smash tacos

I know you’ve seen them… the smash tacos. The crispy beef pressed in a pan on top of a crispy tortilla scratches a part of my brain I didn’t know needed scratching. The crispiness is chefs’ kiss. Is it a little bit of a love language? A little patience? A bit of fan power to ensure you don’t set off the fire alarm cooking inside? Absolutely.

While going on this journey to create the smash tacos, I had to have them two different ways. Keep reading to find out which one I preferred.

To start, gather the following ingredients –

1lb ground beef
2 garlic cloves, chopped
salt
6-7 small tortillas
cooking oil
caesar dressing
buffalo sauce
mayo

In a bowl, add the chopped garlic, ground beef, and salt. Mix with your hands. Lay out the tortillas and press/smash about a meatballs size right onto the tortilla.

In a pan on medium heat, add oil to pan. Cook them one by one. Did I mention this is a love language? Place the tortilla side down first. At about 5-6 minutes, flip to meat side down until patty is fully cooked. At times you may want to add weight to your tortilla to give it that “smash” affect. Else you may just end up with some “patties” on top of a tortilla.

Repeat until all meat is cooked.

While you are cooking your protein, chop the following ingredients –

4-5 tomatoes
1/4 red onion
1-2 dill pickles
1 large roasted red pepper
1/4 head of lettuce
1 lime, quartered
1-2 small cucumbers
optional: olives
optional: garnish with microgreens

Once all meat is cooked, assemble with toppings.

caesar smash tacos: lettuce, red onion, pickles, mayo drizzle, caesar dressing drizzle, squeeze of lime
classic smash tacos: tomato, red onion, pickles, roasted red pepper, lettuce, cucumber, buffalo drizzle, squeeze of lime

Now choose your character and let me know your thoughts! These were so fun to make but definitely better to share with a group to mix and match your toppings 🙂

Spoiler alert: I actually loved both of them! The caesar was delicious for a lighter feeling lunch whilst the smash gave nostalgia to the traditional smash burger taste-a-like.