number of batches. Works on a weeknight. Holds up on game day when people are building their own plates.
Serve straight from the pan. Top with pickled red onions, chopped cilantro, and salsa verde.
Flavor First.
POTATO TACOS DORADOS
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Prep: Peel and dice potatoes into small cubes.
- Place diced potatoes in a stockpot with 4 cups water, ensuring potatoes are fully submerged. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Cook potatoes 12-15 minutes until fork-tender.
- Drain water completely. Return potatoes to pot and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Add a splash of water if needed for creamier texture.
- Stir in Spanglish Asadero All Purpose Seasoning until evenly mixed. Set aside.
- Heat tortillas in microwave for 30 seconds, flip, and heat another 30 seconds until pliable.
- Place one tortilla flat. Spoon 1 tablespoon mashed potato mixture onto one half. Fold tortilla over to form a taco. Secure with a toothpick through the center. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Heat 1 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering (about 350°F).
- Fry tacos in batches (2-3 at a time) for 2 minutes per side until golden and crispy. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Transfer fried tacos to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Remove toothpicks before serving.
- Serve hot, topped with pickled red onions, chopped cilantro, and salsa verde.
Nutrition
Notes
- Get the oil to 350°F before the first taco goes in — drop a small piece of tortilla in the oil; it should sizzle on contact. Cold oil produces greasy, pale tacos. Hot oil produces the crust.
- Warm the tortillas before folding — 30 seconds in the microwave, flip, 30 more seconds. A cold tortilla cracks when you fold it, and a cracked tortilla falls apart in the oil.
- Mash until smooth — a lumpy filling creates pressure points that split the tortilla during frying. The toothpick holds the shape, but a smooth mash is better insurance. No peaks, no chunks.
- Season the mash while it’s still hot — warm potato absorbs the Spanglish Asadero seasoning better than cold. Stir it in right after draining, before the filling cools down.
- Fry in batches of 2–3 — overcrowding drops the oil temperature and stalls the crust. Give each taco room, and the oil recovers fast between batches.
- Pull the toothpicks before serving — one per taco, through the center, in during frying and out before it hits the plate. They’re structural, not decorative.
- Fresh toppings are the move. Pickled red onions, chopped cilantro, and salsa verde are all in the recipe, and each one earns its place — the acid from the onions cuts through the fried shell, the cilantro adds brightness, and the salsa verde ties it together.
- Add a squeeze of lime and a side of crema if you want to round out the plate. A lime crema — crema, lime juice, a pinch of salt — takes 30 seconds and pairs cleanly with the seasoned potato filling.
- Mexican rice and black beans turn this into a full plate without adding much work. Both can run while the tacos fry. Fresh pico de gallo works too — the raw tomato and onion hold up against the fried exterior without competing with the salsa verde.
- These are best straight from the pan, but they hold in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. The shell softens overnight — that’s expected.
- To reheat and recover some crunch: skillet over medium heat with no added oil for 2–3 minutes per side, or a 375°F oven for 8–10 minutes on a wire rack. The oven gives the most even result. Microwave works in a pinch but won’t recover the shell texture.
- Keep the toppings — pickled red onions, cilantro, salsa verde — stored separately and add them fresh after reheating.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Frequently Asked Questions
What does “dorados” mean in potato tacos dorados?
Dorados is Spanish for golden, it refers to the color and texture of the fried tortilla shell. Any taco dorado is a folded taco that’s been pan-fried until the outside is crispy and golden.
Can I use flour tortillas instead of corn?
Corn is the right call. Flour tortillas don’t crisp the same way and are more likely to split when folded and fried. Corn tortillas hold their shape better at high heat and produce a crunchier shell.
Can I make the filling ahead of time?
Yes. Mash and season the potatoes up to a day ahead, refrigerate in an airtight container, and bring to room temperature before filling the tortillas. Cold mash is harder to spread and can crack the tortilla, give it 15–20 minutes out of the fridge before assembling.
What oil works best for frying?
Vegetable oil or avocado oil, both have high smoke points and neutral flavor. Avoid olive oil; it smokes at the temperature you need and adds bitterness.
Are potato tacos dorados gluten-free?
With corn tortillas, yes. Check the Spanglish Asadero All Purpose Seasoning label if you’re cooking for someone with celiac, most seasoning blends are gluten-free, but manufacturing can vary by lot.
Can I cook these in an air fryer?
Yes. Assemble the tacos the same way, brush lightly with oil on the outside, and air fry at 375°F for 8–10 minutes, flipping once halfway through. The shell won’t be identical to pan-fried, but it crisps well.
More like this: Game Day Recipes · Kinder’s Recipes
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