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Smashed Cheeseburger Tacos

Smashed cheeseburger tacos with crispy-edged beef patties, folded into butter-griddled flour tortillas and topped with melted American cheese. Burger toppings and a quick special sauce are tucked inside for a juicy, handheld fusion bite.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American Fusion
Calories: 580
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef
  • 1.5 lb ground beef
  • 0.5 salt and pepper to taste
Tortillas and cheese
  • 8 small flour tortillas
  • 8 American cheese slices
  • 1 tbsp butter, melted
Toppings
  • 1 cup shredded lettuce
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • 0.5 cup diced onions
  • 0.25 cup pickles, chopped
Special sauce
  • 0.25 cup special sauce mayo, ketchup, mustard mixed

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Form and season the beef
  1. Form the ground beef into 8 small balls and season with salt and pepper. Keep them sized evenly so each taco gets the same cook and crust.
Butter the tortillas and smash
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Brush the tortillas with melted butter right before they hit the pan for quick browning.
  2. Place tortillas on the hot skillet and put a beef ball on each. Smash flat with a heavy spatula to form a thin, wide patty.
  3. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the beef develops a crispy crust. Flip the tortilla and beef together so both sides get hot and lightly toasted.
Melt cheese and fold tacos
  1. Immediately top each smashed patty with cheese and let melt for 1-2 minutes. Keep them off the heat briefly after melting so the cheese stays molten when you fold.
  2. Remove from heat, fold like a taco, and fill with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and special sauce. Serve right away so the edges stay crisp and the cheese doesn’t set.

Notes

For best crispy edges, smash firmly and don’t move the patties for the first 3-4 minutes. Assemble toppings right after cheese melts to keep the taco shell pliable and the crust hot. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days; reheat beef and tortillas in a skillet to re-crisp, and freeze is not recommended for best texture. For a lighter option, use 90/10 or lean ground beef and reduce butter brushing to 1 tbsp total.