Smash Burger Tacos

If you like smash burgers, then you’re going to absolutely love these smash burger tacos. All the traditional flavors of a burger wrapped in a crispy taco and smothered in a tasty burger sauce. This recipe is family friendly, easy to make, and will quickly become one of your favorites!

When I was pregnant with my son, I developed a major food aversion to red meat. This food aversion started around 7 weeks pregnant and continued until the day my son was born, much to my brisket master father in laws dismay!

Thankfully, I could still enjoy ground beef if it was finely diced or thinly smashed, like what you would find in a smash burger patty. I ate a lot of smash burgers during that time, so when I heard that you could make smashed burger tacos…to say I ran to the grocery store would be an understatement.

Smash burger tacos. Big Mac tacos. Burger tacos. No matter what you want to name them, this recipe has classic burger flavors that are wrapped in a crispy tortilla and smothered in my easy, homemade burger sauce. You’re entire family will request these tacos weekly!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

You’ll absolutely love these smashed burger tacos because the are:

• Easy to make: While these tacos do need to be made one by one (unless you have a Blackstone or flat cooking surface), they really are pretty simple to make and you will impress your family or guests with your creativity!

• A fun play on a classic: Smash burgers, but make them tacos!

• Customizable: I included my favorite smash burger toppings but you can switch it up and add your own favorites like bacon, mushrooms, BBQ sauce, and more!

• Lower fat than other smash burger recipes: While traditional smash burgers are made with higher fat meat, I chose to make this recipe with lean ground beef to cut down on the fat and grease that could make the tortillas soggy.

• Family friendly: this is a great recipe to make for a summer night dinner or throughout the week. You could set up “burger bar” topping options, cook your tacos, and then let your kids choose their own toppings for a family friendly dinner.

This is one of my families favorite recipes so I know you will love it too!

Ingredients:

I chose to include the classic smash burger toppings in this recipe like:

1. 4 soft taco tortillas: I used the mission tortillas but you can use whatever tortillas you prefer or make your own! I just recommend taco size.

2. Lean ground beef: I chose 93% ground beef to cut down on calories and grease that could make my tortillas soggy.

3. Cheddar cheese: every smash burger needs gooey cheese.

4. Shredded lettuce: iceberg or romaine.

5. Tomatoes

6. Pickle

7. Onion + butter: to make your easy “grilled” onions.

8. Burger sauce: low fat mayo, ketchup, pickle relish, and sugar.

LTN Note: If you want to skip the burger sauce, you can use more traditional burger condiments like mustard and ketchup instead.

The process:

These burger tacos are fairly simple to make, but they do require a bit of patience since each one needs to be cooked individually. Here’s how to make them:

1. Finely dice your onion and then add your onion and butter to a small sauce pan. Cook over low/medium heat, stirring often until your onions are soft and golden (about 15 minutes).

2. While your onions cook, separate your ground beef into 4 equal chunks.

3. Place one chunk of ground beef in the middle of one tortilla then press the meat down to evenly cover the surface of the tortilla, leaving about 1/2 inch border around the edge. Note: you want to press your meat thin so that it is similar to a smash burger. Repeat on all tortillas.

4. Place a large sauce pan over medium heat and allow it to warm for about 2 minutes. Once the surface is hot, add one of your ground beef tortillas to the pan, meat side down. Cook for 4 minutes or until your meat is fully browned.

5. Flip your tortilla so the cooked meat side is now facing up, add your cheddar cheese, cover and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until your cheese is fully melted. Set the cooked taco to the side and repeat steps 4 and 5 with the rest of your tacos.

6. Add your lettuce, grilled onions, tomatoes, and pickles to your tacos.

7. Mix together your burger sauce (or use other preferred condiments), add a scoop to each taco, then serve your tacos and enjoy!

LTN Tip: You will likely need to cook these tacos one by one in a large pan. If you have a Blackstone or other large flat cooking surface, you can cook all four tacos side by side so they are finished at the same time!

Swaps & Substitutions:

While I love this recipe as a traditional burger taco, you can keep the tortilla and beef the same but change up your toppings to go for different burger themes like:

• Western burger: cheddar cheese, bacon, BBQ sauce, and shoe string onion rings.

• Blue cheese burger: Blue cheese, red onions, and lettuce.

• Mushroom Burger: Mozzarella cheese and grilled mushrooms.

• Just a cheeseburger: If you have little kids who like a simple burger, just add cheese and ketchup.

The options are endless!

Recipe FAQ:

1. How do I know if my meat is cooked?!

   1. Ground beef should reach an internal temperature of

2. Can I save these?

   1. Unfortunately, this is not a good recipe to meal prep or save because the tortilla gets soggy as it sits in the meat and sauce.

3. What should I pair with burger tacos?

   1. French fries, tater tots, or side veggies and a salad are all great side dishes for burger tacos!

Yield: 4 tacos

Author: Lauren Twigge

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Smash Burger Tacos

If you like smash burgers, then you'll absolutely love these smashed burger tacos! Crispy tortillas filled with ground beef, classic smash burger toppings, and smothered in a tasty burger sauce.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min

Ingredients

For the Smash Burger Tacos

• 4 soft taco flour tortillas
• 1 lb 93% ground beef
• Sliced cheddar cheese
• Shredded lettuce
• Pickles
• Tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 a yellow onion
• 1 tbsp butter
• Homemade burger Sauce

Homemade Burger Sauce

• 1/2 cup low fat mayo
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp pickle relish
• 1 tsp sugar (or to taste)

Instructions

1. Finely dice your onion and add to a small saucepan. Add your butter. Stir regularly and cook over medium heat until your onions are softened and golden, about 15 minutes. Once fully cooked, remove from the heat and set aside.
2. While your onions cook, separate your ground beef into 4 equal sections.
3. Place one section of ground beef in the middle of one tortilla and press your ground beef into a thin layer, covering the tortilla surface but leaving 1/2 inch of uncovered tortilla on the border. *You want to press your ground beef thin, this will help it cook fast enough and makes it more similar to a smash burger.
4. Repeat Step 3 on the other 3 tortillas until you have 4 ground beef tortillas.
5. Heat a large pan over medium heat until it is warm. Place one of the tortillas in the pan, meat side down, and cook for 3-4 minutes or until your meat is thoroughly browned.
6. Flip your tortilla so the meat side is now facing up. Add one slice of cheddar cheese, cover, and cook until your cheese is fully melted. Remove the tortilla from the pan and set aside.
7. Using the same pan, repeat steps 5 and 6 until all of your smash burger tacos are cooked.
8. Add your shredded lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and grilled onions.
9. In a small bowl, mix together your burger sauce ingredients then add a scoop to finish each taco. Serve warm and enjoy!

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Hey! I’m Lauren

I’m a Registered Dietitian and busy toddler mom committed to bringing you delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-make recipes!