Go Back

Smash Burger Tacos

Smash burger tacos with ultra-thin crispy beef patties smashed on a hot griddle and oozing melted cheddar inside foldable tortilla tacos. Each taco is cooked until lacy, flipped with the tortilla, then topped with lettuce, pico de gallo, jalapeños, sour cream, and hot sauce for a taco-fusion bite.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
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
  

ground beef (80/20)
  • 1.5 lb ground beef (80/20) Leanest option not required; 80/20 helps crisping and juiciness.
flour or corn tortillas
  • 8 small flour or corn tortillas
cheddar or American cheese
  • 8 cheddar or American cheese slices Use 1 slice per taco to guarantee an oozing cheese pull.
shredded lettuce
  • 1 cup shredded lettuce
pico de gallo
  • 0.5 cup pico de gallo
jalapeños
  • 0.5 cup sliced jalapeños
sour cream
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
hot sauce
  • 2 tbsp hot sauce
salt and pepper
  • 0.5 tsp salt Season beef generously before smashing.
  • 0.5 tsp pepper Adjust to taste for heat balance.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep the beef and toppings
  1. Divide the ground beef into 8 portions and roll into balls, then season with salt and pepper.
Smash and melt cheese
  1. Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking hot, then place tortillas on the surface.
  2. Put a beef ball on each tortilla and smash as thin as possible with a heavy spatula.
  3. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the edges are crispy and lacy, then flip the tortilla and beef together.
  4. Immediately add cheese and cook for another 1 minute until melted, keeping the taco structure intact.
Fold and finish
  1. Fold each crispy beef-and-cheese tortilla like a taco and fill with shredded lettuce.
  2. Top with pico de gallo.
  3. Add sliced jalapeños for heat.
  4. Finish with sour cream and drizzle with hot sauce.

Notes

Pro tip: smash the beef as thin as possible right away so the edges crisp into a lacy texture; for the best cheese pull, add cheese immediately after flipping and serve right away. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat beef-taco filling in a skillet so it regains some crunch, and freeze is not recommended for assembled tacos. For a lighter option, use 90/10 ground beef and cook until the edges crisp, expecting slightly less juiciness.