Smash Burger Tacos Recipe
If there's one kind of culinary mashup I can always get behind, it would be a burger-taco (or taco-burger, depending on how you look at it). And we're not just talking about any humdrum burger or mediocre taco.
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons chopped chipotle peppers in adobo
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 pound ground beef, portioned into 8 balls
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 8 taco-sized corn tortillas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 8 slices deli-style cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 2 roma tomatoes, sliced
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ¼ cup sliced pickled jalapeño
- ¼ cup dill pickle chips
- Make the special sauce by placing the mayonnaise, mustard, chipotle peppers, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and granulated sugar in a medium bowl.
- Whisk to combine the sauce, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- To begin the tacos, sprinkle the ground beef portions with taco seasoning.
- Place one of the seasoned ground beef portions in the center of a corn tortilla.
- Press the ground beef into the tortilla, creating a thin patty.
- Repeat the process with the remaining tortillas and seasoned ground beef portions.
- Drizzle a large skillet with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Warm over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, place a tortilla-patty into the skillet, beef side down, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until deeply seared.
- Flip the tortilla and cook for 2 minutes more, or until the ground beef is cooked through.
- Top the patty with a slice of cheese and cook until the cheese has melted. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Repeat the cooking process with the remaining tortillas and cheese.
- To assemble the burger tacos, divide the tortillas between plates, and top with shredded lettuce, tomato slices, jalapeños, and pickles.
- Dollop the dressed burger tacos with special sauce before serving. Serve with any additional sauce on the side.
In my excitement to develop this recipe, I knew that a complete and harmonious merger between the two iconic foods was essential. For the taco side of this coin, I made sure to highlight smoky chipotle flavors, savory Tex-Mex seasonings, zesty jalapeño notes, and skillet-crisp corn tortillas. For the smash burger side, we've got seared patties smothered in melty cheddar, along with the classic lettuce, tomato, and onion accompaniments. I knew that I wanted to include a special sauce to top it all off, and the resulting creamy, twangy, boldly seasoned condiment is just the right finishing touch to firmly fuse taco and burger together in perfect harmony.
Gather the smash burger taco ingredients
You'll begin this recipe by making the special sauce, for which you'll need mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, chipotle peppers in adobo, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and granulated sugar.
For the tacos, reach for ground beef, taco seasoning, corn tortillas, olive oil, and deli-style cheddar cheese. To top everything off, have shredded lettuce, sliced Roma tomatoes, red onion, sliced pickled jalapeños, and dill pickle chips on hand.
