Growing up, my brother and I lived near a Taco Bell. I was always a huge fan of the spicy potato soft tacos - a menu item that unsurprisingly appeals to kids with its deep fried potatoes and creamy sauce.
This rendition of spicy potato soft tacos skews a bit more sophisticated (see "grown up"), with potatoes pan-fried in olive oil, lightly charred tortillas, red cabbage dressed in fresh lime juice, homemade chimichurri, and a bit of sour cream (optional, but definitely recommended).
Chimichurri is a sauce made from fresh parsley, garlic, oregano, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and often red chili flake. It's incredibly easy to make (buzz everything up in a food processor) and wakes up any dish with its bright, fresh, somewhat spicy flavor.
Ready in 35 minutes, these bold, flavorful tacos are sure to impress your family or guests.
What You'll Need
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- Tortillas I used these flour tortillas in the "street taco" or mini soft taco size. They held up well to the fillings and charred nicely on the stovetop.
- Potatoes I recommend using russet potatoes. You can peel the potatoes or not. My trick is to cut each rounded edge of the potato to create a cuboid (you know, a rectangular cube) to make it easier to cut uniform ½ inch pieces.
- Olive Oil I always prefer a nice extra virgin olive oil.
- Fresh Parsley Flat leaf/Italian or curly parsley is fine. I promise you won't be able to tell after its been through the food processor.
- Fresh Garlic
- Red Wine Vinegar Using one step up from the cheapest red wine vinegar is a good bet. I find that the taste of red wine vinegar stored in plastic bottles can degrade more quickly. You can always taste a bit on its own before adding it to ensure its still fresh.
- Dried Oregano You can also use fresh oregano, but for this small amount, I'd feel inconsiderate asking you to buy a whole bunch at the grocery store. If you have it in your garden, though, by all means use it, and use a bit more than the recipe calls for!
- Kosher Salt I buy this 3-pack of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and it lasts for a very long time. It's important to keep in mind that kosher salt will affect the flavor of your food differently—it is a different shape than table salt and sea salt, and delivers less "salty" flavor per teaspoon because it is less compact.
- Chili Flake Adding a pinch of chili flake adds a lovely, subtle heat.
- Sour Cream Optional, but recommended. You can absolutely omit if you are lactose intolerant or vegan (or, you know, just don't like it).
How to Make
- Fry the potatoes
- Char your tortillas
- Dress your cabbage
- Blend the chimichurri
- Assemble and eat!
Variations
- You can use chicken, beef, pork, egg, or tofu in place of the potato in this dish.
- Try mixing cilantro and parsley or using just cilantro in your chimichurri. My personal preference is a sauce with just parsley, but many people enjoy this variation.
- Bump up the heat of this dish by adding some chopped jalapeño or a dash of cayenne in with your potatoes.
How to Store
I typically use homemade chimichurri within 4-5 days. After that the herbs lose color and some flavor and, because it is made with fresh ingredients, you always want to be mindful of food safety. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
It should store well in the freezer for approximately 3 months.
Cooked potatoes can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days, too. To reheat, place a little oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat and bring the potatoes up to temperature. This way, you may be able to revive some of the crispy lost in the refrigerator.
Once shredded, the cabbage should be good for about 5 days in the fridge.
When you are ready to eat your leftovers, just assemble them all in your tortillas.
How to Pair
If you're looking for ideas for side dishes, try spicy potato soft tacos with:
- Black Bean and Corn Salad
- Pozole
- Pickled Jalapeños and Carrots (Escabeche), a sort of spicy version of my Mixed Pickles
More Recipes You'll Love
If you love spicy recipes, try:
Pasta Aglio Olio e Peperoncino
Cucumber Lemon Ginger Water with Jalapeño
Spicy Potato Soft Tacos with Chimichurri
Ingredients
Tacos
- 12 tortillas mini soft taco size
- 2 potatoes russet
- 2-4 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
- 4 tablespoons sour cream optional
Cabbage
- ¼ head cabbage small, shredded
- 1 lime
Chimichurri
- 1 cup parsley tightly packed
- ¼ teaspoon oregano dried
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flake
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Tacos
- Cut the potato into ½ inch cubes. I like to cut off a small amount of each rounded edge so the potato is flat on all sides and then cut into uniform cubes.
- Place a frying pan over medium low heat. Add the olive oil.
- Cook the potatoes for 15-20 minutes, allowing each edge to become golden and crispy before flipping. Season with salt.
- If you have a gas stove, place another burner on medium heat. Place the tortilla directly on the burner grate. Watch carefully as it can catch fire on the edges. Let toast/char a bit on each side, flipping with tongs or a fork. Remove and let cool.
- If you do not have a gas stove, you can warm your tortillas in pan.
- Add some sour cream and about ¼ cup of potatoes to each tortilla.
Cabbage
- Shred or finely slice your cabbage. Squeeze lime juice over top. Add this to your tacos.
Chimichurri
- Add the parsley, garlic, oregano, chili flake, red wine vinegar, olive oil and salt to a food processor or mini food processor. Blend until combined. I prefer a somewhat chunky mixture, but if you prefer a smoother mixture, feel free to continue blending until your desired consistency is reached.
- Add chimichurri to the tacos and serve.
Notes
- If you don't have a food processor, chop the dry ingredients for the chimichurri (parsley, oregano, garlic, red chili flake) together finely and then whisk into a bowl with the olive oil, vinegar and salt.
- Store leftover components separately in the fridge. Reheat the potatoes in a small amount of oil in a pan when ready to eat to revive some of the crispiness.
- To make this dish vegan or dairy-free, omit the sour cream.
- Use caution when toasting/charring your tortillas on the stove. The edges can catch on the flame.
- Be sure to use less salt than recommended in this recipe if you are using table salt or sea salt instead of kosher salt.
Lindsey says
These were sooo good, thank you!
Genevieve says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
K says
It's hard to resist a good taco! Especially one with cabbage and cilantro! Perfect!
Genevieve says
Thank you!
Kris says
Wow, were these tasty! I'm a total potato lover and these really hit the spot. 🙂
Genevieve says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them.
Claire says
These were so delicious!!! My eldest daughter doesn’t eat meat and she asked for something different for her tacos (I usually do her some fish)
When I saw this recipe I knew she would love it as fried potatoes are her favourite thing ever!!
The tacos were such a hit. All 5 kids enjoyed them. So nice to have something different that they will all eat! Winner!!!!
Genevieve says
Yay! Always a win when all the kids are on board. Thanks Claire!
Glenda says
You had me at potato! lol But, the chimichurri is the star of this show! So flavorful A really delicious lunch. Thanks!
Genevieve says
You can never go wrong with potatoes. So glad you liked the chimichurri, too!
Jennifer says
I've never heated tortillas like this before but now I'm hooked! These tacos were delish and perfect for our meatless Monday dinner!
Genevieve says
Isn’t it great? I love the texture and the char. Thank you, Jennifer!