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Smash Burger Tacos

Smash burgers meet taco fusion in these burger tacos with an ultra-thin, crispy beef patty cooked on a smoking griddle. Cheddar or American cheese melts into an easy pull as the tacos fold and load up with lettuce, pico de gallo, jalapeños, sour cream, and hot sauce.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American Fusion
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Smash burger taco filling
  • 1.5 lb ground beef (80/20) Use 80/20 for best crispy, juicy smash
  • 8 small flour or corn tortillas Choose flour or corn—either works on a griddle
  • 8 slices cheddar or American cheese Layer right after flipping so it melts and oozes
  • 1 shredded lettuce For crunch and freshness
  • 0.75 pico de gallo Spoon onto each taco before serving
  • 0.5 sliced jalapeños Add to taste
  • 0.5 sour cream Dollop for tang
  • 0.25 hot sauce Drizzle to finish
  • 0.25 salt and pepper to taste Season the beef before smashing

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Portion and season the beef
  1. Divide the ground beef into 8 portions and roll each portion into a ball, then season with salt and pepper.
  2. Set the beef balls aside while you heat the griddle or skillet.
Smash and crisp
  1. Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking hot.
  2. Place tortillas on the hot surface and put 1 beef ball on each, then smash as thin as possible with a heavy spatula.
  3. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the edges are crispy and lacey, then flip tortilla and beef together at the same time.
Melt cheese and assemble tacos
  1. Immediately add the cheese on top and cook for another 1 minute until melted and glossy.
  2. Fold the tortilla like a taco and fill with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, sliced jalapeños, sour cream, and hot sauce.

Notes

For maximum crisp, only flip once and keep the heat high enough to maintain a fast sizzle (smoking is the target). Store assembled toppings separately from the crispy beef; refrigerate beef up to 3 days, rewarm on a hot skillet to regain crunch. Freezing is not recommended for the fully assembled tacos, but cooked beef patties can be frozen up to 2 months and reheated in a skillet. For a lighter option, use 90/10 ground beef and press thinner for crispness.