These Smash Tacos are perhaps the least labor-intensive way of creating a delicious beef taco. Simply repeat the process of mashing beef onto a flour tortilla, achieving a better-than-average taco with a crispy, cheesy base.
Ingredients
Smash Tacos:
- 1 pound of ground beef (80/20 ⟶ ideal)
- 8 small flour tortillas (6-inch)
- 2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese blend
Other (seasoning) ingredients:
- 1 tbsp of chill powder
- 1 tsp of cumin
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- 1 tsp of onion powder
- 1/2 tsp of paprika
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 1/4 tsp of black pepper
- 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
Serving:
- shredded (iceberg) lettuce
- diced tomatoes
- diced white onion
- sour cream
- salsa or pico de gallo
- sliced jalapeños
- fresh chopped cilantro
- lime wedges (wedged)
Instructions
1. Prepare the Seasoned Beef
Mix the ground beef with the seasonings (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper) in a bowl.
Take a few moments to fold the ingredients in the beef using your fingers until everything is evenly distributed; make sure not to over-knead.
Then, roll out 8 portions (beef) into balls the size of a golf ball.
2. Heat Your Cooking Surface
In an evenly distributed manner, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil and heat until shimmering, about a minute.
Cast-skillet or griddles work best with this recipe, so measure the heat by looking for a drop of water that loses a sizzle.
Turn up the heat to just below the maximum.
3. Start the Smash
This step must be completed very quickly to guarantee a flat, even beef layer.
Once the bed of beef is firmly pressed down, hold the scrapper at a 45-degree angle, or the griddle,
While keeping an equally liberated space over the cooking surface to ensure the best duplication of an airplane.
4. Add the Cheese
Cheesenados work best for this step.
Cheese is very good at clustering up, even shredded, so forming thin circular disks while aiming to disrupt the integrity of the spiraling disc really works best.
As the beef burns, sweat and steam will be released from the chewy disc, so double down and throw a good dollop of even squeeze to huckle.
5. Flip and Finish
Being painstakingly gentle, slide the spatula under the taco and flip it.
Gently press the spatula down, and let the taco cook for another minute to two, or until the cheese has formed a golden and crispy bottom, and the tortilla has a nice toast to it.
6. Remove and Repeat
When that taco is cooked to perfection, place it on a plate and cover it with foil to keep it warm.
Next, if the pan needs it, add a little bit more oil and repeat the steps with the remaining beef and tortillas.
7. Add Toppings and Serve.
With all the smashed tacos cooked, fold them, and add all of your favorite toppings.
The crispy side of the taco shell creates a perfect shield to hold the toppings in place,
So don’t be shy to add a healthy spoonful of lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, and others.
Serve for immediate enjoyment with hot and crispy tacos and a wedge of lime.
Recipe Notes
Choosing the Right Beef
80/20 beef is the perfect fat content to keep the tacos from getting too greasy, but getting nice and crispy.
If you prefer lean beef, the tacos wouldn’t get as crispy as you might want.
Tortilla Selection
It is preferable to use flour tortillas for this method as they hold their structure better in the pan.
They are also more heat-resistant as opposed to corn tortillas.
Browning is better as well.
Pick ones that feel soft and fresh, as opposed to the ones that have been sitting open in the fridge and feel hard.
Getting the Perfect Smash
To get the best, smash the tortilla for 10 seconds and make sure to hold it down throughout the duration to get maximum surface contact.
Pan Temperature
The ideal heat setting is medium-high.
Any hotter and the tortilla will burn. Any cooler and you will not get the satisfying crispy texture you need on the tortilla.
Cheese Options
Mexican blend pre-shredded cheese allows for even, and even more important, quick melting.
If you would rather not use that cheese, others work well too, such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, or even pepper jack.
Do not use fresh mozzarella, as it will release a lot of moisture.
Ingredient Swaps
Ground Beef
If you want a substitute that is not beef, options like ground turkey, ground chicken, or even ground pork work well.
Another good substitute, for a plant-based alternative, is using Impossible or Beyond Meat.
Tortilla
If you need to replace flour tortillas, the best option would be corn tortillas, although they are more prone to breaking.
In the case that you want to use a low-carb option, that works too.
Whole wheat tortillas also work as a substitute.
Mexican Cheese Blend
Meltable cheeses such as sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper jack, or even authentic Oaxaca are all great options.
Taco Seasoning
If you are short on time, you can take the individual spices and replace them with two tablespoons of store-bought taco seasoning.
Vegetable Oil
Neutral cooking oils can be used, such as canola, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil, as well.
Storage Tips
Refrigerator
Lasting for 3 days, the leftover smashed tacos can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge
The texture on the outside of the taco may become soft, but you can revive the texture by cooking it in a skillet, 2-3 minutes on each side.
Freezing
You can freeze the seasoned beef mixture uncooked for as long as 3 months, but for assembled tacos, it isn’t recommended, as the toppings and tortillas don’t hold up in the freezer.
Reheating
The previous frying method should be used to reheat the tacos to make the outside crispy.
Microwaving should be avoided, as it will make all the filling soggy.
You can season the beef in advance and form it into balls.
You can store it in the fridge for a day in advance before cooking, but it should not be in the fridge for more than a day.
Smash Tacos
These Smash Tacos are perhaps the least labor-intensive way of creating a delicious beef taco. Simply repeat the process of mashing beef onto a flour tortilla, achieving a better-than-average taco with a crispy, cheesy base.
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- Smash Tacos:
- 1 pound of ground beef (80/20 ⟶ ideal)
- 8 small flour tortillas (6-inch)
- 2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Other (seasoning) ingredients:
- 1 tbsp of chill powder
- 1 tsp of cumin
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- 1 tsp of onion powder
- 1/2 tsp of paprika
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 1/4 tsp of black pepper
- 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
- Serving:
- shredded (iceberg) lettuce
- diced tomatoes
- diced white onion
- sour cream
- salsa or pico de gallo
- sliced jalapeños
- fresh chopped cilantro
- lime wedges (wedged)
Instructions
Instructions
1. Prepare the Seasoned Beef
Mix the ground beef with the seasonings (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper) in a bowl.
Take a few moments to fold the ingredients in the beef using your fingers until everything is evenly distributed; make sure not to over-knead.
Then, roll out 8 portions (beef) into balls the size of a golf ball.
2. Heat Your Cooking Surface
In an evenly distributed manner, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil and heat until shimmering, about a minute.
Cast-skillet or griddles work best with this recipe, so measure the heat by looking for a drop of water that loses a sizzle.
Turn up the heat to just below the maximum.
3. Start the Smash
This step must be completed very quickly to guarantee a flat, even beef layer.
Once the bed of beef is firmly pressed down, hold the scrapper at a 45-degree angle, or the griddle,
While keeping an equally liberated space over the cooking surface to ensure the best duplication of an airplane.
4. Add the Cheese
Cheesenados work best for this step.
Cheese is very good at clustering up, even shredded, so forming thin circular disks while aiming to disrupt the integrity of the spiraling disc really works best.
As the beef burns, sweat and steam will be released from the chewy disc, so double down and throw a good dollop of even squeeze to huckle.
5. Flip and Finish
Being painstakingly gentle, slide the spatula under the taco and flip it.
Gently press the spatula down, and let the taco cook for another minute to two, or until the cheese has formed a golden and crispy bottom, and the tortilla has a nice toast to it.
6. Remove and Repeat
When that taco is cooked to perfection, place it on a plate and cover it with foil to keep it warm.
Next, if the pan needs it, add a little bit more oil and repeat the steps with the remaining beef and tortillas.
7. Add Toppings and Serve.
With all the smashed tacos cooked, fold them, and add all of your favorite toppings.
The crispy side of the taco shell creates a perfect shield to hold the toppings in place,
So don't be shy to add a healthy spoonful of lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, and others.
Serve for immediate enjoyment with hot and crispy tacos and a wedge of lime.
Notes
Recipe Notes
Choosing the Right Beef
80/20 beef is the perfect fat content to keep the tacos from getting too greasy, but getting nice and crispy.
If you prefer lean beef, the tacos wouldn't get as crispy as you might want.
Tortilla Selection
It is preferable to use flour tortillas for this method as they hold their structure better in the pan.
They are also more heat-resistant as opposed to corn tortillas.
Browning is better as well.
Pick ones that feel soft and fresh, as opposed to the ones that have been sitting open in the fridge and feel hard.
Getting the Perfect Smash
To get the best, smash the tortilla for 10 seconds and make sure to hold it down throughout the duration to get maximum surface contact.
Pan Temperature
The ideal heat setting is medium-high.
Any hotter and the tortilla will burn. Any cooler and you will not get the satisfying crispy texture you need on the tortilla.
Cheese Options
Mexican blend pre-shredded cheese allows for even, and even more important, quick melting.
If you would rather not use that cheese, others work well too, such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, or even pepper jack.
Do not use fresh mozzarella, as it will release a lot of moisture.