·

Spicy Potato Tacos–Better than Taco Bell

I eat Taco Bell once or twice a year on average. I’m not telling you that because I think I’m better than anyone for having such an infrequent track record there. It’s just not where my fast food cravings pop up very often.

(For that, we’d have to rack up my visits to Shake Shack, Elevation Burger and Habit Burger. What can I say? I love a good cheeseburger that I don’t have to make myself!)

But Dan loves Doritos Locos tacos–even more so when combined with a cheesy gordita crunch–so sometimes when there’s an app deal, I tag along with him for a free taco or two.

spicy potato tacos with chipotle sauce
Photo: Casey Barber

The menu item I truly enjoy the most at Taco Bell is the spicy potato taco, but it could use a little bit of improvement in my humble professional recipe developer opinion.

So when I decided to make a homemade version, I did it my way. And though it takes more time to make your own spicy potato tacos than to hit the Taco Bell drive-thru, I’m convinced it’s a worthy trade-off.

I made two tiny adjustments to depart from the Taco Bell spicy potato taco formula:

spicy potato taco ingredients - tortillas, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes and chipotle sauce
Photo: Casey Barber

Switching out flour tortillas for corn tortillas.

Because the potatoes are very soft, and flour tortillas are also very soft, I wanted to create more of a textural contrast between the two.

I love making homemade corn tortillas, but quality store-bought ones are great too. Just make sure to toast the tortilas in a dry skillet or griddle, or over a gas burner, before filling them.

Adjusting the chipotle sauce.

The Taco Bell version of chipotle sauce is more of a mayonnaise, with the option to add sour cream separately when you “make it supreme.”

I switched it up a bit by combining chipotle ranch dressing with sour cream, so you get the smoky chipotle heat and the cool creaminess together.

spicy potato tacos with chipotle sauce
Photo: Casey Barber

The key to the best spicy potato tacos

Now tortillas and chipotle sauce are two very important elements in a spicy potato taco–it’s such a simple combination of flavors, after all. But the most crucial are the spicy potatoes, of course.

There’s one additional step I take when making spicy roasted potatoes (or Buffalo Wild Wings buffalo chips), and I really do believe it makes a difference.

Parboiling the potatoes before roasting them gives them a crispier exterior and a creamier interior, so you once again get that wonderful textural contrast in every bite.

It does nearly double the cooking time of the potatoes, so I understand if you’re put off by this.

spicy potato tacos with chipotle sauce

If you simply want to just roast the potatoes without parboiling them first, you’ll have really good spicy roasted potatoes. But if you want great potatoes, give parboiling a try.

Make it vegan!

Spicy potato tacos are already an awesome vegetarian meal and an awesome gluten-free meal. They can easily be an awesome vegan meal too.

Just swap out the cheese and sour cream for dairy-free versions, and use a vegan/plant-based ranch dressing.

spicy potato tacos with chipotle sauce

Spicy Potato Tacos

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Spicy potato tacos are a better-than-Taco-Bell version of a fast food favorite, with crispy roasted potatoes, smoky chipotle sauce and toppings. Even better, they're an easy vegetarian or vegan and gluten-free meal.

Ingredients

Spicy Potatoes

  • 1 1/2 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
  • kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Lawry's seasoned salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Chipotle Sauce

  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) chipotle ranch dressing (or 1/4 cup regular ranch dressing mixed with 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from canned chipotles in adobo)
  • 2 tablespoons (30 grams) sour cream

Taco Fixings

  • 12 6-inch corn tortillas
  • 1 large Roma tomato, finely diced
  • 4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese (half an 8-ounce pre-shredded package or block of cheese)
  • about 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

Instructions

Make the potatoes:

  1. Scrub the potatoes to remove dirt, but do not peel.
  2. Dice the potatoes into 1-inch cubes and place in a medium (2-3 quart) stockpot.
  3. Add a generous pinch of kosher salt and enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch.
  4. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then uncover and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
  5. While the potatoes parboil, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
  6. Whisk the seasoned salt, chili powder, and chipotle powder together in a small bowl.
  7. Drain the potatoes well, shaking the colander to remove as much excess moisture as possible.
  8. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and stir in the olive oil and seasoning until the potatoes are well and evenly coated.
  9. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet.
  10. Bake for 35-40 minutes until browned and crispy, stirring halfway through.

Assemble the tacos:

  1. Make the chipotle sauce by whisking the ranch dressing and sour cream together until thick and creamy.
  2. Toast the tortillas briefly in a dry cast iron skillet or on a griddle.
  3. Fill each tortilla with a handful of potatoes, then drizzle with chipotle sauce. Top with diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, and lettuce.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 537Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 912mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 9gSugar: 4gProtein: 16g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo!

FTC Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Good. Food. Stories. receives a minuscule commission on all purchases made through Amazon links in our posts.

Similar Posts