These easy Smash Burger Tacos are packed with juicy seasoned beef, cheese, crisp lettuce, pickles, and Thousand Island dressing, giving you all the best parts of a diner-style burger wrapped up in a golden tortilla! I love anything with pickles and melty cheese, so this burger-taco mashup was an immediate YES for me. The simple burger filling is pressed onto flour tortillas and cooked meat-side down in a hot skillet, so the edges get browned and savory while the tortilla turns crisp. It’s easy, budget-friendly, ready in about 30 minutes, and the best compromise when you can’t decide between burgers or tacos for dinner!
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CHeesy Smashed Burger Tacos
These smash burger tacos give me all the crispy, browned edges of our classic smash burgers, but folded into a crispy tortilla like a beef taco! I keep the seasoning simple with minced onion, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper so the beef still tastes like a classic burger, then finish each taco with American cheese until it’s all melted and delicious.
You do have to cook these burger tacos in batches, but each one only takes about 4 minutes total, and once they hit the skillet, they’re pretty hands-off until you need to flip them. I can buzz around setting the table or serving up my sides while they cook. You’ll know they’re ready to flip when the beef is browned, sizzling around the edges, and releases easily from the pan. Then I keep my toppings straightforward and affordable with lettuce, pickles, and Thousand Island dressing. But you can absolutely go all out with your favorite burger toppings. There’s no wrong way to enjoy these cheesy, flavorful, juicy burger tacos!
Recipe Success Tips
- I like 80/20 beef for these smash burger tacos. It has enough fat to stay juicy and flavorful, but not so much that the tortilla gets overly wet or greasy. I wouldn’t go any fattier than that, because too much rendered grease may cause the beef to separate from the tortilla when flipped.
- Don’t overmix the beef. I only mix the ground beef and seasonings just until combined. Overworking the meat can make the burger filling dense instead of juicy and tender.
- Spread the beef into a thin layer. This helps the beef cook quickly and make plenty of contact with the hot skillet, which creates those crispy, savory edges that make smash burgers so good!
- Preheat and lightly oil the skillet. Let the skillet get properly hot before adding the tortilla. Also make sure there’s a thin coating of oil in the pan. If the beef sticks when you try to flip it, give it another 30 seconds or so to form a crust and release naturally.
- Don’t worry if the beef separates. If the patty does pull away from the tortilla when you flip it, just place it right back on top and keep going. It’s already done its job by flavoring the tortilla and building a browned crust. Once the taco is folded up with cheese, sauce, lettuce, and pickles, no one will know (I promise!)
- Keep the finished tacos warm in the oven (optional). You can place cooked taco burgers on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven while you finish the rest, if desired. Add the toppings just before serving so they stay crisp and fresh.
- Have fun with the toppings. You can definitely swap out the toppings I use, or add even more! Try sliced tomatoes, caramelized onions, diced red onion, air fryer bacon, jalapeños, different melty cheeses, or even a little hot sauce.
Smash Burger Tacos
Cost $8.77 recipe / $1.46 serving
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef ($5.93*)
- ¼ cup yellow onion (minced, (45g) $0.20)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce ($0.02)
- ½ tsp salt ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.04)
- 6 small flour tortillas (taco size, $0.64)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 6 slices American cheese ($0.62)
To Serve
- ½ cup iceberg lettuce (shredded, (40g) $0.23)
- ½ cup pickle chips (100g, $0.62)
- ¼ cup Thousand Island dressing ($0.39**)
Instructions
- Gather all your ingredients.
- Mix ground beef, minced onion, Worcestershire, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper in a large bowl. Divide into 6 equal balls and press each ball down onto tortillas.
- Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla into the skillet, meat side down, pressing down with a spatula to cook. Cook for 2-3 minutes while pressing down, and flip when browned and crispy.
- Flip the tortilla, top with a cheese slice, and cook 2 more minutes until the cheese melts.
- Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- Top your smash burger tacos with shredded lettuce, pickle chips, and Thousand Island dressing. Serve and enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition Information
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Smash Burger Tacos step-by-step photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Make the burger filling: In a large bowl, combine 1 lb. ground beef, ¼ cup minced yellow onion, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp garlic powder, and ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper. Mix just until combined, being careful not to overwork the meat so it stays tender. Divide the beef mixture into 6 equal portions, then roll each portion into a loose ball.
Add to the tortillas: Place one beef ball in the center of each of the 6 small flour tortillas, then press and spread the meat into a thin, even layer, leaving a border around the edge. A thinner layer helps the beef cook quickly and evenly.
Cook the smashburger tacos: Heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, place one tortilla in the skillet, meat-side down. Press firmly with a spatula so the beef makes good contact with the pan, then cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the beef is brown (with no pink) and slightly crisp around the edges.
Flip the tortilla so the crispy beef side is facing up. Add 1 slice of American cheese on top of the hot beef, then cook for about 2 more minutes, or until the tortilla is golden on the bottom and the cheese is soft and melted.
Transfer the taco to a plate and repeat with the remaining tortillas, adding a little more oil if the skillet starts to look dry. Keep the heat at medium so the beef browns nicely without burning the tortillas.
Add toppings and serve: Top each smash burger taco with some shredded iceberg lettuce, a few pickle chips, and some Thousand Island dressing. Serve warm while the tortillas are crisp, the cheese is melty, and the burger filling is juicy! Enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving these smash burger tacos with classic burger-night sides. Air fryer French fries are an easy pick because they’re crispy, budget-friendly, and perfect for dipping in any extra Thousand Island dressing. A pile of onion rings also makes the whole meal feel a little more diner-style, and I LOVE a side of creamy coleslaw for a crunchy contrast to the rich beef and melty cheese. For something make-ahead friendly, our three bean salad is a tangy and oh-so-easy side that doesn’t need extra oven or skillet space to make it!
Storage & Reheating
Store leftover smash burger tacos (without the toppings) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the fully cooked tacos before adding toppings. Wrap each taco individually in foil or plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat on the stove, in the oven, or in the air fryer at 375°F until warmed through and crispy again, then add the toppings just before serving.
Try These Delicious Taco Ideas Next:
- My Sheet Pan Tacos are a fun weeknight shortcut when you want crispy tacos without standing over the stove!
- Hummus Breakfast Tacos are a quick 15-minute breakfast with tortillas, eggs, hummus, and whatever toppings you love.
- I love how these Cauliflower Tacos turn roasted bell peppers, tomato sauce, almonds, and smoked paprika into a vegan taco option that still feels hearty!
These are EXTREMELY good, definitely going to be a regular rotation on my menu. I have made these in a couple iterations already because I just still had everything around: as written (perfect, delicious, no notes). Vegetarian, with both boca crumbles and vegan “steak” bits, also very tasty but recommend being a little heavy-handed with the cheese. I also had some leftover meatloaf and used cheddar because I was out of American and tried that later in the week, also good but preferred American.
I don’t have a particularly giant pan to cook these in so I have also tried them on a pan in a convection oven second time, it also is a little healthier than essentially frying the outside. Still good, obviously not as good as fried. But a good option if you’re trying to cut calories and make it a little easier.
Hi Emily- I love how creative you’re being with this recipe. All sound amazing! Thank you for the notes and tips and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
These were a hit in my house! Quick, easy, customizable, and cheap.
These tacos came together so quickly. I used 2 pans to get them cook r
These tacos came together so quickly and we’re a big hit. I used 2 pans to get them cooked quickly rather than keep them warm in an oven. I did make 3 alterations to the recipe – I used onion flakes instead of minced onion, didn’t use any oil to cook the tacos, and used unsweetened relish as one of the toppings instead of the recommended pickle chips. I used lean ground beef which is 17% fat in Canada and the beef mixture was very flavourful and moist. I don’t think any of these change would have made much of a difference in the outcome. Dinner was on the table in under 20 minutes. Will definitely make again.
Hi Lynne- I’m so glad these were such a hit for you! Your swaps sound perfect, and I love when recipes can flex to whatever you have on hand. That’s exactly how I like to cook too. Thanks so much for sharing!