Taco Smash Burger Recipe

Prep all toppings in advance. I like to set out a smash burger bar with all the Mexican-inspired or Big Mac inspired toppings ready to go. If you’re cooking anything else like onions and peppers, get them cooking before the smash burgers, since they take longer to cook.

Get your equipment ready so you can cook ‘em fast! Also have your burger press or a large, heavy spatula ready to go so you can smash the burger quickly. And a dome if you want it to help melt the cheese in the final steps.

Prep hamburger patties for taco smash burgers. To do this, divide the package of ground beef into 6 equal portions. Roll beef in hands to make each portion a circle that’s about the size of a meatball. You’ll season these later, on the outdoor griddle or in the cast iron skillet. Chill until you’re ready to cook.

Prep smashed taco burger seasonings. In a small bowl, mix together the salt and pepper, and garlic powder. You’ll apply these seasonings, to taste, as you make the burgers.

Preheat cook surface. I usually set a cast iron skillet to med-high or high, OR griddle grill to medium or med-high. (I find my Flatrock/Blackstone griddles get hotter faster than my inside stove, that’s why I say this, but use your judgment).

TIP for your first time: make just 1-2 smash burgers at a time to get into the flow of it…

Add one cube of butter to the hot griddle / pan.

Quickly add the burger ball on top. Sprinkle the burger ball with a little seasoning.

Quickly add a tortilla and SMOOSH it down with a burger press or large metal spatula until it’s as thin as possible.

Closely monitor taco smash burger while it cooks. Once the bottom (where the beef patty is) appears cooked and browned, and is easy to lift off the hot surface with a spatula – when it doesn’t stick when you try to lift it…. Then it’s ready to…

FLIP IT! And sprinkle a little more seasoning on top, if desired.

Add cheese on top (optional: toss a burger dome on top to melt the cheese faster) and cook until the tortilla on the bottom lightly browns to your liking. You just want to lightly toast the tortilla so it’s easy to bend in half when it cools a bit and folds like a taco shell.

Remove taco smash burger from griddle / cast iron pan when it’s cooked to your liking. Hopefully you smashed it thin enough that it cooked to your desired temperature. Smash burgers, since they are so thin, are typically served more on the medium-well to well-done side since they are thin, crispy burgers. You can use an internal read thermometer to cook them to your preference.

Finish your trending viral taco smash burgers as you’d like!