Crispy Tortillas, Pepper Jack and Pickled Jalapeños Make This Spicy Smash Burger Tacos Recipe a Mashed Weeknight Favorite

A Taco Meets Burger Night

The recipe brings together burger-style beef, cheese and sauce with the format of a crispy taco. Pickled jalapeños provide a spicy kick alongside lettuce, tomato and onion. Cooking the tortilla with the beef facing the pan helps brown the thin patty. After flipping, the tortilla crisps as the beef finishes cooking, making the dish a choice for either burger night or Taco Tuesday.

Sauce, Beef And Toppings

The sauce combines mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, diced pickles and pickle brine with hot sauce, onion powder, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Whisk the ingredients together, cover the bowl and refrigerate the sauce until needed.

Season lean ground beef with onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper, mixing just until combined. Divide it into four equal portions and roll them into balls. For assembly, the recipe calls for flour tortillas and pepper Jack cheese, plus shredded romaine, diced beefsteak tomato, diced yellow onion and pickled jalapeños.

Cook And Assemble The Tacos

Heat a lightly sprayed skillet over medium-high heat. Place a tortilla in the pan with a portion of beef on it, beef-side down, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until browned. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes, or until the beef is cooked through.

Put a slice of cheese on the beef. Add 1 teaspoon of water to the pan, cover it and let steam melt the cheese. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, then add the lettuce, tomato, onion and jalapeño slices before serving.

Ways To Customize The Recipe

Lean beef is the recommended choice because fattier ground beef can make the tacos greasy. Ground chicken, ground turkey or a blend of ground pork and chorizo are also options.

Six-inch flour tortillas are described as a good fit because they hold up without cracking as easily. Corn tortillas can be used instead, though they may crack more readily.