Description
These Smash Burger Tacos are a fun and flavorful twist on traditional tacos, combining juicy smashed ground beef with melty American cheese, crisp lettuce, pickles, and a tangy homemade burger sauce. Cooked on a skillet with perfectly seasoned beef pressed onto flour tortillas, they deliver the beloved flavors of a classic smash burger in convenient taco form.
Ingredients
Scale
Burger Sauce / Big Mac Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Tacos
- 4 flour tortillas, 6 inches in size
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- Salt and pepper, both to taste
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or avocado)
- 4 slices American cheese (or your preferred cheese on a burger)
- 1 small onion, diced
- Dill pickle chips as needed
- Shredded iceberg lettuce as needed
Instructions
- Portion the beef: Begin by dividing the ground beef into 4 equal portions.
- Prepare the tortilla: Place one flour tortilla on a clean work surface and evenly spread one portion of the ground beef over the entire surface to cover it.
- Season the beef: Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper on top of the beef-covered tortilla to suit your taste.
- Heat the skillet: Warm a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat and lightly grease the surface with the neutral oil.
- Cook the burger taco: Carefully place the tortilla with the meat-side down onto the hot skillet. Press down gently with a spatula briefly to form a thin patty.
- Form the crust: Allow the beef to cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes until a golden-brown crust forms on the underside.
- Flip and add cheese: Flip the patty, immediately top with a slice of American cheese, and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until the tortilla is crisp but not burnt.
- Remove and repeat: Take the smash burger taco off the heat and repeat the cooking process with the remaining tortillas and beef portions.
- Assemble the tacos: Spread some burger sauce onto each cooked taco, then add shredded iceberg lettuce, diced onions, and dill pickle chips.
- Serve and enjoy: Serve the smash burger tacos warm with extra sauce on the side if desired.
Notes
- The burger sauce can be made a day ahead for better flavor meld and should be made at least 30 minutes before serving.
- You can use smaller street taco size tortillas instead of 6-inch ones; adjust meat portions accordingly (about 8 tacos with street size).
- Replace the burger sauce with your favorite condiments like ketchup, mustard, or mayo if preferred.
- A griddle works best since you can cook multiple tacos at once; a smaller pan may require cooking 1–2 at a time.
- Store any leftover sauce refrigerated for up to 5 days.
- The sauce recipe yields more than needed; halve the ingredients for smaller quantities.
- American cheese can be substituted with your favorite cheese variety for different flavor profiles.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taco
- Calories: 430 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg