Why Smash Burger Tacos Are a Family Favorite
Our family’s smash burger tacos recipe, complete with our favorite homemade burger sauce! We’ve fallen hard for these, and we think yours will, too.
Last year, we shared our favorite smash burgers—and while that’s still a staple in our kitchen, we’ve recently fallen hard for the smash burger taco. After first spotting them going viral on social media, we had to try them for ourselves. One bite in, we were hooked. After making them at home, we’ve picked up a few tricks that make the process go smoothly. Plus, we’re including our homemade burger sauce, which really takes these over the top!
Key Ingredients
Ground Beef
Just like our classic smash burgers, we recommend using ground beef with a bit of fat. Aim for 15% to 20% fat (85/15 or 80/20). While leaner beef can work, the higher fat content keeps the meat juicy and helps it adhere properly to the tortilla without crumbling. These also work with ground chicken and ground turkey, but keep that fat content in mind (the more the better with these).
Tortillas
After testing these in our kitchen, we’ve found flour tortillas work best. They are quite a bit more pliable than corn, which helps prevent cracking. As a bonus, the meat adheres much better to the surface. That said, feel free to use whichever variety you love most.
Cheese
While this is always optional, we love adding a slice of cheese to these. My preference is melty American cheese, but anything goes here. Cheddar, provolone, mozzarella, pepper jack, anything!
Sauce
You can certainly stick to basic ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise, but our homemade burger sauce really takes these over the top. We think it’s a must!
Toppings
These are completely up to you. We like to keep things simple with a classic combination: finely chopped onion, fresh tomato, shredded lettuce, and a few pickles, all finished with a generous drizzle of our sauce.
How to Make Smash Burger Tacos
Preparation
Makes 6 tacos. Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 15 minutes. Total: 25 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound (450 g) ground beef, 80/20 or 85/15
- 6 (6-inch) flour tortillas
- Avocado oil or vegetable oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 slices American cheese or Cheddar
- Shredded lettuce, sliced pickles, chopped tomatoes, and thinly sliced onions, for serving
- 1 batch of our homemade burger sauce (optional)
Directions
- Divide the beef into 6 equally sized balls (about 2 ½ ounces each) and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to take the chill off.
- Place the tortillas on a work surface. Place a ball of beef into the middle of each tortilla. Using the back of a spoon, spread the meat evenly over the tortilla, taking it all the way to the edges.
- Preheat a griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot (so hot that water sizzles immediately when sprinkled on it).
- Drizzle lightly with oil, then add the tortillas, meat-side down, adding as many as can comfortably fit. Using a spatula or burger press, firmly press the tortillas and meat down into the pan. Cook until the beef is golden and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Using a sturdy spatula (metal is best), scrape the burger from the pan in one go and flip. Add a slice of cheese and cook until the underside of the tortilla is toasted, about 1 minute. Transfer to a serving platter and repeat with any remaining tortillas. Top with lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, onions, and a drizzle of burger sauce.
Tips for Success
- Choose flour tortillas: After testing both, we find flour tortillas work best for smash tacos. They are more pliable than corn, and the meat adheres better to the surface as it cooks.
- Spread the meat, don’t smash it: I know this sounds counterintuitive, but we’ve found that spreading the raw ground beef directly onto the tortilla before it hits the pan is the secret to success. It guarantees an even layer of meat, requires less “elbow grease” on the stove, and speeds up the cooking process a bit. If you’d like to make these as you would traditional smash burgers where you start with a ball and press down with a heavy spatula, you can, but we really have found that the spreading technique keeps this recipe easy.
- Use a metal spatula. These cook quickly, but the meat can occasionally stick to the pan. Keep a thin metal spatula (a flexible fish spatula works beautifully) on hand to gently wiggle underneath the meat before flipping. It also helps press the taco and meat into the pan to get a really good sear.
- Toast the other side of the tortilla. When you flip the taco to cook the meat side, the underside of the tortilla will crisp up in the rendered beef fat. We highly recommend adding a slice of cheese right after the flip to get that perfect melt, but even if you’re skipping the cheese, leave it in the pan for an extra minute to get the perfect crispy, golden exterior.
Serving Suggestions
We make these for dinner quite a bit, but they are also fantastic for crowds (especially if you have a large flattop grill!). At home, we usually keep things simple and serve a veggie on the side like roasted broccoli, sautéed zucchini, a simple green salad, grilled corn, or roasted asparagus. If you are making these for a crowd, serve them alongside one of our potluck-friendly sides, such as potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, corn salad, or fruit salad! (Here’s even more summer potluck recipes for inspiration.)
Nutritional Information
These are best when enjoyed fresh. If you have leftovers, let them cool (do not add any toppings), then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat them in a dry skillet for a minute or two per side. The burger sauce keeps in the fridge for up to a week. The nutrition facts provided are estimates and does not include the sauce (nutrition for the sauce are on its recipe page).
Per Serving (1 taco with cheese):
- Calories: 373
- Total Fat: 19.5g
- Saturated Fat: 6.8g
- Cholesterol: 58.9mg
- Sodium: 900.2mg
- Carbohydrate: 26.7g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 1.6g
- Protein: 21.8g
Recipe by Joanne Gallagher, Adam and Joanne Gallagher, creators of Inspired Taste. Established in 2009, Inspired Taste grew from a childhood dream into one of the internet’s most trusted recipe sites with hundreds of reliable recipes, step-by-step videos, and expert tips.