Oklahoma Onion Smash Burger Tacos (The Griddle Recipe That Upgrades the Viral Trend)
Oklahoma onion smash burger tacos — the 1926 El Reno fried onion burger fused with the viral TikTok smash burger taco. 80/20 beef, paper-thin mandoline onions smashed into the patty, American cheese, and Oklahoma-style burger sauce on a crispy street-taco flour tortilla.
Equipment
- Griddle, Flat Top, or Cast Iron Skillet
- Mandoline Slicer
- Cut-Resistant Glove
- Heavy Bench Scraper or Burger Smasher
- Infrared Thermometer (optional)
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Beef & Tortillas
- 2 pounds 80/20 ground beef keep cold until cooking
- 8 small flour tortillas street taco size, ~6 inches
- salt, black pepper, garlic powder to taste
Onions
- 2 large sweet onions shaved paper-thin on a mandoline
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt for the salt-and-squeeze
Cheese
- 8 slices American cheese
Burger Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice from a jar of dill pickles
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika Spanish pimentón preferred
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Toppings (Optional)
- shredded iceberg lettuce, dill pickles, diced onion, jalapeños, diced tomato
Instructions
- Mix the burger sauce: whisk mayo, ketchup, mustard, pickle juice, smoked paprika, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Refrigerate while you prep the rest.
- Mandoline the onions paper-thin (1 to 2 mm) using a cut-resistant glove. Toss with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and let sit 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze hard over the sink until almost no liquid comes out.
- Divide the 80/20 ground beef into 8 loose balls of about 4 ounces each. Season the tops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Keep cold.
- Place each beef ball on a 6-inch flour tortilla and press by hand to flatten. Pile a generous handful of squeezed onions on the beef side and press them into the meat firmly with your fingertips.
- Preheat the griddle, flat top, or cast iron skillet to 400°F (375 to 425°F range). Don't oil the surface.
- Place tacos beef-and-onion side DOWN on the hot griddle. Within 30 seconds, smash hard with a heavy bench scraper for 3 to 5 seconds. Do NOT smash a second time. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until deep mahogany.
- Flip with a thin spatula. Top each with a slice of American cheese. Cover with a domed lid if you have one. Cook another 1 to 2 minutes until the tortilla crisps and cheese melts.
- Transfer to a cooling rack beef-side up. Drizzle with burger sauce and add toppings. Serve hot. For crowds, hold finished tacos warm on the griddle's low-heat zone or a 200°F oven on a wire rack.
Notes
Grill Master Tip: The salt-and-squeeze on the onions is the single most important step in this recipe. Skip it and your patties steam instead of crust. Also: smash the burger ONCE only — repeated pressing squeezes the juice out and dries the patty. For crowds, cook all the beef sides first, hold finished tacos on the low-heat zone of the griddle, then build in batches so the tortilla stays crisp and everyone eats hot together.