Smash burger tacos are a fun way to combine two favourites into one delicious meal. Starting with ground beef flattened with a tortilla, it is cooked, then topped with cheese and your favourite burger toppings. They can be made in a frying pan, a stovetop griddle, or an outdoor griddle such as a Blackstone griddle, and they are on the table in just 15 minutes!
Big Mac smash tacos are a delicious meal the whole family will love. On the table in just fifteen minutes, these tasty tacos will become your new favorite weeknight meal.
Add your favorite burger toppings and a side of french fries, and dinner is served.
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What you’ll love about this recipe:
What is a smash burger taco?
A smash burger taco is a delicious take on two favourite dishes: a cheeseburger and a taco.
Made famous on Tik Tok, smash burger tacos start with ground beef meatballs topped with a tortilla and smashed flat on a griddle. They are cooked for just a few minutes to allow the beef to sear, then flipped, allowing the tortilla to heat and crisp.
These tasty tacos are quick, easy, and delicious. They are a delicious alternative to add to your Taco Tuesday rotation. Serve them topped with a slice of cheese and your favourite burger toppings.
You can use either flour or corn tortillas, depending on your preference. Making these burgers in the form of a taco makes them easy to eat with one hand, and they cook far quicker than traditional burgers.
We love topping our smash burger tacos with homemade burger sauce, which tastes just like Big Mac Sauce and shredded lettuce. But you can get creative and add as many toppings as you like, such as diced or sliced tomato, sauteed onions or mushrooms, or sliced jalapeno peppers.
Ingredients
For a full list of ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
6-inch tortillas – Our prefrence for this recipe is corn tortillas. We love the flavor they add and the crispy texture that comes from the high heat of the griddle. You can use flour tortillas if you prefer, but they may not get as crisp.
Lean ground beef – We like to use lean ground beef for this recipe. Aim for a beef that is between 80-85% lean. This will give you lots of flavor, without too much excess grease. Of course, you can go with leaner beef, or a beef with higher fat content if you prefer.
Seasonings – We keep things super simple with our smash burger tacos using only salt and pepper. But you can use anything you like, burger seasoning, taco seasoning, all-purpose seasoning salt, ranch seasoning powder, or anything else you have in your pantry.
Cheese – Our favorite cheese for these burgers is American cheese slices. We like how they melt, and they are more reminiscent of the famous Big Mac that these tacos were created after. But you can use any cheese you have on hand; we’ve used cheddar, swiss, Monterey jack, and Gouda.
Toppings – Get creative here. Often, shredded lettuce and chopped tomato are the only toppings we add, but they are delicious with pickled hot peppers, onions, avocado, or even sauteed mushrooms.
Step by Step Instructions
The instructions here are for the Blackstone Griddle, but they can easily be adjusted to cook on a cast iron griddle over an outdoor gas grill, an indoor griddle, or a large skillet.
Preheat the griddle on medium-high heat until the surface is hot.
Step 1 – Divide the hamburger meat into equal portions and form into small meatballs. Once the griddle is hot, place the meatballs on the griddle, leaving 3-4 inches between them.
Step 2 – Place a tortilla on each meatball, then using a burger press, press down hard to flatten the meatball. If you don’t have a burger press, you can use the back of a metal spatula.
Step 3 – Allow the smashed burger to cook for 4-5 minutes until you see very little pink in the meat. Then, using a metal BBQ spatula, flip the tacos.
It is normal for the tortilla to curl before flipping, it will flatten out when you flip it.
After flipping, season the burger patties with a pinch of salt and pepper or your preferred seasoning, then place a slice of cheese on each taco.
Pro Tip – We have found that using a spatula that is a little smaller than the tortilla (about 3 inches wide) works better than a wide spatula. It allows you to flip the tortilla and have it lay flatter.
Step 4 – Cook for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crisp. Depending on how crispy you like the tortilla, you can cook it for a shorter or longer time.
Remove from the griddle and serve with your favorite toppings.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways you can serve these delicious taco burgers.
You can choose classic burger toppings, your favorite taco toppings, or a combination of the two.
Aside from melty cheese, which we get from a slice of American cheese, some of our favorite toppings for toppings for these smash burgers are:
- shredded iceberg lettuce
- chopped tomatoes
- pickle slices
- jalapeno slices
- diced white onion
- homemade Big Mac sauce
- sweet pickle relish
- yellow mustard
We like to serve these burgers with some crispy air fryer french fries. But you could keep things simple with a garden or Caesar salad or just serve them on their own.
Equipment
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Blackstone Griddle – The Blackstone griddle is an outdoor flattop grill and is one of our favorite cooking appliances. It makes cooking all kinds of meals super quick and easy, including these smash burger tacos.
If you don’t have an outdoor griddle, you can use a cast iron griddle that fits on a gas grill, an indoor griddle, or large skillet instead.
Burger press – A round burger press makes it easy to flatten the tacos nice and thin. A metal spatula will work if you don’t have one of these.
Metal BBQ spatula – You will want a metal BBQ spatula to flip your tacos. We recommend using one smaller than the tortillas’ width, about 3 inches. This makes it easier to flip and get the tortillas to lay flat.
Storage
If you have any leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
Leftovers can be enjoyed cold or reheated in the oven, microwave or air fryer.
Top Tips & Tricks
- Make sure the grill is nice and hot before you start. This will give the meat patties a nice sear and they will cook quicker.
- It is normal for the tortillas to curl before flipping them. Using a smaller-width spatula will make it easier to flip them and get them to lay flat on the griddle.
FAQS
You can use either flour or corn tortillas. However, corn tortillas will tend to get crispier and have more flavor.
You can; however, you need to be very careful to make sure that you cook them all the way through. We would recommend leaving them on the griddle for an extra minute or two to ensure they are fully cooked.
More Quick Dinner Recipes
Printable Recipe
Smash Burger Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 – 1 ½ pound lean ground beef
- 8 slices American cheese
- 8 6-inc soft taco shells flour or corn
- salt & pepper
Optional Toppings
- lettuce
- tomato
- sliced jalapeno peppers
- diced onion
Instructions
- Preheat the griddle to medium-high heat.
- Form the meat into balls of 2-3 ounces and place each on the hot griddle leaving 3-4 inches of space between them.
- Place a tortilla on top of each meatball and press down with the burger press until the meat is flat.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until you see very little pink in the meat.
- Flip the burgers with a BBQ spatula, then season the meat with a pinch of salt and pepper or your preferred seasoning, and top with a slice of cheese.
- Cook 3-4 minutes longer, or until the tortilla is crisp and cheese is melted.
- Remove from the griddle and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.