Best Smash Tacos - Where the smashed burger meets a tasty beef taco in a crispy tortilla shell topped with melted cheddar and a creamy, spicy special sauce! It’s just as good as it looks on social media and even easier to make. It’s worth all the hype and a recipe you’ll definitely keep coming back to!
This smash tacos recipe was born out of sheer curiosity! Much like the sushi taco I posted a while back, I saw it circling around social media and noticed how tasty it looked and how easy this viral trend was. So, of course, I had to try it myself and it was a hit with my whole family!
We make ours with ground beef but you can certainly use ground chicken or ground turkey if you’d like. It’s seasoned and smashed onto a tortilla shell then pan-fried until the meat is cooked, the tortilla edges are slightly crisp and the cheese is melted. Then it’s topped with the BEST sauce which may remind you of a Big Mac sauce. Creamy, tangy, and slightly spicy.
It’s part hamburger and part taco and all kinds of delicious. It’s such a fun twist on a traditional beef taco and a quick and easy way to get dinner on the table any night of the week!
Serve it with an appetizer of Mexican cheese dip and chips or a Mexican shrimp cocktail and a side of mango avocado salsa or avocado corn salsa for a Mexican-inspired feast!
What are Smash Tacos?
They’re a combination of a smashed hamburger and a beef taco. The beef burger is smashed with the tortilla, spreading the seasoned meat out nice and thin. It’s then cooked on one side and flipped to the other which is when the melted cheese gets added on.
Sometimes it’s referred to as a Bic Mac Smashed Taco because of the creamy sauce, lettuce, and sliced pickles that are added on top.
I don’t add pickles to mine, but that’s the beauty of making anything at home. You get to control what goes on it or in it and can get as creative as you want!
Ingredients for Smash Tacos Recipe
- Flour Tortillas: This recipe will yield 4 tacos, so you’ll need 4 flour tortillas. If you wish to make more, easily double the recipe and use more shells.
- Ground Beef: In an effort to prevent too much excess grease I use lean ground beef (80/20).
- Diced onions: Adds extra flavor and texture to the meat patty.
- Salt: To taste.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Shredded cheese from a block is the best way to add cheese for melting. The pre-shredded packaged cheese can work in a pinch, however, if you can, grate your own.
- Montreal Steak Spice: A simple combination of seasoning to flavor the beef before it cooks.
- Avocado Oil: A neutral, healthy oil that is perfect for pan frying without heavy oils.
- Greens: Your choice of greens for topping. I am a cilantro fan so I use that. You can use something else like parsley, baby spinach, or even shredded lettuce if you want.
What’s in the Smash Taco Sauce?
The homemade sauce is a combination of ketchup, mayo, sriracha, diced onions, and pickles. It tastes just like Big Mac sauce but better!
How to Make Smash Tacos
Step 1: In a large bowl, add the ground beef and Montreal steak spice. Mix with your hands or a wooden spoon to combine. Do not overmix.
Step 2: Divide the meat into 4 equal-sized balls, then place each one in the center of each tortilla shell.
Step 3: Smash the meat into the tortilla so that it spreads flatter across the entire surface. If you have a burger smasher that will work great!
Step 4: Sprinkle the diced onions over the meat and press them down into the meat as well. Season with salt to taste.
Step 5: Heat oil in a medium pan and carefully flip the tortilla so the meat side is facing down. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Flip it over, sprinkle the cheese on top of the meat, and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Step 6: Once cooked, transfer the tortilla to a plate, drizzle with sauce, add your greens, and enjoy!
Repeat with remaining meat and tortillas.
Variations
- Use whatever ground meat you prefer. Ground chicken or ground turkey would make a lighter version because both are leaner than beef.
- You can use taco seasoning if you don’t have any Montreal Steak Spice.
- If you have relish but no pickles, use that in your sauce instead. You can even skip the sauce and just use sour cream instead.
- A different cheese can be used. Swap the cheddar for Monterrey Jack or Mexican blend.
- Load yours up with different toppings. Pickles, pico de gayo, guacamole, or even sliced avocado and diced tomatoes.
Recipe FAQs
These are best eaten right away, especially once you’ve added the toppings. However, if you really want to you can store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They will get soggy!
You can reheat them in a skillet on the stovetop. Avoid the microwave if you can, this will cause them to be super soft and unable to regain any crispness.
This can happen from the oil in the pan as well as the grease from the meat. This will cause them to be a bit soggy. If you’re really concerned about this, you can cook the meat side down in the oiled skillet, and once flipped, transfer them to a new, clean skillet to crisp up the tortilla side.
They can certainly be tried as a substitute. I’ve never used them for this recipe, so I can’t say for sure, but they are smaller, which means you’ll need smaller meatballs to begin with.
Other Beef Recipes
- Guinness Beef Stew
- Beef Rice Pilaf
- Best Homemade Nachos With Ground Beef
- Easy Ground Beef Casserole
- Beef Pho
- Easy Shepherd's Pie
When YOU make these Smash Tacos please tag us on @munchkintimeblog on Instagram, we would LOVE to see your creation!
If you tried this Smash Tacos Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a * star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting! 😀
📖 Recipe
Best Smash Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 medium flour tortillas
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tablespoon Montreal steak spice
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped, divided into 4 equal amounts
- salt to taste
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil more in needed, using ½ tablespoon at a time for cooking tacos
- 1 cup lettuce leaves for serving, sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped for garnish
Instructions
- To make the sauce, mix all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a bowl combine beef with Montreal steak spice. Mix using gloves, then divide into 4 equal meat balls. After take one meat ball and press it into a tortilla. Add onion and press it down with fingers. Season with salt to taste.
- Preheat ½ tablespoon of oil over medium/low heat. Once oil is hot add tortilla meat side down and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until meat is cooked thru. Flip on the other side and add cheese, cook for 1-2 minutes or until tortilla is golden color.
- Transfer onto a cutting board, add lettuce, cilantro and the sauce. Fold in half, slice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Firstly, you can use any type of ground meat you prefer. If you're looking for a lighter version, ground chicken or turkey are great options since they're leaner than beef.
- Don't have any Montreal Steak Spice? No worries, you can simply use taco seasoning instead. And, if you have relish but no pickles, try using that in your sauce instead. Alternatively, you can skip the sauce altogether and just use sour cream.
- If you're feeling adventurous, swap out the cheddar cheese for Monterrey Jack or Mexican blend. And, when it comes to toppings, the sky's the limit! Load up your dish with pickles, pico de gallo, guacamole, or even sliced avocado and diced tomatoes. Have fun experimenting and enjoy your meal!
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