Idaho Tacos
What do you get when you combine a baked potato with scrumptious taco meat and toppings? You get Idaho Tacos, of course! These hearty and meaty potatoes are a cinch to make, and with so much flavor in every bite, they’re delicious!
Whether you serve these on a board or just put out a platter for people to dig in, everyone loves these beefy Idaho Tacos. I love that they’re so easy to make. If you can make tacos and bake a potato, you can make this recipe!
Idaho Tacos
I love tacos, but I get tired of them being on our weekly menu. With baked potato tacos, I get all the taco flavors I’m craving, plus the hardiness of a baked potato. You can dress these up with all your favorite taco fixings, and they’re perfect for sharing at potlucks or when you have family and friends over for a casual meal.
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You can also prep the meat ahead of time, but you’ll also have plenty of time to make the meat mixture while the potatoes bake.
Why I love this recipe
- Idaho Tacos are easy to make, and this is a deliciously different way to serve baked potatoes and tacos!
- You can top them however you like, with all your favorite taco fixings. See all my suggestions below.
- It can be a quick weeknight dinner if you “bake” the potatoes in the microwave instead of the oven.
Gather these ingredients
- Sweet onion – You can also use red or yellow cooking onions, but I love the touch of sweetness and mild onion flavor from sweet onions like Spanish or Vidalia onions.
- Olive oil – Or cooking oil.
- Ground turkey – See my suggestions below to swap out the meat.
- Taco seasoning – You can use your own blend or use 1 packet.
- Green chilies – One small can of green chilis. Don’t drain it.
- Jalapeno – Seeded and finely chopped. This is optional but adds great flavor and a touch of heat.
- Salt and pepper – To taste.
- Idaho potatoes – You’ll need 12 large Idaho potatoes, baked and steamy hot.
- Cheese – I like Tillamook Mexican 4-Cheese blend for this baked potato recipe.
- Green onion – Chopped. You’ll need 2 cups of chopped green onions, so grab a couple of bunches of green onions from the store.
Optional toppings
- Crispy tortilla strips
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Cholula Sauce – Or your favorite hot sauce.
- Shredded lettuce
- Roma tomatoes – Diced.
How to make Idaho Tacos
- Scrub the potatoes and prick them all over with a fork. Bake them in a preheated 400-F oven for about 50-60 minutes or until soft inside.
- Add the ground turkey to a large skillet and cook over medium heat, breaking it up with a meat chopper, until it is browned and no longer pink. About 4-5 minutes; drain the meat if there’s liquid in the pan.
- Add the canned green chilis and taco seasoning, and follow the instructions on the packet of taco seasoning.
- Cut a large X in the top of each hot baked potato, and fluff the insides a bit with a fork.
- Add a few scoops of taco meat to the top of each potato, and add cheese and green onion.
- Serve the Idaho Tacos with your favorite taco toppings, and dig in!
How to make an Idaho Taco Board or Bar
- Prepare the potatoes and meat mixture as above.
- Place the stuffed and topped potatoes on a 12×24-inch board or a large serving platter. They even look great on a baking sheet!
- Add bowls of toppings on the board around the potatoes, and fill in the empty spaces with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes.
Tips & substitutions
- If you don’t have time to wait for the potatoes to bake in the oven, cook them in the microwave. Simply scrub them and prick them 5-6 times with the tines of a fork, then microwave them on high power for 15 minutes, then test them to see how cooked they are. If they’re still hard, give them another 3-5 minutes in the microwave.
- You can make this recipe with ground beef instead of the turkey, or try it with ground chicken, ground pork, or even chorizo.
- Serve these potatoes hot. Keep them warm until just ready to top and serve.
- Not taco seasoning packets? You can use chili powder, cumin, seasoned salt and a couple of tablespoons of salsa in place of the packet.
Serving suggestions
This is my kind of meat and potatoes meal! All you need to round out a hearty dinner is a fresh and fabulous salad or even just some chopped veggies. I also love serving these potatoes on Taco Night, and if I’m pulling out all the stops, I’ll serve them with Taco Stuffed Peppers, Taco Soup, and even this amazing Taco Salad.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Return any toppings to their original packaging. You can reheat these Idaho Potatoes in the microwave on low heat until heated through.
Check out these awesome potato recipes while you’re here
Get the Recipe:
Idaho Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 pounds ground turkey
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 small can green chiles
- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped (optional)
- Salt and pepper
- 12 large Idaho baked potatoes, steamy hot
- 3 cups Tillamook Mexican 4-Cheese
- 2 cups chopped green onion
- Tortilla strips, tiny strips for garnish
Toppings:
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup guacamole
- 1 bottle Cholula Salsa
- Add around the board and potatoes:
- 1 16 oz. pkg. shredded lettuce
- 6 chopped Roma tomatoes
Instructions
- Bake the potatoes; keep them hot until right before serving.
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef, breaking apart with the meat chopper, until browned for about 4-5 minutes. Drain meat if you need to.
- Add in the green chilis and the taco seasoning (prepare according to package direction). Cook for a few more minutes.
- While the potatoes are baking and the meat is cooking, you can start to prepare the board if you choose to serve these on a board. You can also set this up as a “potato bar.”
- Add the toppings to the board, and leave room for the 12 potatoes.
- Right before serving, with a sharp knife, cut an X in the top of each fresh, hot baked potato. Fluff the inside of potatoes with a fork.
- Top each potato with taco meat, cheese and green onion.
- Set the potatoes on the board with the other toppings.
- Serve the potatoes with your favorite toppings, like sour cream, guacamole and Cholula Salsa.
- Around the board add the chopped tomatoes and shredded lettuce. Serve and enjoy!
- Optional to make it in 20 minutes if you microwave the potatoes.
Notes
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
