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These smashed burger tacos take everything you love about a classic smash burger and turn it into a quick, crispy, griddle-cooked taco layered with Jamaican and Mexican flavours! Made with jerk seasoned beef, creamy street corn, pickled red onions, and a homemade jerk lime crema, perfect for weeknight dinners, cookouts, or taco nights!
Love tacos? Try my Curry Shrimp Tacos , Jamaican Jerk Chicken Tacos or my Easy Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Lime Dressing next!
If you’ve been seeing smashed burger tacos all over your feed and wondering if they’re actually worth the hype, let me clear this up; they are. And this version? It’s got a whole Caribbean-Mexican twist that makes it next level.
These Jerk Street Corn Smashed Burger Tacos combine everything you love about a classic smash burger, the crispy, lacy beef crust, with the delicious flavours of jerk seasoning, elote-style street corn, pickled red onions, and a homemade jerk lime crema. It all comes together on a flour tortilla that gets pressed and cooked right underneath the patty.
This is the kind of recipe that works for a weeknight dinner, a backyard cookout, or really easy taco Tuesday when you want something a little different.
Table of Contents
- What Are Smashed Burger Tacos?
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- Recipe Tip
- How to Make Jerk Smashed Burger Tacos
- Tips for the Best Smashed Burger Tacos
- Can I Make These Ahead?
- Recipe Tip
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Jamaican Recipes You’ll Love
- Jerk Street Corn Smashed Burger Tacos Recipe
What Are Smashed Burger Tacos?
Smashed burger tacos are exactly what they sound like, a burger patty smashed directly onto a flour tortilla and cooked together on a hot griddle or cast iron skillet. The tortilla crisps up underneath while the beef gets the signature smash burger edges. You get burger flavour with taco portability, so it’s defintiely a mashup worth making.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in under 30 minutes (pickled onions aside)
- The street corn topping doubles as a side dish
- Great for feeding a crowd because it’s easy to scale up
- Kid-friendly if you go lighter on the jerk, or omit it completely
Ingredients You’ll Need
The full list is in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick breakdown of the key players:
The patty: 80/20 ground beef seasoned with jerk seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. The fat content is important here, it’s what gives you those crispy edges.
The street corn: Charred corn tossed with mayo, cotija, lime, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Fresh, frozen, or canned all work but my preference is corn on the cob thats been grilled and a little bit charred.
The pickled red onions: Quick pickled in a simple white vinegar brine. Make these ahead pf time because they only get better with time.
The jerk lime crema: Mayo, sour cream, lime juice, jerk seasoning, and a grated garlic clove. It comes together in two minutes and it’s the sauce that ties everything together.
Recipe Tip
Cotija cheese is a crumbly, salty Mexican cheese that’s classic for elote. Can’t find it? Feta is a great substitute with similar texture and saltiness.
How to Make Jerk Smashed Burger Tacos
Step 1: Make the Pickled Red Onions
Add the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar and salt fully dissolve, about 2 minutes. Place your sliced red onion into a jar or heat-safe bowl and pour the hot brine right over top. Let it cool to room temperature, then pop it in the fridge. They’ll be ready in 30 minutes but taste even better after a few hours.
Step 2: Make the Jerk Lime Crema
Whisk together the mayo, sour cream, lime juice, jerk seasoning, grated garlic, and a pinch of salt until smooth and creamy. Taste it, if you want more heat, add a little more jerk seasoning. If you want more brightness, squeeze in a little extra lime. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble.
Step 3: Make the Elote-Style Street Corn
Heat butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add your corn in a single layer and leave it alone for 2–3 minutes so it gets a good char on the bottom. Give it a stir, cook another 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Toss with mayo, cotija, cilantro, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Step 4: Season and Portion the Beef
Combine your ground beef with jerk seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until just combined, don’t overwork it or the patties will be tough. Divide into 6 equal balls, about 2.5-3 oz each.
Step 5: Smash and Cook
Heat your cast iron skillet or griddle over high heat until it’s very hot, this is the most important step. Place tortillas beef side down onto the hot surface. Smash firmly with a spatula or press and cook for 2–3 minutes, until a deep crust forms and cooked through.
Flip the tacos and immediately top the beef side with a slice of white cheddar or provolone cheese. Close lid if using a griddle, and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is lightly crisped.
Step 6: Assemble
Drizzle jerk lime crema generously over each taco. Add a spoonful of the street corn, a few pickled red onions, and a handful of fresh cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Smashed Burger Tacos
- Get your skillet screaming hot before you start. That’s the key to a proper smash burger. If the pan isn’t hot enough, you won’t get that crust.
- Use a heavy spatula or burger press and really lean into it when you smash. You want the beef spread thin across the tortilla but be mindful not to let the juices squeeze out!
- Don’t skip the cheese. Laying a slice of white cheddar or provolone on top right after the flip lets it melt perfectly without overcooking the beef.
- Make the pickled onions and crema ahead of time. Both keep well in the fridge (onions up to 2 weeks, crema up to 5 days) and make weeknight assembly a breeze.
Can I Make These Ahead?
The components, street corn, crema, and pickled onions, can all be made 1–2 days in advance. The patties are best cooked fresh for that crispy texture, but honestly they reheat well in a hot skillet too.
Recipe Tip
The pickled red onions need at least 30 minutes to pickle, so start there. The crema and street corn can also be made ahead, which makes the actual cooking go really fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
A burger patty smashed and cooked directly onto a flour tortilla on a hot griddle, giving you crispy beef edges in taco form.
Nope! A heavy flat spatula works perfectly. A burger press or the bottom of a small heavy pan also does the job well.
Yes! Ground chicken or turkey both work well. Just note that leaner proteins may not get as crispy as 80/20 beef and also cook much quicker.
Store components separately in the fridge. Crema and pickled onions keep up to 5 days, street corn up to 3 days, and cooked patties up to 3 days.
Yes, these are best made on a hot griddle! You can also use a flat cast iron skillet or griddle attachment to use on your grill grates.
It depends on your jerk seasoning. Start with less if you’re sensitive to heat and adjust from there. You can also use mild or spicy jerk seasoning, and adjust as needed.
I love making these smash burger tacos with Fried Plantain or my Plantain Chips!
More Jamaican Recipes You’ll Love
Jamaican Jerk Chicken Tacos with Avocado Crema
Easy Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Lime Dressing
If you try this Jerk Street Corn Smashed Burger Taco, please leave a star rating below — it helps others find this recipe! Tag me on Instagram using #theseasonedskillet for a chance to be featured, and follow TSS on Facebook, TikTok and Pinterest for new recipes every week.
Jerk Street Corn Smashed Burger Tacos
Ingredients
Jerk Smash Burger Tacos
- 1 lb Ground Beef, 80/20
- 1 tbsp Authentic Jamaican Jerk Marinade, or use store-bought (i.e. Walkerswood or Grace brand)
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Mexican Street Corn
- 2 cups Corn Kernels, charred (opt. but recommended), use either fresh, frozen, or canned
- 2 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Sour Cream
- 1/4 cup Cotija Cheese, crumbled, or use feta cheese
- 2 tbsp Jalapenos, finely diced, adjust as needed
- 2 tbsp Fresh Cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
- 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
- 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Salt, or to taste
Jerk Lime Crema
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Sour Cream
- 1-2 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice, 2-3 key limes
- 1-2 tsp Jerk Seasoning, or to taste
- 1 clove Garlic, grated
- 1/2 tsp Salt, or to taste
Pickled Red Onions
- 1/2 lrg Red Onion, evenly sliced
- 1/2 cup Vinegar
- 1/2 cup Water
- 2 tbsp Granulated White Sugar
- 2 tsp Salt
For Assembly
- 6 Flour Tortillas, small
- 6 Provolone Cheese Slices, or white cheddar, slices
- Fresh Cilantro, chopped
- Cotija Cheese, crumbled
- Lime Wedges, for serving
Instructions
Pickled Red Onions
- In a small pot, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Heat until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Place the sliced red onions in a jar or bowl. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the onions, ensuring they are fully submerged and let the onions sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Jerk Lime Crema
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, jerk seasoning, grated garlic, and salt until combined. Adjust seasoning to taste and set aside.
Mexican Street Corn
- Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Add corn and cook until lightly charred, stirring occasionally, then let cool.
- To the corn kernels, stir in mayonnaise, cotija cheese, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, cilantro, and a pinch of salt. Mix until creamy and set aside.
Jerk Smash Burger Tacos
- In a bowl, combine ground beef, jerk seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently and divide into 6 equal portions.
- Press each portion of seasoned beef thinly onto one side of a flour tortilla, spreading it evenly to the edges.
- Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place tortillas beef side down onto the hot surface. Smash firmly with a spatula or press and cook for 2–3 minutes, until a deep crust forms.
- Flip the tacos and immediately top the beef side with a slice of white cheddar or provolone cheese. Close lid if using a griddle, and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is lightly crisped.
- Remove from heat and top each taco with street corn, pickled red onions, fresh cilantro, and a drizzle of jerk lime crema. Serve immediately with lime wedges and enjoy!
