Air Fryer Mashed Potato Tacos Recipe
These Air Fryer Mashed Potato Tacos offer a unique twist on traditional tacos by incorporating creamy mashed potatoes seasoned with smoky spices and blended cottage cheese. Crispy on the outside and soft inside, these tacos make for a comforting vegetarian meal that’s easy to prepare and perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or casual gathering.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 tacos 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Mashed Potato Filling
- 1 pound Russet potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes)
- 1 cup cottage cheese (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon salt (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
Tacos
- 10 corn tortillas
- Lettuce (for topping)
- Tomato (for topping)
- Avocado (for topping)
- Cheddar cheese (for topping)
- Red onion (for topping)
- Cilantro (for topping)
Instructions
- Prepare Potatoes: Peel and dice the Russet potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Place them in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil.
- Boil Potatoes: Cook the potatoes for about 10-15 minutes until they are fork tender and easy to mash.
- Blend Cottage Cheese: While the potatoes boil, add the cottage cheese to a blender. Blend until it becomes smooth and creamy.
- Mash Potatoes: Drain the cooked potatoes and return them to the pot or a mixing bowl. Add the blended cottage cheese along with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and chili powder. Mash the mixture until mostly smooth but allowing a few lumps. The consistency should be thicker than traditional mashed potatoes to prevent filling spills, but you can add extra cottage cheese or a splash of milk if necessary.
- Warm Tortillas: Arrange the corn tortillas on a microwave-safe plate, cover them with a damp paper towel, and microwave for 20 seconds to make them pliable.
- Assemble Tacos: Spread a few tablespoons of the mashed potato filling over half of each tortilla. Fold the tortillas to close them over the filling.
- Prepare Air Fryer: Spray the air fryer basket lightly with oil spray. Place up to 4 tacos in a single layer inside the basket and spritz both sides of the tacos with oil spray.
- Air Fry Tacos: Cook the tacos at 400°F for 6 minutes. The tortillas will crisp up further once removed from the air fryer.
- Repeat: Cook the remaining tacos using the same method. Keep cooked tacos warm in the oven or return all tacos to the air fryer for 1 minute to rewarm before serving.
- Serve: Carefully pry apart each taco and add your preferred toppings such as shredded lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheddar cheese, red onion, and cilantro. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- Cottage cheese helps make the mashed potato filling creamy and adds protein. Use full-fat or low-fat depending on preference.
- Adjust salt to taste, especially since toppings like cheddar cheese may add saltiness.
- The mashed potatoes should be thick enough to stay inside the tacos without leaking, but adding a little milk or extra cottage cheese can help if the mixture feels too dense.
- If you don’t have an air fryer, you can crisp the tacos in a conventional oven at 400°F for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Keywords: mashed potato tacos, air fryer recipes, vegetarian tacos, easy dinner, Mexican-inspired, comfort food
