These smash burger tacos that went viral and are the fun food mash-up you didn’t know you were missing. The mark of a great smash burger is a thin patty with a beautiful brown crust. An easy way to achieve this here is to spread the ground beef on one side of each tortilla and press it with a spatula to ensure good contact while cooking on a hot griddle or skillet. Inspired by the Big Mac, each taco gets topped with a homemade “special sauce,” lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions and sesame seeds.
Ingredients
For the special sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Cajun pepper hot sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Fine salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the tacos
- 1 pound ground beef, preferably 80 percent lean
- Six (6-inch) flour tortillas
- Fine salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 slices American or cheddar cheese
- Sliced dill pickles, shredded lettuce, diced onions and sesame seeds, for serving
Directions
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Step 1
Make the special sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, relish, ketchup, hot sauce and garlic powder until combined. Taste, and season with salt and pepper, as desired.
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Step 2
Make the tacos: Heat a griddle or large cast-iron, carbon-steel or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Meanwhile, divide the meat into six equal portions, about 2 1/2 ounces each, and press each portion onto one side of a tortilla to cover the entire surface. (The patty will shrink away from the edge of the tortilla as it cooks.) Lightly season each patty with salt and pepper.
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Step 3
In batches, depending on the size of your griddle or skillet, add the tortillas to the hot skillet meat side down and cook, pressing each regularly with a spatula, until a nice brown crust forms, about 3 minutes. Flip the tortillas over, top with a slice of cheese and cook until the tortillas are crisp on the bottom and the cheese has melted, about 1 minute more. Transfer the tortillas to a platter or individual plates and repeat with the remaining tortillas. Top each with pickles, lettuce, onions, the sauce and sesame seeds; serve hot.