Tacos Dorados Are The Perfect Way To Spice Up Your Next Taco Night

It's hard to pin down what makes tacos so delicious, but Sun Valley Mag.com reports that in the U.S. we eat nearly 5 billion of them annually. Tacos are so beloved and widely consumed that Netflix tantalizes with a show called "Taco Chronicles" – narrated from the point of view of the tacos themselves. Tacos have evolved into countless different forms, from tried-and-true traditional recipes to intriguing forays into fusion – with the warm, unifying tortilla welcoming a wide variety of cuisines and cultures into its loving embrace.

There are soft tacos, there are hard tacos, and then there are fried tacos — or tacos dorados. In Mexico and on authentic stateside menus, you'll see such delights as birria — slow-cooked meat and melty, stringy Oaxacan cheese in golden-brown fried shells that as if that wasn't mouth-watering enough — get dipped in a rich consommé. While most Americans are likely familiar with corn and flour tortillas and taco shells, which were invented this side of the border (per The New York Times), it's less common to see fried tacos on the typical Taco Tuesday table. So what are tacos dorados, exactly, and how do you make them?

Tacos dorados translate to "golden tacos," which MasterClass describes as crisp, pan-fried corn tortillas filled with ground beef and cheese, which may or may not be rolled up or served with sauce or consommé decked out with cilantro, chopped onion, and fresh lime wedges. They can also be filled with vegetables, potatoes, beans, and other types of meat (like chicken or goat) and garnished to your liking. For a vegetarian version, look no further than The New York Times's tacos dorados de papa recipe using potatoes and cabbage.

MasterClass explains that there are also flautas and taquitos in the fried taco family, with flautas originating in Mexico and typically using flour tortillas, and corn tortilla taquitos that may have come from California. Like most tacos, tacos dorados have their origins in working-class Mexico, appearing first among miners and eventually defining the Mexican street food scene (per Sun Valley Mag.com). They're quick to assemble (though the meats within are often slow-cooked) and easy to eat while you're on the move, as long as you don't mind a little runaway filling here and there.

According to MasterClass, tacos dorados begin with browning protein with aromatics, spices, and tomato paste to build foundational filling flavors, but this dish can be made in many ways. HOLA USA shared celebrity chef Aarón Sánchez's tacos dorados recipe with potato, chorizo, and cheese. Fox13 featured Chef Jeff Jackson's tacos dorados, kicked up a notch with fresh jalapeño. And Iron Chef Bobby Flay's take, chicken flautas, are rolled up and feature a rich, tangy avocado cream sauce. 

You can serve tacos dorados with the traditional chopped cilantro, diced onion, and lime, along with your favorite hot sauce or salsas. Or, serve them with shredded lettuce, yellow cheddar cheese, and perhaps some diced tomato.

But for a truly memorable taco experience, it's what's on the inside that counts. Annie Petito of America's Test Kitchen says you've achieved tacos dorados perfection with a properly seasoned filling that won't spill everywhere when your initial bite cracks open the crispy exterior and send rivulets of grease toward your elbows. Just don't forget to make your own taco seasoning – it's much better than the store-bought packets. With tacos dorados up your sleeve, Taco Tuesday needs to extend to the rest of the week. It ought to be a way of life.