Healthy Smash Burger Tacos

I already make my Healthy Smash Burger pretty regularly, so turning it into a taco was an easy decision. The beef gets smashed thin right under the tortilla, which means the burger and tortilla cook together and you get crispy edges on both!

For my version, I use 95% lean ground beef, reduced-fat cheddar, and a burger sauce made with Greek yogurt and light mayo. Then I add shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and plenty of dill pickles. I usually make the sauce ahead when I can because the flavor gets even better in the fridge, and I almost always end up adding a little extra relish and pickle juice.

These are fun for burger night, but they’re also a really practical weeknight dinner since each taco cooks in just a few minutes. If you like my Healthy Crunchwrap Supreme, this has that same crispy, cheesy, fast-food-at-home feel with a much simpler assembly!

Before You Get Started

A few small choices make these smash burger tacos much easier to cook and flip.

• Use small flour tortillas: Six-inch flour tortillas are easy to smash onto the beef and flexible enough to fold once they’re crispy. Low-carb or high-fiber flour tortillas work too.
• Mix the beef gently: Add the Worcestershire and seasonings, then combine just until mixed. Working the beef too much can make the thin patties firmer than you want.
• Make the sauce ahead: The burger sauce can go into the fridge the night before. I like giving it some time for the relish, pickle juice, mustard, and spices to settle in.
• Get the pan hot: A griddle or flat top is easiest because you can cook several tacos at once. A large skillet works too, and a second clean skillet is handy for crisping the tortilla side.

How to Make Healthy Smash Burger Tacos

Once everything is prepped, the tacos cook fast! Have the cheese and toppings ready before the beef hits the griddle.

1. Make the Burger Sauce

Whisk together the Greek yogurt, light mayo, mustard, ketchup, relish, pickle juice, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.

Taste and adjust as needed. I usually add a little extra relish and pickle juice because I like the sauce tangy.

Refrigerate until you’re ready to eat.

2. Season and Portion the Beef

Add the ground beef to a bowl with Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.

Mix gently, then divide the beef into 8 small portions. Each one should be roughly the size of a golf ball.

3. Smash the Burgers

Heat a large griddle, flat top, or skillet over high heat.

Place one beef ball onto the hot surface and immediately set a tortilla on top. Use a burger press, heavy spatula, or another flat, heavy tool to press firmly until the beef is very thin.

I like to leave a small border around the edge of the tortilla instead of pushing the beef all the way out.

Cook for about 2-3 minutes so the beef gets nicely browned.

Pro tip: Smash firmly once, then let the beef cook. Moving it around too much keeps it from developing those browned, crispy edges.

4. Flip and Add Cheese

Gently flip the taco so the tortilla is against the pan.

If you’re using a skillet and there’s quite a bit of grease in the pan, transfer the taco to a second clean skillet over lower heat. This keeps the tortilla from soaking up too much grease while it crisps.

Top the beef with a slice of reduced-fat cheddar and cook for about 1 minute, until the tortilla is golden and the cheese has melted.

5. Add the Toppings

Remove the taco from the heat and top with shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, dill pickles, and burger sauce.

Fold it up and eat it while the tortilla and burger are still hot and crispy!

Recipe Tips and Tricks

The ingredient list is simple, so most of the magic happens in how you cook them.

• Really heat the griddle: A properly hot surface helps the thin beef brown quickly instead of releasing moisture and steaming.
• Don’t make the beef portions too big: A small ball is plenty for a 6-inch tortilla. Too much beef makes the taco harder to smash thin and much messier to flip.
• Keep a little tortilla border: The beef shrinks slightly as it cooks, so leaving a small edge gives you a neat tortilla crust around the burger.
• Use a second skillet when needed: If you’re cooking in batches and the first pan gets greasy, crisp the tortilla side in a clean skillet. This is especially useful with larger batches.
• Prep all the toppings first: These cook quickly once you start. Have the cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and sauce ready so the tacos can go straight from the pan to the plate.
• Change the cheese: Cheddar is my go-to, but American, pepper jack, Swiss, or another good melting cheese all work.
• Make them spicy: Add pickled jalapeños, hot sauce, or use jalapeño or pepperoncini brine in the burger sauce instead of pickle juice.
• Try a different protein: Lean ground turkey or chicken can work too.

What to Serve with Smash Burger Tacos

I usually treat these like burger night when I’m picking sides. Something crispy or fresh is all they really need!

• Baked Skinny Fries: Crispy fries and burger sauce are an obvious match, and these use a mix of potatoes and turnips for a lighter side.
• Baked Onion Rings: If onion rings are your usual burger order, these fit right in next to the tacos without dragging out the fryer.
• The Best Coleslaw with Greek Yogurt: The cool, crunchy slaw is really good next to the hot beef and melted cheese, especially if you add a little right inside the taco.
• Easy Corn Salad: Corn, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and basil make a fresh side when you want something lighter next to burger tacos.

Storage & Reheating

Smash tacos are definitely crispiest right after cooking, but leftovers are still easy to save.

• Storage: Store cooked smash burger tacos without the fresh toppings or sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and sauce separate.
• Freezer: I don’t usually freeze the assembled tacos because the tortilla loses some of its texture. You can freeze extra seasoned ground beef separately for another batch.
• Reheating: Warm the tacos in a dry skillet or air fryer until the tortilla is crisp and the beef is heated through. Add the cold toppings afterward.
• Leftovers: If you have extra beef, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, cheese, or sauce, turn them into Burger Bowls for lunch the next day. You can also use extra ground beef for Ground Beef Tacos.