This Smash Burger Taco recipe is a quick and easy dinner made with ground beef smashed onto tortillas, melted cheese, and classic burger toppings. Ready in just 20 minutes, it’s budget-friendly and perfect for busy weeknights.
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
If you love easy meals, this Smash Burger Tacos recipe is about to become a fast favourite! It combines everything you love about a classic Big Mac – crispy beef, melted cheese, tangy burger sauce, and crunchy toppings, with the ease and fun of pan-fried tacos.
They’re made by smashing ground beef directly onto tortillas and then frying in a hot skillet, which means dinner comes together in about 20 minutes with minimal prep and almost no cleanup. These tacos are super quick to throw together, so satisfying, and incredibly family-friendly, making them perfect for busy weeknights or anytime you want something a little different, and they’re guaranteed to be a hit at your family’s table!
Smash burger tacos are the BEST combination between smash burgers and tacos! They’re made by smashing the burger patties as you fry them to get a brown and crusty burger, and they’re cooked with a tortilla instead of a bun, making them a super simple meal. They’re easy and convenient to make, and we love them with classic Big Mac flavours, but you can enjoy them with whatever burger toppings you like!
- They’re FAST & EASY, with minimal prep and cleanup.
- They’re CUSTOMIZABLE – you can add any toppings that you like, or change their flavour profile by adding different spices to the meat mixture.
- They’re JUICY AND CRISPY, because of the cooking method. They don’t dry up but get a crispy exterior.
- They’re always a CROWDPLEASER – they’re a mix of two loved dishes: burgers and tacos!
- They’re KID-FRIENDLY, being easily customizable and basic in flavour.
Here are some great sides to serve alongside these Big Mac Tacos!
- Best Ever Creamy Coleslaw
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges
- Pickled Onions
- Tomato Pickle
- Strawberry Milkshake
- Chocolate Milkshake
- Vanilla Milkshake
Take these Big Mac Tacos to the next level with our basic PRO tips and tricks!
Make sure the beef is pressed in a thin and even layer over the tortilla. This ensures that the beef browns well and cooks evenly.
The beef will shrink as it cooks so make sure you push it close to the edge of the tortilla. This ensures that all your bites will be uniform.
A hot pan is critical for getting that delicious browning and yummy burger flavour.
Use the lid of your skillet, add a little bit of water to the pan and cover it quickly. If your pan is hot enough, the water will turn into steam and melt the cheddar cheese on top of the meat. Keep in mind that you need to do this before taking the taco out of the pan, so it’s a good idea to not cook it all the way through and to brown the tortilla completely before adding the cheese.
Finely shred the iceberg lettuce, soak the finely diced onions in ice cold in water, or use your favourite Relish Recipe. Make our favourite homemade burger sauce for the BEST flavour!
Even though a variety of your favourite toppings will make this dish, it’s important that you don’t overload your taco so you can still eat it comfortably and the toppings don’t overpower the dish.
When flipping the burger tacos, use a wide spatula, or even a fish spatula to help you flip easily.
If you’re running into trouble with this Big Mac Tacos recipe, be sure to check out our troubleshooting tips below!
Grill your tortillas a few seconds longer with the meat side facing up. The toastier it is, the harder a tortilla gets.
Make sure your pan is hot enough when you add the smash burger taco, beef side down. If you’re using a pan that’s not non stick, add some oil after it heats up. Using extra lean ground beef can also cause it to stick, so use some cooking spray if you’re using a beef with less fat.
Make sure you use thin slices of cheese. If you can’t find thin cheddar slices, you can also grate some cheddar and put it on the patty.
Use lean beef and, if needed, drain the excess fat as you cook.
As this is a smashed patty, it can overcook and get dry quickly. Make sure you don’t cook it too long on either side.
Here’s all the kitchen equipment you’ll need to make these Big Mac Tacos (paid links):
Here’s everything you’ll need to make these easy Big Mac Tacos (paid links):
- Spray oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 4 cheddar or American cheese slices
- 4 flour tortillas
- 1/4 head iceberg lettuce
- 1 small onion
- 16 pickle slices
- 4 tablespoons burger sauce
- Mexican-inspired: Season your beef with some extra chili powder and cumin, top with cheese, Pickled Onions, or jalapeños.
- Bacon: Add bacon bits or a crispy slice of bacon to your smash burger tacos.
- Asian-inspired: Substitute the beef with chicken or turkey and top with Asian Cabbage Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing
- Spicy: Add chili flakes to the meat and top with some sriracha or spicy mayo.
Time needed: 20 minutes
Here’s how to make these easy Big Mac Tacos!
- Prepare the meat
Split the ground beef in 4 equally sized balls.
Smash them on top of 4 tortillas, trying to get as close to the edge as possible. The meat will shrink as it cooks so this step is important.
Season the beef with salt and pepper. - Cook
In a large skillet over medium high heat, add a spray of oil.
Once hot, add the tacos, beef side down and fry for 1-2 minutes until browned. Flip and add a slice of cheddar or American cheese. Add a small splash of water, and quickly cover your skillet with a lid. Cook for 1-2 minutes longer, until the tortilla starts to brown and the cheese melts. - Add toppings and serve
Shred your lettuce finely, dice your onion as small as you can and prepare your other toppings.
On top of each taco, drizzle about one tablespoon of burger sauce, 3-4 pickles, a big pinch of finely diced onion, and some iceberg lettuce.
Smashing the beef onto the tortilla helps the meat adhere as it cooks and allows it to brown properly while staying thin and juicy. It also means the beef and tortilla cook together, creating great texture and flavour without extra steps.
Flour tortillas work best for smash burger tacos. They’re flexible, hold together well, and crisp slightly without cracking. Corn tortillas tend to be too fragile for this method.
Ground beef with some fat works best, like 80/20. The fat helps the beef brown and stay juicy. Very lean beef can turn dry and won’t develop the same crispy edges.
Smash burger tacos are best enjoyed fresh while the beef is hot and the tortilla is crisp. If needed, you can prep the toppings ahead of time, but cook the tacos just before serving for the best texture and flavour.
Cook the beef in a hot skillet so it browns quickly, and avoid overloading the tacos with sauce. Serving them right away also helps keep the tortilla from softening too much.
Yes. Ground turkey or chicken can work, but they are leaner, so add a bit of oil to the pan and be careful not to overcook them.
These tacos are best enjoyed fresh, but if you have leftovers, store the cooked beef and tortillas separately from the toppings. Reheat the beef and tortillas in a skillet before assembling again.
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We hope you love these Smash Burger Tacos as much as our family does! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite quick and easy dinner? We’d love to know!
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Smash Burger Tacos
Recipe: Equipment
Recipe: Ingredients
- Spray oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 4 cheddar or American cheese slices
- 4 Flour tortillas
- 1/4 head iceberg lettuce
- 1 small onion
- 16 pickle slices
- 4 tablespoons burger sauce
Recipe: Instructions
For the tacos:
- Split the ground beef in 4 equally sized balls.
- Smash them on top of 4 tortillas, trying to get as close to the edge as possible. The meat will shrink as it cooks so this step is important.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, add a spray of oil.
- Once hot, add the tacos, beef side down and fry for 1-2 minutes until browned. Flip and add a slice of cheddar or American cheese. Add a small splash of water, and quickly cover your skillet with a lid. Cook for 1-2 minutes longer, until the tortilla starts to brown and the cheese melts.
For serving the tacos:
- Shred your lettuce finely, dice your onion as small as you can, and prepare your other toppings.
- On top of each taco, add about one tablespoon of burger sauce, 3-4 pickles, a big pinch of finely diced onion, and some iceberg lettuce.
Recipe: Notes
Storage Instructions
Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm up in the microwave or a skillet.Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
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