These viral smash burger tacos (aka Big Mac tacos) went viral for a reason, they’re absolutely delicious. It’s a perfectly cooked burger with crispy edges on a tortilla that cooks up with just the right amount of crunch.
Top with your favorite burger toppings and burger sauce for an easy meal that your whole family will love.
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What is a smash burger taco?
These viral TikTok Smash burger tacos (aka Big Mac tacos) have been making the rounds on social media. You make them by basically smashing a burger down into a hot pan with a tortilla.
The result? A juicy burger with crisp edges and melty cheese in a crunchy, pan-fried crispy tortilla and the perfect amount of toppings in every bite. While these smash burger tacos aren’t your traditional burgers, burger lovers will love them all the same. Pickier eaters or not, my whole family loved these!
These smash burgers are also super quick and easy to make. When you’re running low on time but need a satisfying meal on the table without a lot of prep, you can get this one done in less than 20 minutes. Serve with French fries for a fun twist on burger night!
They’re easiest to make on a griddle or grill griddle pan, but I cooked them right in a normal skillet and they turned out great.
It’s also incredibly versatile. If you want it to be on the “healthier” side, choose lean beef and go for a high fiber tortilla. Love to change up your burger flavors? Add barbecue sauce or ranch instead of burger sauce. Check out the variations section for lots of fun ideas.
What you need for Smashburger Tacos:
Burger patties: I like to use extra lean ground beef for these patties, but you can use whatever kind of burger you like! Keep in mind, you’ll need to form smaller patties (2-3 oz), so I prefer to buy fresh ground beef versus pre-formed patties.
Soft flour tortillas: Personally I love using these Mission Carb Balance tortillas for extra fiber, but any flour tortillas will work!
Sliced cheese: Use your favorite cheese for burgers. American cheese, cheddar cheese, and provolone cheese are some of my favorites to use.
Burger toppings: I used the classics here- shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato, red onion, and dill pickles. Feel free to change up the toppings and use whatever your favorite toppings are on burgers!
Burger sauce: Need something to elevate your burger even more? This tangy sauce is a must try and gives the burger major Big Mac vibes. If you’re not into an extra step, you can use whatever sauce you usually like- ketchup and yellow mustard works just fine too!
How to make
- First, form beef patties into 2-3 oz balls. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper (or your favorite seasonings).
- Heat a large pan, griddle or griddle pan with a small thin layer of oil to medium-high heat.
- Using a large flat spatula, press the patty down on the hot griddle or pan and begin to flatten it.
- Next, place a small flour tortilla on top of the burger patty and continue to press down until the burger is completely flattened to the tortilla side. Cook for 2-3 minutes until cooked to your desired doneness.
- Next, flip the burger so that the tortilla is now pan-side down, top with slice of cheese, and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes until the edge of the tortilla is slightly crispy and cheese melts.
- Transfer to a plate and top with burger toppings and special sauce. Serve with fries or your favorite burger sides and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- A large, flat spatula like this one is best, but you can make any spatula work. If you don’t have a large spatula, carefully move the spatula around to press the burger down evenly, using two hands when necessary. If you want to be extra efficient, grab a burger press like this one.
- To make on a grill, make sure you have a griddle pan suitable for a grill!
- Make sure your pan is hot enough before adding your burger. The burger needs to cook quickly to get crispy and make sure that the tortilla doesn’t get soggy.
- Choose tortillas that are small and taco size to make sure the size of your tortillas aren’t too large.
Variations and Substitutions
- Burger tacos: Instead of traditional burger toppings, season your burger with taco seasoning and top with taco toppings like cilantro, Mexican cheese, salsa and sour cream!
- BBQ smash burgers: Swap burger sauce for barbecue sauce for a BBQ burger!
- Spicy smash burger tacos: Make a spicy smash sauce by adding your favorite hot sauce or sriracha.
- Use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas for a different flavor and texture.
You’ll Also Love:
Deconstructed Burger Salad Bowls
Super Simple, No-Cook Italian Grinder Salad
Easy Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 8 small flour tortillas
- 8 slices cheese
- shredded lettuce
- tomato slices
- red onion
- 1/2 cup Smash burger sauce
Instructions
- First, form beef patties into 2-3 oz. balls. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper (or your favorite seasonings).
- Heat a large pan, griddle or griddle pan with a small thin layer of oil to medium-high heat.Using a large flat spatula, press the patty down on the hot griddle or pan and begin to flatten it.
- Next, place a small flour tortilla on top of the burger patty and continue to press down until the burger is thin and completely flattened to the tortilla side. Cook for 2-3 minutes until cooked to your desired doneness.
- Next, flip the burger so that the tortilla is now pan-side down, top with slice of cheese, and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes until the edge of the tortilla is slightly crispy and cheese melts.
- Transfer to a plate and top with burger toppings and special sauce. Serve with fries or your favorite burger sides and enjoy!
Notes
- A large, flat spatula like this one is best, but you can make any spatula work. If you don’t have a large spatula, carefully move the spatula around to press the burger down evenly, using two hands when necessary. If you want to be extra efficient, grab a burger press like this one.
- To make on a grill, make sure you have a griddle pan suitable for a grill!
- Make sure your pan is hot enough before adding your burger. The burger needs to cook quickly to get crispy and make sure that the tortilla doesn’t get soggy.
- Choose tortillas that are small and taco size to make sure the size of your tortillas aren’t too large.
4 Responses
My sixteen year old son declared these “phenomenal “ and my somewhat picky thirteen year old has requested them two weeks in a row. High compliments for sure!
Compliments from the teens!? That’s when you know it’s good! So glad you whole family is loving them 🙂
These were SOO GOOD. My husband and I tag teamed and cooked the meal in less than 20 minutes, prep included! I couldn’t believe how easy it was and how delicious the meal turned out to be. This is going to be a favorite.
So glad you loved it!