Smash Tacos

If haven’t hopped on the smash taco train yet, consider this your official invitation. These crispy cuties pack a spicy chorizo filling that sizzles up in minutes. The sausage is covered with a blanket of melty cheese to mellow the heat just a touch. Pile on your crew's favorite toppings, and you’ve got a Tex-Mex mash-up that tastes like a party but is easy enough to make on a Tuesday. Serve the smash tacos hot off the skillet with buttery corn on the cob (a little lime and chili seasoning never hurt!), and dinner feels special without any extra fuss.

How is a smash taco different from a regular taco?

The difference between a smash taco and the kind you're probably more familiar with, like these carne asada tacos, is how they're cooked. Instead of topping folded tortillas with a cooked filling like meat or fish, the raw sausage mixture is pressed directly onto a tortilla, which is then seared on a flat-top griddle. The taco meat sticks to the tortilla and the tortilla gets crispy all over. It's like a cross between a taco and a smash burger.

What is chorizo?
Chorizo is a pork sausage famous for its bold, spicy flavor. In Mexico, chorizo is usually sold fresh and seasoned with dried chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, and warm spices like cumin. In Spain, chorizo is more often cured and flavored mainly with smoked paprika and garlic, giving it a deep red color and smoky taste. This smash tacos recipe uses fresh chorizo, which becomes browned and crispy in the pan.

What toppings go with smash tacos?

Smash tacos are all about contrast—crispy, cheesy meat dressed with bright, fresh toppings. Pile these cheesy tacos high with shredded lettuce and pico de gallo. Then add a cool dollop of sour cream and a slice of fresh avocado or homemade guacamole.

How to Make Smash Tacos

INGREDIENTS

• Chorizo. Choose fresh (raw) chorizo for these tacos; the sausage has a soft texture similar to ground beef that will adhere to the tortillas as it cooks in the pan. Dried chorizo is cured and hard, and is better served sliced or in a soup or stew.
• Tortillas. Flour tortillas are more pliable than corn, which makes them easier to work with when you're cooking them with the sausage.
• Cheese. Pepper jack cheese has a nice kick to it, but you could also use monterey jack or cheddar cheese.
• Chili-lime seasoning. This bright red seasoning blend adds a pop of tart acidity and heat to the buttery corn.
• Lime. Fresh lime juice livens up any Tex-Mex meal, so cut up some extra wedges for squeezing at the table.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Start by making the taco meat: Combine chorizo with fresh cilantro and finely chopped white onion with your hands until you have a uniform mixture. Avoid over-mixing, which can make the meat tough. Divide the meat mixture into 12 portions.

Place a meatball in the center of each tortilla. Then spread the meat into a uniform layer, leaving border of tortilla around the edges.

To cook the smash tacos, heat a griddle or big skillet over medium heat and press the tortillas, meat-side down, onto the hot cooking surface. After about two minutes, flip the tortillas and sprinkle the sausage with pepper jack cheese. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crisp on the bottom, another minute or two.

Meanwhile, cook corn in a large pot of boiling salted water until it's just tender and still crunchy, about four minutes.

To finish the dish, toss the corn with salted butter and sprinkle it with chili-lime seasoning and lime juice. Add toppings to the tacos and serve them alongside the buttery corn.

A full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.