These Spicy Potato Soft Tacos are the perfect Taco Bell copycat! Easy and delicious to make, they come together so quickly and make the perfect hearty dinner for the whole family! These potato tacos are vegan and gluten-free and will satisfy all of your taco cravings!
*Originally published July 30, 2021 and updated with new copy and photos 2/25/22.
One of the things that I loved most before becoming vegan was Taco Bell's Potato Tacos. They were so delicious! This potato taco recipe is the perfect copycat of the fast-food version but much healthier and frankly, tastier! These spicy potato soft tacos can be made year round and are perfect for a weeknight dinner!
If you know me, you know that I love my tacos. Some of my favorites are these Homemade Vegan Crunchwrap Supremes, these Mouth-Watering Vegan Birria Tacos, Roasted Veggie and Black Bean Tacos and these Portobello Lime Tacos. I truly can't imagine a world without tacos in it!
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Why These Are The Best Spicy Potato Soft Tacos
- Plant-Based- These potato tacos are plant-based, I left the cheese off these tacos to make them vegan and you won't even miss it.
- Tastes just like Taco Bell- Seriously, in a blind taste test, it would be hard to figure out which is which. These taste just like Taco Bell
- Ready in 40 minutes- This dinner will be on your table in 40 minutes flat. It is the perfect dinner for a busy weeknight.
Ingredient Notes
- Yukon Gold potatoes- I love using yellow potatoes in this potato taco recipe because I love how they get nice and crispy when you roast them in the oven. In my opinion, they are the best potato to use for these tacos, however, you can use russet potatoes if that is what you have on hand.
- Iceberg Lettuce- Taco Bell tops their tacos with iceberg lettuce and it is a great way to give the tacos some freshness. I grab a big head of lettuce and chop it up. You can also top your tacos with a coleslaw mix for some crunch if you prefer.
- Chipotle Peppers- The best part of about these spicy potato tacos is the sauce. The sauce is the star of the dish and a key ingredient is chipotle peppers. Make sure to get the kind in the can.
- Taco Seasoning- Taco Bell uses a mix of different seasonings to season their potatoes, however, I find that a spicy taco seasoning does the trick. This is my favorite brand.
- Flour Tortillas- It wouldn't be a taco bell copycat without the flour tortillas! Taco Bell is known for its soft tacos and flour tortillas are key.
See the recipe card for the full ingredient list and quantities.
Instructions for Potato Tacos
How to Make the Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Dice the potatoes into small bite-sized pieces. Toss the potatoes in olive oil and taco seasoning and place them on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
How to Make the Chipotle Sauce
- Add the mayonnaise, greek yogurt, lime juice, taco seasoning and chipotles to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour the chipotle sauce into a jar and set aside
How to Assemble the Tacos
- Warm the tortillas on a cast iron skillet
- Fill the taco shells with potatoes, top with shredded lettuce and chipotle sauce
- Serve immediately
Hint: Put some parchment paper down under the potatoes to make for an easy cleanup. Simply toss the parchment paper when you are ready to clean up and it saves you from cleaning the cookie sheet!
Substitutions
- Keto - swap out the potatoes for turnips! Additionally, use a low-carb tortilla or a lettuce wrap.
- Low Sodium - use low sodium taco seasoning or make your own!
- WW Friendly -made as-is, these tacos are 9 points per taco. To reduce the number of points and enjoy more tacos, try lettuce wrapping the tacos! You will still get all of the same flavors!
Variations
- Lettuce Cups - For a fun twist, skip the tortillas and serve in lettuce cups. It gives the tacos a nice, crisp bite and cuts down on the amount of carbs in the taco.
- Deluxe - add guacamole, vegan cheese, or tomatoes to this taco.
- Extra Protein - If you want to add a little extra protein to the taco, add in some black beans or soyrizo.
Check out some other recipes that use sauces like this Homemade Barbecue Ranch Dressing or these Roasted Veggie and Black Bean Tacos that uses sriracha mayonnaise!
FAQ's
Each taco had 291 calories making it a pretty low calorie taco. It is also plant-based and vegan. The tacos are higher in carbs than a meat taco because potatoes are carb dense, however they are full of clean ingredients.
According to Taco Bell's website, the ingredients in the potatoes tacos are flour tortillas, crispy potato bites, lettuce, real shredded cheddar cheese, and creamy chipotle sauce. This recipe doesn't use cheese because I personally don't enjoy vegan cheese alternatives and I don't find that it needs it, however feel free to add your favorite vegan cheese if you wish!
Potato Tacos originated in Mexico and are often consumed during the Catholic Lent season when meat is not allowed.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. See below for the equipment you will need to make this recipe.
- Cookie Sheet
- Cutting Board
- Chef Knife
- Blender
Storage
The cooked potatoes can be refrigerated for up to four days or frozen for up to a month. The flour tortillas can also be frozen, however if you decide to use corn tortillas, don't freeze those. They will fall apart when thawing.
Top tips
- Make sure your diced potatoes are the same size. If your potatoes are unevenly diced, it will affect the cooking time and some potatoes will burn while others will not be cooked.
- I love to char the flour tortillas when making these tacos, I feel like it gives it such a great flavor. To char the tortillas, turn your gas burner to medium-low, and using tongs, place the tortilla, one at a time, directly over the flame. As soon as it starts to brown, give a quick flip to color the other side and then take off the heat. Alternatively, you can cook tortillas in a cast-iron skillet – Place tortilla in a hot cast-iron skillet, for about 15 to 30 seconds on each side. You want to look few browned or darkened spots on both sides.
- Serve these tacos with some Chipotle Lime Sauce, Cilantro Lime Rice, 4 Ingredient Guacamole, or Refried Beans to make it a full and delicious meal! Also, don't forget the margarita!
Other Great Recipes You'll Love!
- Barbecue Ranch Taco Salad
- Vegan Portobello Mushroom Tacos
- Fiesta Veggie Tater Tot Casserole
- Vegan Fish Taco Bowl
- Vegan Freezer Burritos
- Baked Walking Taco Casserole
- Roasted Veggie and Black Bean Tacos
- Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos
Taco Bell Spicy Potato Soft Tacos
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 1 head of iceberg lettuce
- Flour tortillas
- ½ cup Taco seasoning about 1 package
- Chipotle Southwest Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Dice the potatoes into small bite-sized pieces. Toss the potatoes in olive oil and one package of taco seasoning and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Add the mayonnaise, greek yogurt, lime juice, ½ package of the second taco seasoning and chipotles to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour the chipotle sauce into a jar and set aside
- Warm the tortillas on a cast iron skillet
- Fill the taco shells with potatoes, top with shredded lettuce and chipotle sauce
- Serve immediately
Notes
- Make sure your diced potatoes are the same size. If your potatoes are unevenly diced, it will affect the cooking time and some potatoes will burn while others will not be cooked.
- I love to char the flour tortillas when making these tacos, I feel like it gives it such a great flavor. To char the tortillas, turn your gas burner to medium-low and using tongs, place tortilla, one at a time, directly over the flame. As soon as it starts to brown, give a quick flip to color the other side and then take off heat. Alternatively, you can cook tortillas in a cast iron skillet – Place tortilla in a hot cast iron skillet, for about 15 to 30 seconds on each side. You want to look few browned or darkened spots on both sides.
- Serve these tacos with some Cilantro Lime Rice or Refried Beans to make it a full and delicious meal! Also, don't forget the margarita!
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Giangi Townsend says
Looks so yummy and it has my favorite ingredient: Potatoes.
Thank you for the inspiration and new recipe that I will make for my family.
kaydimaggio says
I hope you enjoy it!
Frances says
Do you peel the potatoes?
kaydimaggio says
I do not peel the potatoes, the skin on Yukon Gold potatoes is thinner than on Russet potatoes so there is no need to peel.
Daniela says
they turned out so good! love it
kaydimaggio says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Sue says
What a wonderful way to make vegan tacos! I will never grow tired of these!!!
kaydimaggio says
Thank you! We eat these at least once every couple of weeks haha!
Gina Abernathy says
I always have potatoes on hand for dinner. These potato tacos look great and so easy to make.
kaydimaggio says
They are so easy and the whole family is bound to love them!
Kachina says
Amazing tacos! Love that they're plant-based and so full of goodness.
kaydimaggio says
Thank you!
KEVIN FOODIE says
These tacos look so appealing and delicious. Love the play on the seasoned potatoes
kaydimaggio says
Thank you!
Jeannie says
What a great way to enjoy tacos, great idea for us plantbased
kaydimaggio says
Yes! The potatoes are so tasty and make the perfect filling!
Rachael says
What a great idea for taco substitutions! This sound amazing!
kaydimaggio says
Thank you!
Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/ says
A vegan taco sounds a lot better to me than a heavy, meaty one! Plus, you used potatoes as the main ingredient in this recipe- just perfect!
kaydimaggio says
So glad you liked it! 🙂
Marinela says
Mmm this plant-based dinner is all I need right now, plus it's gluten-free. It goes on my to-do list recipe for with week. Love it!
Vanessa says
I would love to try it. If my son likes it this will add on as a lunchbox item for him. Thank you, I have been looking for simple, vegan recipes.
http://www.musingsandreviews.com
kaydimaggio says
You're welcome! I hope you enjoy!
Anaiah says
These potato tacos look amazing and I'm excited to try them out. I love how the potatoes will make it even more filling. Yum!
kaydimaggio says
Yes it is so yummy and filling!
Joshua says
Your recipes make plant based so easy! These potato tacos are something I will eat often as I continue learning how to cook. Thanks!
kaydimaggio says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Freya says
These were so good, loved that they were vegan!
kaydimaggio says
Glad you enjoyed!
Maren says
this potato taco recipe is awesome! I love potato tacos they're so filling and plant based! So healthy.
kaydimaggio says
Thank you! I am glad you liked it!