This Mexican Paneer Taco Recipe makes for a fun weeknight dinner or a party starter. It’s filling, easy to put together, and disappear really quickly!
I love recipes that make you look at leftovers a little differently, and these Mexican paneer tacos recipe is exactly that. This is the best way to use up those leftover rotis and turn them into a fun recipe the whole family, but especially the kids, will love! I fill these easy roti tacos with homemade herbed paneer, spicy refried rajma, crunchy cabbage and a creamy dahi sauce, so you get a little bit of everything in every bite.
What I really love about these air fryer tacos is that they feel fun and a little fancy, but they’re actually quite easy to put together. The paneer and refried beans can be prepped ahead, while the roti taco shells take just a few minutes to crisp up in the air fryer. They’re perfect for a quick weeknight dinner but I’d also happily make these paneer tacos for a casual get-together or party too!
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Ingredients for Veg Mexican Tacos
To make paneer: We need full fat milk, vinegar, and water (to dilute the vinegar), along with chilli flakes and oregano, fresh coriander leaves, and salt to make masala paneer
Paneer Marination: This is a simple, Mexican style marination that calls for garlic paste, oregano, chipotle seasoning, and salt
For fried beans: Boiled rajma (kidney beans) stir fried in a neutral-flavored oil, garlic, salt, cumin and chilli powders, ketchup, salt and a splash of water
To make tacos: We use leftover rotis for this recipe, which we crisp up in the air fryer. Other ingredients include neutral-flavored oil, purple cabbage, mayonnaise, hung curd or Greek yogurt, coriander leaves, red chilli sauce, ketchup, and salt
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use frozen rotis. Thaw them completely and make sure they’re at room temperature. This ensures that they’re flexible enough to shape. Frozen rotis can sometimes feel dry. If that happens, lightly sprinkle with water and let the rotis sit for a few minutes before shaping and air frying. Avoid using them straight from frozen as they can crack when folded.
Absolutely. However, homemade herbed paneer is softer and absorbs the marinade really well, so the texture will be slightly different. Plus, it’s not easy to find masala paneer in stores, which adds a bulk of the flavor to the recipe. But store-bought absolutely works in a pinch.
The key is to air fry the taco shells just before serving and avoid adding the fillings too early. Make sure the shells aren’t touching or overcrowded in the air fryer, and don’t brush them with oil. Also, let the shells cool for a minute or two before filling them so they retain their crispness.
Yes. You can make the taco shells in an oven instead. Preheat the oven to 200°C, shape the rotis around the foil balls and secure them with toothpicks, then bake for about 6-8 minutes, or until crisp. Keep an eye on them towards the end as the exact time will depend on the thickness of your rotis.
Richa’s Top Tips
- Use slightly older rotis if you can. Leftover rotis that have lost some of their softness work particularly well because they crisp up nicely in the air fryer and hold their taco shape.
- Don’t skip the foil ball. It gives the roti something to mould around and helps create a proper taco cup rather than a flat, folded roti.
- Secure the roti with a toothpick. This keeps the taco shell in place while it air fries. Just remember to remove it once the shells have cooled slightly.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. Leave some space between the taco shells so the hot air can circulate properly and crisp them evenly.
- Watch the taco shells towards the end. Rotis can go from crisp to too dark quite quickly, so keep an eye on them during the last minute.
- Mash the rajma well. The refried beans should be thick enough to sit inside the taco without making the crispy shell soggy.
- Let the paneer cool slightly before slicing. This makes it easier to cut neat strips without breaking the paneer.
Storage Tips
- Make ahead: The paneer, refried beans, cabbage salad and dahi sauce can all be prepared separately and refrigerated for up to 2-3 days. Store them in separate airtight containers and assemble the tacos just before serving.
- Don’t store assembled tacos: For the best texture, don’t store the assembled tacos. The moisture from the beans, cabbage and sauces will soften the crispy roti shells. The taco shells are best made fresh, but you can shape them ahead of time and air fry them just before serving.
Serving Ideas
- These paneer tacos work really well as a fun weeknight dinner, snack or party appetiser, especially because you can prep all the fillings ahead of time and let everyone assemble their own.
- Serve them alongside Mexican Rice, Mexican Street Corn, Guacamole, Salsa or a simple corn and bean salad for a more substantial meal.
- For a bigger spread, add some nachos with homemade salsa and guacamole or crispy air fryer potatoes on the side.
- You could also put everything on the table separately and make a little DIY taco bar with extra cabbage, chopped onions, coriander, cheese, jalapeños and different sauces. It’s especially fun when you’re serving these at a casual dinner or gathering.
Customisation Ideas
There are so many ways to change these tacos depending on what you have in the fridge:
- Change the protein: Swap the herbed paneer for tandoori chicken, shredded chicken, tofu or even crispy chickpeas.
- Switch up the beans: Rajma can be replaced with black beans or mashed chickpeas.
- Add more vegetables: Corn, diced bell peppers, grated carrots, lettuce, tomatoes or sliced onions would all work well here.
- Make them spicier: Add chopped green chillies to the cabbage salad or a little extra chilli sauce to the dahi dressing.
- Add cheese: A sprinkle of grated cheddar, mozzarella or a little crumbled feta would work particularly well.
- Try a different sauce: Replace the dahi sauce with mint yoghurt, coriander chutney, garlic mayo or a spicy chipotle mayo.
This Mexican paneer taco recipe is one of those recipe that looks more difficult than it actually is. Super customisable, easy to make, and so, so delicious, I promise everyone will be asking for seconds faster than you can make them.
If you make this air fryer taco recipe, don’t forget to DM the pictures @my_foodstory. Happy cooking!
Mexican Paneer Taco Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For herbed paneer
- 1 ½ litres full fat or whole milk
- 1 ½ tablespoons vinegar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
For paneer marination
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon chipotle seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
For fried beans
- 1 tablespoon sunflower or any neutral cooking oil
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- 1 ½ cups boiled rajma
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- ½ cup water
Other
- 1 tablespoon sunflower or any neutral cooking oil
- ¾ cup thinly sliced purple cabbage
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons finally chopped coriander leaves
- 3 tablespoons hung curds / greek yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon red chilli sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 8 leftover rotis of diameter 4 inch
Instructions
Making herbed paneer:
- Take vinegar, 3 tablespoons of water in a glass, mix well and set aside. Add milk to a pot, add coriander leaves, chilli flakes, oregano, salt, mix well. Bring milk to a roaring boil and reduce the heat to low.
- Add vinegar-water mix and stir with a spoon. Simmer for 1-2 minutes till you see the milk starting to split. Switch off the flame as soon as the milk splits completely and separates into whey and cheese curds.
- Line a sieve with a muslin cloth or cheese cloth and place this over another vessel. Strain the paneer into the cheesecloth. Once the whey has strained out, cover the paneer with the edges of the cheese cloth and place a heavy weight on it so it forms a block of paneer. Set this aside for 10 minutes.
Marinating paneer
- Take the herbed paneer block in a wide bowl or plate, add all the ingredients for marination and rub well on both the sides of the paneer. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Frying paneer
- Heat oil in a flat pan, add marinated paneer block and fry on both sides for 2-3 minutes on low till the paneer is roasted well on both sides. Transport to a chopping board and when it cools a bit, cut into ¾ inch wide strips.
Re-fried beans
- Heat oil in a pan, add chopped garlic and saute on high for a few seconds till fragrant. Add cooked rajma, salt, oregano, jeera powder, chilli powder, ketchup and mix well. Add ½ cup of water, mash well, cook on medium for 2-3 minutes till the beans absorb all the masalas.
Making tacos
- Preheat air fryer at 190C. Take each sheet of aluminium foil to roughly form an oval shaped ball. Hold the roti on your palm and keep the foil ball inside and fold the roti to form a cup/taco shell. Insert toothpick at one tip of the roti to the other tip. This step ensures that the taco shells retain their shape. Watch the video for detailed steps. Repeat the same process to make all the taco shells and place them on the airfryer basket with some gap between each other. Do not spray or brush oil and air fry for 3-4 minutes till the shells turn crisp. Transfer them to a plate and once they cool a bit, gently slide out the toothpick from each of the shells.
Prepping garnish
- Take sliced cabbage in a bowl, add mayonnaise, ⅛ teaspoon salt, mix well and set aside.
Dahi sauce
- Add hung curds, chilli sauce, ketchup to a bowl, mix well & set aside.
Serving Tacos
- Add 1 ½ tablespoons of re-fried beans to the fried tacos, place the paneer slices, add cabbage salad, drizzle dahi sauce and sprinkle coriander leaves.
Nutrition
This article was researched and written by Urvi Dalal.
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