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You’ll love this delicious recipe that combines the best of burgers and tacos together. It makes an easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love!
These can be enjoyed on game day, Cinco de Mayo, or for a weeknight family dinner! It has become one of our favorite Ground Beef Recipes!
Table of Contents
What’s A Smash Burger Taco?
It’s a combination of smash burgers, similar to the popular burger chain hamburgers and tacos, and is based on a viral TikTok video that spread like wildfire across all social media. It transforms a smash burger recipe into a taco. For example, instead of a hamburger bun, it uses a tortilla.
These viral smash burger tacos are like taco burgers, but these are definitely more tacos than burgers. However, they are not your typical taco either. These taco burgers have a crispy tortilla. I guess you could call these smashed tacos or smashed taco burgers, or cheeseburger tacos.
Have you ever had a burger from the popular chain Smashburger? They have thin meat patties because they are “smashed” on the hot griddle and served with a delicious homemade burger sauce.
How Is This Recipe Different?
This Smashburger Taco recipe is different; it’s more taco than burger because it is a more Tex-Mex version. Below are a few of the differences.
- Flavor – To add a more Tex-Mex flavor to the meat, I combine chorizo with ground beef.
- Toppings – Instead of sliced cheese, I use prepared queso. Instead of plain tomatoes, I use pico de gallo with tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and cilantro. Instead of stopping there, I add guacamole and a spiced sour cream. Of course, you can always use your favorite toppings.
- Sauce – The Smashburger taco, or Big Mac Taco as some call it, has a special sauce, like the delicious Big Mac sauce. Instead of this sauce, I use a spiced sour cream to give it a more Mexican flavor.
- Overall, this Smashburger Taco recipe is more Tex-Mex than the original!
What You’ll Need
Equipment
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Ingredients
Below, I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions if you don't have a specific ingredient. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.
Smash Burger Tacos:
Flour Tortillas – For many recipes, you can switch between either flour or corn tortillas, but not this one. You will need flour tortillas to stay true (somewhat) to the original recipe. Corn tortillas will give it a different texture and flavor, and the beef patty will not stick as well to the corn tortillas as they do the flour tortillas. You’ll need small flour tortillas, more specifically an 8-inch size tortilla, which is a fajita-sized tortilla and not a burrito-sized tortilla.
Ground Beef – Use a pound of 80/20 ground beef because you’ll need the extra fat in this recipe for the burger to hold together. I don’t recommend lean ground beef or ground turkey for this recipe.
Ground Chorizo – You’ll need a 1/2 cup of ground chorizo to give it that extra Mexican flavor. However, don’t change the ratio between the beef and chorizo, or else the burger patty may fall apart.
Garlic Powder – Add garlic powder to the meat mixture. If you want to add a little more kick, add about 1/2 teaspoon of my Homemade Taco Seasoning to the meat mixture.
Salt & Pepper – To taste.
Toppings:
Queso – Instead of a slice of cheese, I use queso to give it a more Tex-Mex style. I recommend making my Skillet Queso, but you could use store-bought. You want melty cheese over the hamburger patty.
Shredded Lettuce – or you can use your favorite burger toppings instead.
Guacamole – You can use a dollop of homemade guacamole or store-bought.
Pico De Gallo – with fresh tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and cilantro, this adds a fresh kick to the tacos.
Sour Cream
Salsa – I think homemade salsa adds the best flavor, but use your favorite.
Paprika or Chipotle Powder – See the recipe card below for specific measurements.
How To Make Smash Burger Tacos
Combine the beef, chorizo, and garlic powder.
Divide the meat mixture evenly and roll it into eight equal-sized balls.
Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Place a ball in the middle of a tortilla.
Place the meat side down on the griddle with the tortilla on top of the meat.
Smash the meat flat and cook for 3 minutes.
Flip it over so the tortilla side is face down on the griddle and the thin burger patty is on top, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove and fold the tortilla in half.
Heat the queso in the microwave according to the directions.
Add some queso, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and guacamole to the tacos.
Combine the sour cream, salsa, paprika, or chipotle and drizzle over the tacos.
You can serve these Smashburger Tacos either flat or folded. Your choice!
Recipe Tips
- Smash It! Use something heavy, like a burger press, or press hard with a spatula until the hamburger is smashed thin. Press the burger flat onto the tortilla with your palm before placing it in the pan.
- Fast! The hamburger patty is super thin and will cook quickly. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip and continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Flat or Folded! You can serve these flat, or if eating as a taco, fold as soon as it comes out of the pan if you want it to be a taco shape.
- Saucy! The sauce for these smash tacos is not the typical smash burger sauce. It is a spicy cream sauce. If you want it a bit spicy, add the chipotle powder or some chili powder.
Variations
- Standard Smashburger Taco – Use ground beef only, sliced cheese (either American cheese or cheddar cheese), yellow mustard, shredded lettuce, and plain tomatoes.
- Dill Pickle Smashburger Taco – Follow the standard version above, but top the burger with chopped dill pickles or dill pickle relish. Of course, if you prefer sweet relish, use sweet pickle relish.
- Mac & Cheese Smashburger Taco – Top the burger with your favorite mac & cheese!
What To Serve With Smash Burger Tacos
- Chips and Queso
- Chips and Salsa
- Mexican Rice
- Refried Beans
- French Fries
- Onion Rings
- Potato Chips
FAQs
These Smashburger Tacos are best enjoyed hot off the grill. Leftovers could get soggy. However, if you have leftovers, place the tacos in airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Yes! You can place the beef patty on the flour tortilla before placing it on the grill. Then, you can use a metal spatula to press it down on the grill.
If you follow the instructions, there is less of a chance that the tortillas get soggy. For example, don’t put too much meat on each tortilla. The meat patty should be thin and cooked quickly. When you flip the burger and the tortilla is on the grill and the meat patty facing up, don’t take it off the grill until the tortilla gets nice and crispy.
More Recipes
- Ground Beef Tacos
- Taco Sloppy Joes
- Grilled Onion Bacon Cheeseburger
- Beef Empanadas
- Potato and Chorizo Empanadas
- Taco Stuffed Potatoes
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Recipe
Smash Burger Tacos Recipe (Tex-Mex Version)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20
- 1/2 cup chorizo
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
- 1/2 cup queso
- 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
- 1/2 cup pico de gallo
- 1/2 cup guacamole
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons salsa
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika or chipotle powder
Instructions
- Combine the beef, chorizo and garlic powder. Divide evenly and roll into 8 balls.
- Heat a pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
- Place a ball in the middle of a tortilla and place on the hot pan. Smash the meat flat and cook for 3 minutes. Flip and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove and fold the tortilla in half.
- Heat the queso in the microwave according to the directions.
- Add some queso, lettuce, pico de gallo, and guacamole to the tacos.
- Combine the sour cream, salsa and paprika or chipotle and drizzle over the tacos.
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