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Smash Burger Tacos

Smash burger tacos with ultra-thin, crispy patties and caramelized edges nestled in warm taco shells. Ground beef is smashed to about 1/4 inch thick, then finished with melted American cheese before piling on pickles, tomato, lettuce, and red onion.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Fusion
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ground beef
  • 1 lb ground beef
Taco shells
  • 4 taco shells corn or flour
Cheese
  • 4 American cheese slices 4 slices
Pickles
  • 8 dill pickle chips
Tomatoes
  • 4 tomato slices 4 slices
Lettuce
  • 1 cup shredded lettuce
Onion
  • 0.25 cup diced red onion
Condiments
  • 0.25 cup ketchup to taste
  • 0.25 cup mustard to taste
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
Butter
  • 1 tbsp butter for the griddle

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Smash the patties
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and lightly butter the surface. Divide the ground beef into 4 equal portions and place them on the hot griddle.
  2. Smash each portion very thin, about 1/4 inch thick, using a sturdy spatula. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Cook the patties without moving for 2-3 minutes, until the edges are crispy and caramelized. Keep the heat at medium-high to maintain browning.
  4. Flip each patty and immediately top with a slice of American cheese. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the cheese melts.
Assemble the tacos
  1. Warm the taco shells, then place one smashed burger patty in each shell. Layer on dill pickle chips, tomato slices, shredded lettuce, and diced red onion.
  2. Drizzle ketchup and mustard to taste over the tacos. Serve immediately while the edges stay crisp and the cheese is still melted.

Notes

For the crispiest edges, smash once and avoid re-smashing; move nothing while the first side cooks so you get true caramelization. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 2 days, but assemble tacos fresh for best texture. Freezing isn’t recommended because the lettuce and taco shells soften. For a lower-fat option, use 90-93% lean ground beef.