This is a great mash-up of two of my favorite things: burgers and tacos. It’s also one of my favorite ways to serve burgers in my house, since Jules has food restrictions, and I’m just not a fan of gluten-free buns (convince me otherwise!). So that’s why if I’m serving burgers to my family, this is high up on the request list.

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The key to these tacos is texture. I’m using corn tortillas in this recipe but you can use a grain-free option like Siete tortillas. In the video below I dive more into my techniques for avoiding a soggy tortilla and getting a really crispy texture on the burgers (it’s all about timing!).

I make a quick pico de gallo (with half of an onion) but hold the cilantro since it doesn’t totally work with the flavor profile here. And then I like to make a three-part burger sauce: one part relish (you can chop up a dill pickle like I do here), two parts ketchup, and three parts mayonnaise. Sometimes I add a little bit of barbecue sauce to up the smoky flavor.

To make the smash burger tacos, first mix the ground beef together lightly with your hands tossing in some burger seasoning (here’s my recipe). Form the meat into four even balls. Then use a mandoline or knife to slice the other half of the onion into paper-thin slices and save the other half of the onion.

I throw the tacos on the stovetop first to warm them up. Then we add the burgers to the flat-top. Let them sizzle in their ball shape — don’t disturb them too quickly. That develops the flavor and gets them nice and caramelized. I add the thinly sliced onions on top and then smash at it. When you see browning around the edges of the burgers creeping up to the top, it’s time to flip so the onions meet the griddle. Add on the cheese slices — we’re going to let American cheese have its day in the sun because it really is THE burger cheese. Let it hang out for a little bit longer and then on to assembly, which is really easy. Just add the burger to the taco shell with some pico, some shredded iceberg, and a drizzle of burger sauce.

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And there you go! Tastes exactly like your favorite burger and avoids the pitfalls of the gluten-free buns. You can even add a dash of hot sauce to bring the heat (check out my favorites here). I think you’ll love this one, so give it a try.