The Latest TikTok Trend Combines Two Handheld Favorites
When it comes to considering the best handheld food to eat on the go, there are a few options you might think about. For instance, maybe a lightly seeded bun holding a juicy beef patty and melted cheese. Or perhaps a soft corn tortilla filled with succulent, melt-in-your-mouth meat. Well, what if we said you can have both at the same time? TikTok's new trend combines smash burgers — or patties pressed down ultra-thin to achieve crispy edges — with everyone's favorite Mexican street food for the ultimate handheld snack.
The trend seems to have first taken off on TikTok, where the hashtag #smashburgertacos has over 3.6 million views. But it has also made its way over to YouTube and other social media platforms — with home cooks and chefs alike trying out variations. In one TikTok video with over 100,000 likes, user @chilesandsmoke, Phoenix-based chef Brad Prose, demonstrates how to make the viral sensation. Prose starts by seasoning beef and rolling it into balls before placing them on the griddle and putting tortillas on top. He then smashes down the tortilla-covered patties with a burger press, flips, and finishes each smash burger taco with cheese and other classic burger toppings. The result is a wafer-thin, lightweight taco filled with all the things we love about a burger.
Not everyone is impressed with smash burger tacos
Although smash burger tacos are racking up a lot of views and many creators are showing viewers their personal variations on the trend, not everyone in Brad Prose's comment section was happy with his creation. Many of the negative comments centered around his cooking method: Notably, adding the tortilla atop the still-raw burger meat. "Dude cooked one side of the burger," one user complained. "Cook both sides dawg," commented another. However, others were quick to defend the one-sided approach, pointing out that the very nature of smash burgers means they cook through incredibly quickly in just a couple of minutes. "Ppl in the comments don't know how heat works," wrote one TikTok user. "It still cooks all the way if it's a patty that thin even if it's seared from one side." The quick cooking time and high heat are also what give smash burgers their delectable crispy exterior.
@chilesandsmoke Smashburger Tacos are hitting the streets. Grab some tortillas and let's GO! I've been working on this process for a bit and realized that smashing the meat with the flour tortilla directly on the griddle is very effective, and saves a few steps of preparation. The full walkthrough is in my bio. These cook quickly, and with a tortilla instead of the buns you can crush more meat + toppings. #smashburgertacos #smashburgers #streettacos
Even though smash burger tacos are new to TikTok, cheeseburger tacos have existed since at least the 1940s at taco houses in Los Angeles. Despite their quintessentially American feel, they are also popular in Mexico City, with some claiming the combo originated there instead. Given this history, the smash burger taco trend is merely building on years of street food culture and expertise, but with a modern twist for Gen Z.