BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Smash Tacos

Three BBQ bacon cheeseburger tacos on a plate.

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BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Smash Tacos

Sweet, salty, crispy, crunchy - there is SO much to love about these gorgeous little barbecue bacon cheeseburger smash tacos. Loaded with all the flavor of the iconic burger combination, these are so quick and easy to make. Perfect for weeknights, special occasions or entertaining.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: burger tacos, smash tacos

Servings: servings

Calories: 577kcal

Author: Kate Phillips

Ingredients

For the cheeseburger topping -

1 lb ground beef (500g)
½ cup caramelized onions finely chopped (or use caramelized onion relish)
½ cup pickles finely chopped (plus extra for serving)
1 cup cheddar cheese grated or diced (plus extra grated cheese for serving)
1 tablespoon Dijon or American mustard
3 garlic cloves crushed
1 tablespoon pickle juice
½ teaspoon salt
Black pepper
1 teaspoon fish sauce
6 slices of bacon cut in half

For the tacos -

12 mini tortillas
Olive oil for cooking
1 cup cheddar cheese grated (or use American cheese)
1 Romaine lettuce shredded
6 pickle slices chopped
½ cup barbecue sauce
½ cup garlic aioli or burger sauce

Instructions

Make the cheeseburger topping. Add the ground beef, caramelized onions (or relish), chopped pickles, 1 cup of chopped cheese, 1 tablespoon of mustard, crushed garlic, 1 tablespoon of pickle juice, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce and a good grind of black pepper to a mixing bowl. Use a large spoon of spatula to mix into a cohesive topping, making sure the seasoning is evenly dispersed throughout the beef.

PRO TIP: If you want to check the seasoning, you can pan-fry a little topping to taste it and adjust as needed.

Top the tacos.
Place a heaped tablespoon of the cheeseburger topping onto your mini tortilla and use the back of your spoon to spread it out into an even, thin layer, going right to the edges of the tortilla. Press two pieces of the bacon strips on top. Repeat with the rest of the tacos and cheeseburger mixture.
Pan-fry the tacos.
Drizzle a little olive oil into an (ideally) non-stick pan and set it over high heat. When hot, place a taco, topping side down, into the pan. Use a spatula or fish slice to press down firmly on the taco, to 'smash' it into the pan. This will help the topping stick to the tortilla when you flip it. Cook for four minutes, then flip, add roughly 1 tablespoon of grated cheese, then cover and cook for another 30 seconds to let the cheese melt. Remove from the pan and repeat with the rest of the tacos.
Add the toppings.
Drizzle barbecue sauce onto each taco, then top with the shredded lettuce, chopped pickles and dollops of aioli or burger sauce. Enjoy while hot and crispy.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: Lean ground beef is best here so the pan doesn't get too greasy. Use streaky (or American) bacon that's nice and thin so it crisps up quickly in the pan.

MEAT NOT STICKING? There are a couple of reasons for this. Make sure your pan is nice and hot when you add your taco, and really press on the back of your tortilla when you add it to the pan. This will really help to 'smash' the beef into the taco and seal it so it doesn't fall off. But even if your meat doesn't stick, it'll still taste the same! So don't worry too much.

Nutrition