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Smashed Cheeseburger Tacos

Burger tacos with crispy-edged smash burgers folded into flour tortillas, topped with melted American cheese and classic fixings. Quick high-heat griddle cooking gives a crunchy crust, while the cheese melts right after flipping for a gooey foldable taco.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 8 tacos
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American Fusion
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Smashed cheeseburger taco filling and topping
  • 1.5 lb ground beef 80/20
  • 8 flour tortillas small
  • 8 American cheese slices
  • 0.25 cup butter melted
  • 0.75 cup shredded lettuce
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • 0.5 cup diced onions
  • 0.25 cup pickles chopped
  • 0.25 cup special sauce mayo, ketchup, mustard mixed
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season beef
  1. Form ground beef into 8 small balls and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Set the seasoned beef balls aside while you heat the skillet.
Sear tortillas and smash burgers
  1. Heat a griddle or large cast iron skillet over high heat and brush the tortillas with melted butter.
  2. Place tortillas on the hot surface and put a beef ball on each, then smash flat with a heavy spatula.
  3. Cook for 3-4 minutes over high heat until the beef develops a crispy crust.
  4. Flip the tortilla and beef together, keeping the taco shell flat as the second side cooks briefly.
Melt cheese and fold
  1. Immediately top with cheese and cook until melted, 1-2 minutes.
  2. Remove from the heat, fold each into a taco shape, and fill with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and special sauce.

Notes

For best crust, don’t move the smash burgers while they cook 3-4 minutes—leave them undisturbed until the edges look dark and crisp. Store assembled tacos in the fridge up to 2 days, but keep lettuce and tomato separate if possible to reduce sogginess. Freezing isn’t recommended for assembled tacos. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat American cheese and 90/10 ground beef for less total fat.