3-Minute Smash Burger Tacos Are Taking Over the Internet
When is the last time you were able to make dinner in under five minutes and be able to hold it in one hand? Users on TikTok have unlocked a new way to make a smash burger that's tasty, cute, portable and takes no time at all: Smash Burger Tacos!
We jumped on this trend to find out just how good it was, tips for how to make an epic one and variations you can try with ingredients you already have on hand.
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What is the smash burger taco?
The smash burger taco is a trend taking off on TikTok lately where users are creating smash burgers with ground beef and cooking them in a one-step process using a tortilla to make a burger taco. Toppings go on afterward, like a traditional burger, but instead of topping it with a bun (or another tortilla), it’s folded in half, the tortilla crispy from cooking on the flat top.
This is not a hack for making the very best burger, but it’s definitely a hack for making a fun burger, fast. It’s another TikTok novelty food item to try with your friends or family but maybe not one that you would keep in your regular rotation unless you have kids or picky eaters in your house (or you find yourself out of burger buns).
What are the ingredients for the smash burger taco?
The ingredients are pretty simple: ground beef, tortillas, cheese and whatever veggies or sauces you want on top. Tomatoes, lettuce, onion and pickles are standard along with special sauce, ketchup or mustard.
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
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Smash burger taco recipe
Ingredients:
Package of 80/20 ground beef
Flour tortillas (fajita sized)
Sliced cheddar cheese
Chopped lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion
Ketchup, mustard and special sauce
Salt and pepper, or burger seasoning of your choice
Directions:
Season your ground beef with salt and pepper (or the burger seasoning of your choice).
Take a tortilla and spread your ground beef on one side (about 2-3 tablespoons).
Place face down on a hot griddle and cook until almost all traces of pink are gone.
Flip and cook until the other side of the tortilla is crispy.
Add your cheese and let melt slightly.
Take off the flat top and add your other toppings and sauces, fold and enjoy.
What do the smash burger tacos taste like?
These are not your standard BBQ burgers. They’re fun to make and fun to eat, but it’s not a classic burger experience. Your brain sees a taco and thinks it’s a taco but then gets the flavors of burgers so it’s really quite a whirlwind of sensory experiences.
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
While it is tasty, it’s not a classic smash burger. The burger itself was a little chewy because it was actually half steamed from being face down on the griddle on only one side. A good smash burger would have a crispy caramelized crust on both sides. This can be remedied by making sure your flat top is super hot, balling up the ground beef and pressing on the flat top with a burger press as opposed to spreading on the tortilla, which traps some of the moisture and doesn’t allow for a crisp crust on the meat to form.
Classic burger flavors come out of this taco with gooey cheddar, crisp lettuce and tangy pickles. This was one easy recipe. Cooking the beef took no time at all since it was so thin. This would be a good one to make in bulk for a party or dinner for picky eaters and it’s also a fun twist on something to serve at your 4th of July picnics. While I did miss the bun in this alt burger experience, I do appreciate the fact that these (like most TikTok recipes) can be customized and in addition to adding whatever ingredients you want on top, these can be made low-carb depending on the kind of tortillas you buy.
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Tips for making the smash burger tacos even better
Using a spatula to flatten out the ground beef works but if you have a burger press or burger smasher, use it with this recipe to ensure you are able to smash the beef down really well and get that nice, golden crust.
Season your meat well. Just like making a regular burger, you want to choose quality beef and make sure you use seasonings before cooking it.
Make sure you use flour (or comparable) tortillas. I had a package of corn tortillas in my hand at the store but ultimately decided against it because of the flexibility factor. Flour is more pliable and crisps up nicely in the pan, plus the fajita size is perfect for holding with one hand, or for little hands.
Experiment with using slices of tomatoes instead of chopped; a full leaf of lettuce instead of shredded; or pickle spears instead of chips. The “traditional” version of this recipe uses chopped since it’s mimicking a taco and all the ingredients that go into that, but you may find it less messy by using different-sized toppings. Alternatively, buying pre-shredded lettuce and tomato makes putting these together a cinch.
Using a flat top will make this easier and not only because you can make more than one burger at once, unlike using a frying pan. You’re able to move around with more surface area available and really smash the burger down without the sides of the pan getting in the way.
Some users are spreading the beef on the tortilla before placing it on the flat top and others are using balls of ground beef directly on the flat top before balancing a tortilla over it and pressing the whole thing down with a burger press. The choice is ultimately up to you.
Have fun with this and get creative with different versions. Users on TikTok have been creating tacos that include avocado and shredded Mexican cheese or sausage and egg for a breakfast-style taco.
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