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Big Mac Smash Burger Tacos

Big Mac smash burger tacos with crispy pressed beef patties, melted American cheese, and a tangy Big Mac-style sauce. Layer it into warm tortillas with pickles, shredded lettuce, and diced onion for a fast comfort-food fusion dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Fusion
Calories: 920
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef and taco base
  • 1 lb ground beef Use an 80/20 blend for crispy edges.
  • 0.5 onion Thinly sliced; portion for patties and toppings as needed.
  • 8 corn tortillas Use small flour tortillas if preferred; warm before assembling.
  • 4 American cheese Cheese slices for melting on top of patties.
  • vegetable oil For greasing the hot skillet, as needed.
Big Mac sauce
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp relish
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • salt To taste.
  • black pepper To taste.
Toppings
  • pickles Shredded or chopped.
  • shredded lettuce
  • diced onion

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make Big Mac sauce
  1. Whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, mustard, and paprika with salt and pepper until smooth and uniform in color. Stop when no streaks remain.
Smash and melt the patties
  1. Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot, about 2-3 minutes. You should see faint wisps of heat above the surface.
  2. Form the ground beef into 8 thin patties, keeping them even in thickness. Work in quick batches so the meat stays pliable.
  3. Cook the patties in batches, pressing down hard with a spatula for 1-2 minutes per side until edges are crispy. Flip only when the underside releases easily.
  4. Top 4 patties with American cheese and let it melt for about 1 minute. Remove when the cheese is fully melted and slightly bubbling.
Warm tortillas and assemble
  1. Warm the tortillas until flexible, turning as needed so they don’t dry out. Use them immediately for best pliability.
  2. Spread Big Mac sauce on each tortilla, then layer with a smashed patty, pickles, shredded lettuce, and diced onion. Add the remaining patty on top if desired.
  3. Serve immediately while the patties are hot and the cheese is melty. Assemble in small batches so crunch stays at its best.

Notes

Pro tip: press each patty firmly for that 1-2 minute window to lock in crispy edges, then top with cheese right after the flip. Store leftover taco components (sauce and toppings separate from patties) in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat patties in a hot skillet for best texture. Freezing is not recommended for assembled tacos, but you can freeze cooked patties up to 2 months and re-crisp in a skillet. For a lighter option, use leaner ground beef (90/10) and add a teaspoon more oil to keep browning fast.