Chorizo and Potato Crispy Tacos

Hello, welcome to Djalali Cooks! Today’s recipe is a fun combination for tacos: Chorizo and Potatoes. You can customize these tacos with steamed tortillas instead of shallow frying them, if you prefer. Or throw a scrambled egg in there for a great breakfast taco! The shallow frying technique, you might remember from Tacos Dorados; it’s a quick and easy way to get deliciously crispy tacos. So let’s do it: Chorizo and Potato Crispy Tacos!

Simple Filling

Since we will shallow fry these tacos with the filling inside, we want to keep the filling simple and then get creative with the toppings. For the filling I have about 3/4 pound of baby Dutch Yellow potatoes, about 8 ounces of Mexican Chorizo, 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese and half a white onion. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the potatoes in 1/2-inch cubes. To make the cooking all go faster, I will boil the potatoes for about 5-7 minutes, just until fork tender. Meanwhile, brown the chorizo in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked chorizo to a paper towel-lined plate. In the now-empty chorizo skillet, over medium-high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the onion until it is translucent. Then add the drained, boiled potatoes. Season the potatoes and onions with a pinch each of Kosher salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and cumin.

Stir to combine seasoning then let the potatoes crisp up; let them go undisturbed for about 3-5 minutes. Then stir and let them go another 3-5 minutes without stirring. We are just looking for a little crisping and browning on the potatoes. When you like how they’re looking add the cooked chorizo back to the pan and mix everything together, cook while stirring for about a minute or two to reheat and incorporate the chorizo.

Then transfer the potato chorizo mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the grated cheddar cheese. Stir together until the cheese is melted and fully incorporated. I added some diced fresh jalapeño to the mix. This is optional.

Tortillas

Now, we will brush both sides of the corn tortillas with a little grapeseed or vegetable oil. Lay the tortillas flat on a large sheet tray and place them in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes. We just want them to become pliable, we don’t want them to get crispy at all.

Build the Chorizo and Potato Tacos

When you pull the tortillas from the oven, reduce the oven temp to 200 degrees, we will keep the fried tacos in the warm oven, since we will be batch frying. Set up your taco making station with a fresh sheet tray alongside to catch the folded tacos. Place a few tablespoons of filling on one half of the flat tortilla, then fold the empty side of the tortilla over the filling and press the taco.

If the taco doesn’t want to stay folded, you can lay a heavy spatula on the tacos to help them adhere, and stay folded. I used a heavy grill spatula.

Shallow Fry the Chorizo and Potato Tacos

In a large skillet or braiser, over medium/high heat, heat 4 tablespoons of vegetable or grapeseed oil until it’s shimmery. You can test the temperature by sticking the tip of a wooden spoon handle into the oil; if the oil actively bubbles around the wooden spoon handle, it’s hot enough to fry. Set up the fry station with the taco sheet tray on one side. Place a wire rack in another sheet tray and line the wire rack with paper towels – set that on the right side of the hot oil pan.

I like to use two fish spatulas to maneuver and flip the tacos. This keeps the tacos from splashing into the hot oil when I flip them. One at a time, place 4-5 tacos in the hot oil. Lay them in carefully, with the open sides away from you.

Adjust the burner temp to keep the oil actively bubbling around the tacos. Let them fry for about 1-2 minutes on each side. When you go to flip them, slide one spatula under the taco, place the other spatula on the side facing up, and turn the taco over, so the bottom spatula is now on top. Then gently lay the taco back in the oil. Repeat for all the tacos.

Transfer fried tacos to the paper towel-lined rack in the sheet tray and place the whole tray in the warm oven. Repeat process for the next batch of tacos.

When you have fried all of the tacos, transfer them from the paper towel-lined rack to a serving plate, or small sheet tray and serve with toppings. The toppings I have are: diced Lemon Boy tomatoes, diced fresh jalapeños, sour cream, and chopped cilantro.

We often make tacos with leftovers; just tossing leftover protein into a warm corn tortilla with whatever toppings I have in the fridge. So taking this extra step to fry the tacos makes these Chorizo and Potato Crispy Tacos a very special treat for us. The combination of potatoes and chorizo is so perfect. I like to use the baby Dutch Yellow, or baby red potatoes, because of their creamy cooked texture. I think russets would be too dry in this recipe.

Thank you all so much for joining me today for Chorizo and Potato Crispy Tacos! Let me know if you make these little bad boys, and send me a picture if you do. At the beginning of October, I will compile your images and feature your dish as part of a reader favorites round-up on the blog! You can email me your pictures at kelly@djalalicooks.com, or DM the pictures to my Instagram. Take care and be well everyone! xo Kelly

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Chorizo and Potato Crispy Tacos

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Dinner, Main Course – Mexican

By Kelly Djalali – Serves: Makes 10-12 Tacos

Prep Time: 15 Minutes – Cooking Time: 30 Minutes – Total Time: 45 Minutes

Spicy, savory Mexican Chorizo with creamy yellow potatoes and cheddar cheese, wrapped in a corn tortilla and shallow-fried to crispy perfection.

Ingredients

• Taco Filling
• 8 ounces of Mexican Chorizo, removed from casing
• 3/4 pound of baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes, diced
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Cumin
• 1 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 White Onion, diced
• 10-12 Corn Tortillas
• 4 tbsp. Vegetable or Grapeseed Oil, for frying (plus another 2 tablespoons for brushing on the tortillas)
• Toppings
• Fresh Tomato, diced
• Fresh Jalapeño, diced
• Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2

Boil diced potatoes in salted water until fork tender, about 5-7 minutes. Drain potatoes.

3

Meanwhile, In a large skillet, cook the chorizo, breaking it up as it cooks, until it's browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer cooked chorizo to a paper towel-lined plate.

4

In the now-empty chorizo skillet drizzle a little oil and sauté the diced onion until translucent. Add the drained potatoes and season with Kosher salt, pepper, oregano and cumin. Stir to coat potatoes and onions in seasoning and let cook, undisturbed for about 3-5 minutes. Then stir, and let cook undisturbed again for another 3-5 minutes, until the potatoes develop a little crispy browning.

5

Add the cooked chorizo to the potatoes and stir to combine. Let cook another few minutes to warm through the chorizo.

6

Transfer the chorizo/onion/potato mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the grated cheddar cheese. Stir to melt and fully incorporate the cheese. Add some diced fresh jalapeños if desired, mix, and set bowl aside.

7

Lay desired number of tortillas on a large sheet tray and brush both sides with vegetable or grapeseed oil. (It's ok if the tortillas overlap a little.)

8

Bake the tortillas for about 4-5 minutes, just until they are warmed through and pliable, but not crispy or browning. Remove from oven and reduce oven temp to 200 degrees

9

Spoon a few tablespoons of the chorizo/onion/potato/cheese mixture on one side of a flat tortilla and fold the empty side of the tortilla over the filling and press to close. Repeat for all tortillas.

10

Over medium/high heat, heat 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil until shimmering.

11

Carefully, one at a time, lay the folded tacos into the hot oil, with the open side away from you. Fry for about 1-2 minutes, until the tortilla is golden brown, then carefully flip the tacos over and fry another minute or two.

12

Transfer fried tortillas to a paper towel-lined wire rack placed in a sheet tray and place the tray in the warm oven.

13

Repeat with remaining tacos.

14

To top tacos, gently open the taco like a book and top with desired toppings.