Potato Green Chile Tacos

Looking for a new vegetarian taco recipe? These Potato Green Chile Tacos made with tender potatoes, onions, poblano peppers, and garlic are flavorful, ready in just 20 minutes, and taste so so good!

Tacos de papa are a staple in Mexican cuisine, where you will find so many varieties of potato tacos - crispy flautas de papa or tacos dorados, steamed potato tacos (tacos de canasta), potato chorizo tacos, and more. However they haven’t ever really caught on in the US in the same way.

Today I hope to change that because potatoes are a delicious, affordable, and easy filling for all types of tacos.

Why We Love Potato Tacos

• Easy to Make: These tacos are ready in 20 minutes and you only need a handful of common ingredients.
• Versatile: Make these tacos mild or spicy. Add protein to switch things up. Change up the toppings. The options are endless.
• Budget Friendly: Potatoes are a super affordable option when it comes to taco fillings. It's a great option for stretching a more expensive protein if you decide to add some chorizo, chicken, or beef to this recipe.

Looking for more tasty vegetarian tacos? Try these Sweet Potato Tacos, Black Bean Tacos, and Zucchini Tacos.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s everything you need to make these tasty tacos.

• Potatoes: Any type of potato can be used in these tacos. Traditionally in Mexico, these are made with white potatoes, but you could also use red potatoes, russet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, or really any variety you like including sweet potatoes or baby potatoes. I like to peel the potatoes but you can leave the skin on as well.
• Onion and garlic: Potatoes are naturally bland, so it's really important to add lots of seasoning and flavor. Onion and garlic add flavor to the potatoes and also add another textural element.
• Poblano peppers: Potato tacos usually aren’t very spicy, which is why I like to use mild poblano peppers. You could swap in jalapenos or even serranos for a spicier option. You can also use canned diced green chilies instead of fresh.
• Oregano and cumin: Add another layer of flavor with Mexican oregano (or regular) and cumin for a touch of smokiness. Feel free to add additional spices if you like.
• Salt and black pepper: These tacos need salt to bring out all of the flavor. Don’t shy away from seasoning everything with kosher salt and pepper.
• Corn tortillas: Traditionally potato tacos are served in warm corn tortillas. Swap in flour tortillas or alternative tortillas if you prefer. These are also delicious in crispy baked taco shells.
• Topping ideas: Tacos de papa are usually served with spicy green salsa, red salsa, or pickled red onions (sometimes with habaneros.) You can also add shredded cheddar cheese, cotija cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, shredded cabbage, fresh lime juice, hot sauce, avocado, guacamole, and more.

How to Make Potato Tacos with Green Chilies

Follow these steps to make these tacos in less than 20 minutes.

1. Cook potatoes and onions until tender

Start by heating up the oil in a large skillet with a cover. Once hot add the potatoes and onions, season well with salt and pepper, and toss to coat in oil.

Next, you are going to gently steam the potatoes in the skillet to help them cook more quickly. Add some water (or chicken broth) to the pan. Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes, shaking the pan every couple minutes so the potatoes don’t burn.

At the end of the 10 minutes, the potato should be just about fork-tender. If they aren’t, cook them a bit longer to ensure they are fully cooked.

Note: If you prefer boiling the potatoes, boil the chopped potatoes for 8-10 minutes in salted water until they are fork-tender. Drain and dry well.

2. Add chile peppers, garlic, and spices

Add the poblano peppers (or diced green chilies), garlic, and spices to the skillet. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until the peppers are tender-crisp and potatoes are tender.

If you are using canned diced green chilies, they may not need quite as long to cook.

3. Gently mash (optional)

Traditional Mexican potato tacos are usually mashed, but I prefer the texture of the slightly crispy potatoes. If you prefer a mashed opinion, gently mash the potatoes using a masher or wooden spoon.

When mashing, you can also add additional flavor to the tacos with some shredded cheese, sour cream, Greek yogurt, or Mexican crema.

4. Assemble tacos

Now it’s time to build your tacos! Warm up the corn tortillas until they are lightly toasted. Add the potato mixture with the green chilies, and then pile on your favorite toppings.

Make the Crispy!

Potato tacos (especially when mashed) are often served crispy to add some crunch to the soft potatoes. Here are three ways to make a crispy variety of these potato tacos.

• Taquitos and flautas: Roll the potato filling into warmed corn tortillas. Spray with cooking spray or brush with oil. Cook until golden brown and crispy
  • Air fryer: Place in a single layer and cook for 6-10 minutes, flipping halfway through, at 375 degrees.
  • Oven: Bake for 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees
  • Stovetop: Fry in a few tablespoons of oil for 2-3 minutes per side until crispy.
• Baked crispy tacos: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Warm the tortillas so they don’t break. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Fill one half of the tortilla with the potato filling and press down to seal. Repeat with all tacos. Spray the tops of the tacos with cooking spray or brush with oil. Bake for 16-20 minutes, flipping tacos halfway through so they brown on both sides.
• Fried crispy tacos (tacos dorados de papa): Warm the tortillas to ensure they don’t break. Gently mash the potatoes so the filling stays together. Fill half the tortilla with the potato filling and press down to seal. Fry in a thin layer of oil for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.

Add Protein

Although super delicious, these tacos aren’t very high in protein. One simple solution is to serve beans (like these frijoles charros or refried beans) on the side or serve with some grilled chicken, like this pollo asado.

Or you can add protein right to the filling.

• Chorizo: Potatoes and chorizo is a popular and delicious option. Use pork chorizo, soy chorizo, or chicken chorizo. Saute it until it is cooked through and slightly crispy.
• Beans: Add black beans, pinto beans, or a thin layer of refried beans to the tacos to add protein and fiber.
• Chicken: Fold in some pre cooked shredded chicken or cooked ground chicken. Just make sure to season it well.
• Eggs: Give these tacos breakfast vibes with scrambled eggs. You could even add some crispy bacon or sausage.
• Hot dogs: This one may come as a surprise, but sliced hot dogs are commonly paired with potatoes in Mexican guisados, or stewed dishes. Add some thinly sliced, crispy sauteed hot dogs (look for turkey or low-fat hot dogs) to these tacos. It’s really tasty.

Side Dish Ideas

Here are some of my favorite sides for potato tacos.

• Beans: Serve these with slow cooker black beans, pinto beans, or borracho beans.
• Salad and slaw: Add some veggies and crunch with this mexican coleslaw, mexican quinoa salad, or mexican street corn salad.
• Cauliflower rice: So good paired with cilantro lime cauliflower rice or Mexican cauliflower rice.

Storage and Leftovers

The taco filling will keep well in the fridge for 4-5 days. It actually tastes even better after a night in the fridge.

The filling can be frozen as well for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

If you make taquitos or tacos dorados, those can also be frozen for up to 3 months in the freezer. Cook from frozen in a hot oven or the air fryer.