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OK, you guys, these turkey smash burger tacos are just…WOW. They’re seriously about to become your new weeknight dinner obsession! They combine the best of two worlds - those irresistible thin, crispy edges of a smashed burger with the handheld convenience of a taco. They’re my latest kitchen miracle - combining an innovative cooking technique with bold Mediterranean flavors that will totally transform your dinner game.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love These Turkey Smash Burger Tacos Recipe
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make These Turkey Smash Burgers in Taco Form!
- Pro Tips for Perfect Smash Tacos
- Customization Ideas
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage and Reheating Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- More Taco Recipes
- Greek-Inspired Turkey Smash Burger Tacos Recipe
Why You’ll Love These Turkey Smash Burger Tacos Recipe
These turkey smash burger tacos are perfect for those hectic weeknights! I created this recipe during a particularly busy week when I wanted something delicious but didn’t have the energy for complicated cooking. The great thing about the viral smash burger tacos is that you can really customize to your own tastes (like my Big Mac Tacos version!)
What makes these tacos magical is the brilliant shortcut - smashing seasoned turkey directly onto gluten-free tortillas! This creates those irresistible crispy edges that make every bite a total flavor explosion, while the meat bonds with the tortilla for a sturdy, no-spill vessel. No fancy burger press needed - a spatula or measuring cup works perfectly for getting that thin, quick-cooking patty. It’s perfect for anyone craving that combo of crunch and flavor.
Looking for more burger-inspired goodness? Try my Air Fryer Turkey Burgers, Healthy Bacon Cheeseburger Bowls, or Best Gluten-Free Burger Recipe that nobody will guess is gluten-free!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Tacos:
- Gluten free tortillas – I recommend Siete Cassava flour tortillas for the best flavor and texture. They crisp up beautifully and hold their structure while cooking. Corn tortillas can also work as an alternative.
- Lean ground turkey – Provides a leaner alternative to traditional ground beef while still delivering great flavor. The lean ground beef typically used in smash burgers is replaced here for a lighter option. You can swap for ground chicken if desired.
- Salt, black pepper, oregano, and garlic powder – This simple seasoning blend adds Mediterranean flavor without overpowering the other ingredients.
- Cucumber – Adds a crunch and coolness that balances the warm, savory meat.
- Diced tomato – Provides juicy freshness and a pop of color.
- Pickled onions – These pickled red onion add a tangy brightness.
- Feta cheese – Used both in the sauce and as an optional topping, this cheese brings a salty, tangy element that’s quintessentially Mediterranean.
- Pepperoncinis – These mild pickled peppers add a subtle heat and tangy flavor.
- Fresh parsley – Optional, but adds a fresh finish.
Feel free to add other favorite toppings as you wish! The beauty of these tacos is that they’re totally customizable!
For the Yogurt Lemon Dill Sauce:
- Plain non-fat Greek yogurt – Creates a creamy, tangy base for the sauce with much less fat than traditional sour cream.
- Minced garlic – Adds a punch of aromatic flavor.
- Feta cheese – Brings salty, tangy notes to the sauce.
- Lemon juice – Provides bright acidity that lifts all the flavors.
- Fresh dill – This herb gives the sauce its distinctive Mediterranean character.
- Olive oil – Adds richness and helps bind the sauce together.
- Salt
You’ll find the complete recipe card with detailed ingredient amounts at the bottom of this post. And honestly, once you try these, they’ll become a regular in your meal rotation – they’re that good!
How to Make These Turkey Smash Burgers in Taco Form!
Step 1: Combine the yogurt, minced garlic, feta cheese, lemon juice, fresh dill, olive oil, and salt in a bowl.
Step 2: Whisk until well integrated. Set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
Step 3: Divide the 1 lb of turkey into 6 equal portions and roll them each into a ball. This ensures each taco gets the same amount of meat.
Step 4: Place a turkey ball in the middle of each tortilla and press down firmly to spread it out into a very thin layer. Try to cover as much of the surface of the tortilla as possible. This is the key “smash” technique that creates the signature thin patty! You can use a large spatula to assist here.
Step 5: Sprinkle the turkey with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano, dividing the seasonings equally between the 6 tacos. This direct seasoning ensures great flavor in every bite.
Step 6: Heat a cast iron skillet or large skillet over medium-high heat and spray with avocado oil. A hot pan or hot skillet is essential for achieving that perfect sear. Place the tortillas meat-side down on the hot surface and cook for 2-3 minutes until nicely browned. The direct heat creates those crispy edges that make smash burgers so delicious.
Step 7: Lightly spray the exposed side of the tortilla with more oil, then flip. This helps the tortilla crisp up on the other side. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the tortilla is crispy and the meat is fully cooked through and golden brown. The thin patty allows for quick cooking time. (Use an instant read thermometer if needed! Internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F).
Step 8: Serve topped with the yogurt dill sauce, diced cucumbers, tomatoes, pickled onions, and diced pepperoncinis. Add fresh parsley as a garnish if desired, and enjoy your smash burger tacos while hot!
Pro Tips for Perfect Smash Tacos
After making these countless times, I’ve got some insider tricks to make your turkey smash burger tacos absolutely amazing:
- Use a large, heavy skillet (cast iron works best!) to get that nice crust on the edge of the turkey patty.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan - cook in batches if needed to ensure maximum crispiness
- Pat the ground turkey dry before seasoning to help achieve a golden-brown crust
- Let the meat come to room temperature before cooking for more even results.
- Use a spatula to really press and smash the turkey - you want thin patties so they get extra crispy!
Customization Ideas
One of the best things about these tacos is how easily you can adapt them any way you'd like:
Tortilla Options
While I love Siete cassava flour tortillas for a grain-free option, you can absolutely use your favorite flour tortillas or corn tortillas depending on your preference.
- Corn tortillas: More traditional but can be more brittle; warming them slightly before smashing helps.
- Flour tortillas: More pliable and less likely to break, but not gluten-free
- Cassava tortillas: Great gluten-free option with excellent flexibility
Serving Suggestions
These turkey smash burger tacos are incredibly versatile! Here are my favorite ways to serve them up:
- Create a Mediterranean-style platter with extra cucumbers, tomatoes, and olives.
- Pair with a Greek cucumber salad for a light, refreshing meal.
- With roasted vegetable sides for extra nutrition.
- Make it a family-style feast by setting out all the toppings and letting everyone build their own.
- Spice these tacos up with some red pepper flakes, add a slice of cheese, and/or swap out the tortilla for hamburger buns- make them your own or switch them up each time you make them!
Storage and Reheating Tips
Storing these tacos is easier than you might think. After enjoying your meal, simply transfer the leftover cooked tacos to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator, where they’ll stay fresh for 3-4 days. To keep everything tasting amazing, store the yogurt sauce separately - this prevents the tortillas from getting soggy and maintains that crunchy texture.
When you’re ready to enjoy leftovers, skip the microwave and reheat in a skillet instead. This trick helps maintain the crispy edges that make these tacos so delicious.
Pro-tip for meal preppers: The uncooked turkey mixture can hang out in your refrigerator for up to 24 hours before cooking, making it perfect for those nights when you want a quick and easy dinner.
Loving the Greek flavors? Try my Greek lamb meatballs for another super easy dinner idea!
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Traditional smash burgers use beef, so it would work perfectly. Use an 80/20 ground beef for the best flavor and juiciness. The technique remains exactly the same, just watch for slightly more fat rendering during cooking.
This usually happens if the meat isn’t spread thinly enough or if the heat is too high. Make sure to really press the meat ball into a thin layer and cook over medium-high heat rather than high heat. Also, some gluten-free tortilla brands are more brittle than others, so you might need to experiment to find one that works best.
For sure! The yogurt lemon dill sauce actually benefits from being made a few hours or even a day ahead, as this allows the flavors to develop. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Not at all! While a burger press works great if you have one, a spatula or even the bottom of a measuring cup works perfectly for pressing the meat onto the tortilla. Just make sure to use something flat and apply firm, even pressure.
I wouldn’t recommend this because they might smash down to be larger than the tortillas.
Yes! Skip the part where you add the meat to the tortilla and place the smashed patty directly onto the cast iron. Once it’s crispy and done cooking, add it to your favorite hamburger bun with all the same toppings and you’ve got Greek-inspired delicious burgers!
Smash burgers actually have quite a history! They originated in the Midwest, with chains like Steak ‘n Shake and Smashburger popularizing the technique. The key innovation was pressing the meat onto a hot griddle to maximize the surface area touching the heat, creating more browning (called the Maillard reaction) that develops deep flavor. This fusion with tacos is a more recent trend, combining two beloved comfort foods into one delicious handheld meal.
More Taco Recipes
The BEST Slow Cooker Taco Chili Recipe
Taco Shredded Beef
Paleo Buffalo Shrimp Tacos
Easy Baja Shrimp Tacos Recipe
Greek-Inspired Turkey Smash Burger Tacos
Equipment
- griddle or flat pan
Ingredients
- 6 gluten free tortillas, I like to use Siete Cassava tortillas for this recipe
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1.5 cups diced tomato
- Pickled onions
- Extra feta, optional
- Diced pepperoncinis, Extra
- chopped parsley, for garnish, optional
Yogurt Lemon Dill Sauce
- 1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- ⅓ cup feta cheese
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp minced fresh dill
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Combine the dill yogurt sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine, Set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Divide the 1 lb of turkey into 6 equal portions and roll them each into a ball.
- Place the ball in the middle of the tortilla and press down to spread it out into a very thin layer to cover as much of the surface of the tortilla as possible.
- Sprinkle the turkey with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano (dividing it equally between the 6 tacos).
- Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium high heat and spray with avocado oil.
- Place the tortillas meat-side down and cook for 2-3 minutes until browned. Lightly spray the tortilla with more oil, then flip.
- Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Serve topped with the yogurt dill sauce, diced cucumbers, tomatoes, pickled onions and diced pepperoncinis + fresh parsley. Enjoy!!
Notes
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- Don’t Skip the Resting Time for the Sauce: The yogurt sauce really does benefit from at least 15-30 minutes in the fridge. The flavors meld together and the garlic gets slightly less sharp, creating a more balanced flavor. For a dairy free option, try this Dairy Free Tzatziki Sauce!
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- The Right Heat Level: Getting your pan to the right temperature is crucial. You want medium-high heat - hot enough to create those crispy edges, but not so hot that the tortilla burns before the meat cooks through. If you have an infrared thermometer, aim for around 375-400°F.
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- Doneness: Turkey is fully cooked when it reaches 165°F internally, but since the patty is so thin, you can usually tell by looking. The meat should no longer be pink, and the edges should be deeply browned and crispy. If you’re unsure, a quick cut into the center will let you check.
Nutrition
All nutrition facts are an estimate and automatically calculated. While I fact check them using My Fitness Pal, please note that they may not always be 100% accurate and depend on ingredients used. Weigh your total and divide by the number of servings for the most accurate grams per serving size.
An absolutely amazing and easy recipe! Even the kids loved it. This is definitely going to be on the regular rotation! We have done it with turkey (like in the recipe) and with beef and they both turn out great
So good! Somehow turned on the smoke detector while cooking these even though didn’t think it was smoky but we loved them and can’t wait to make them again!
Had to review this because it deserves more than 5 stars!!! I knew it would be good, but didn’t anticipate how good, just like a Greek gyro without the guilt or carryout travel. I used flour tortillas as that’s all I had and used raw red onion instead of pickled. I also cut up a baked potato into wedge fries, tossed them in olive oil and Caveneder’s all purpose Greek seasoning and popped them in the air fryer. Delicious meal!!!!
Our new favorite recipe! My husband makes them for everyone that comes to visit
I am so glad to hear this! Thanks Chantal!
So easy to make and so delicious!!
Thank you for sharing!
The best!
Simple, easy to make yet delicious, filling and an all around great weeknight meal. Will be making these often!
These were so easy, delicious, and healthy. Another win from my favorite recipe website!
My family loved this! I will definitely double the taco portion next time I make them because we all wanted more. Great as written and was super quick to make!
So good!! Tasted like a gyro. I used 1.3 lbs ground turkey and the seasoning was more than enough. I had the Siete cassava flour tortillas on hand. I bought Cava Tzatziki and cut up cucumber and tomato and olives. I used a smasher when cooking. Will def be cooking this again! My husband and son also loved.