Tacos Dorados de Atun (Crispy Tuna Tacos)
Tinned tuna and soft potato rolled in corn tortillas and fried until golden, then topped with lettuce, salsa and crema.
Made with Salsa roja (cooked red salsa) and Lime crema (Mexican soured cream sauce) and Corn tortillas from masa harina. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time40 min
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £1.46 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Boil the potatoes in salted water for 12 to 15 minutes until soft. Drain, steam dry for 2 minutes and mash roughly.
14 min - 2
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the onion for 4 minutes until soft. Add the drained tuna, mashed potato, a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt. Mix well and cool slightly.
4 min - 3
Warm your ready made corn tortillas (see the base recipe) wrapped in a damp tea towel in the microwave for 40 seconds so they bend. Spoon 2 tbsp of the filling along the centre of each and roll up tightly. Secure with a cocktail stick.
- 4
Heat the frying oil in a wide, deep pan to 175C, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Never leave hot oil unattended.
- 5
Fry the tacos in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, turning, until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper and remove the cocktail sticks.
2 min 30 s - 6
Serve on a bed of lettuce, spoon over the salsa roja (see the base recipe) and lime crema, and serve with lime wedges.
Tips
- Mash the potato roughly and dry the tuna well, or the filling is wet and the tortillas split.
- Roll tightly and fry seam side down first.
- Keep the oil steady at about 175C. Too cool and the tacos soak up oil.
- Bake instead: brush with oil and bake at 220C (200C fan) for 15 minutes, turning once.
Storing and freezing
Best eaten fresh while crisp. Keeps in the fridge for up to 1 day. Cool within 1 to 2 hours and reheat in a hot oven for 10 minutes until steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
Do I need potato in the filling?
Potato makes the tuna go further and keeps the filling soft and not dry. You can use only tuna with a spoonful of lime crema if you prefer.
Can I bake them?
Yes. Brush with oil and bake at 220C (200C fan) for about 15 minutes, turning once. They will be less crisp than fried.
Are these tacos gluten free?
Yes. Tuna, potato, salsa and masa harina tortillas contain no gluten, egg or nuts. The crema contains dairy, so skip it for a dairy free meal.
More made with salsa roja (cooked red salsa)
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.