Bean Cheese Smashed Tacos

The smashed taco trend has taken over social media and I’m here for it. I love all kinds of tacos, but when there’s a taco that can be made in minutes, has delicious crispy edges, and is easy to add any taco topping, I’m hooked!

I changed the flavor profile of the traditional smashed tacos because I wanted to make them vegetarian and also take advantage of the possibilities of the crunchy cheddar cheese. The result was an instant WIN.

What is a smashed taco?

The default smashed taco resembles a smashed burger. Place a thin layer of beef on a skillet with some taco seasoning and press into the skillet or skillet to create a nice crust on top. The difference with the taco is that you cover the beef with a flour tortilla to help it cook through and keep the beef sticking to the tortilla.

After the beef is cooked (a few minutes), flip the taco and top with cheese, which melts and gives the flour tortilla a chance to crisp up on the griddle.

The results are pretty amazing and I recommend giving it a try if you like a beef taco.

This variant is a slightly different variant of that, but maybe I should make a standard variant too!

How to make a mashed taco with crispy cheese

The tricks to make this work are very simple.

1. Make sure your griddle is very clean. If something sticks to it, the layer of cheese will stick, which isn’t great.
2. Don’t overdo it with the cheese. Adding too much cheese will result in an oily mass rather than a crispy layer of delicious cheese.
3. Control your heat for this one. If your griddle is too hot, the cheese will simply burn. I like to use medium to low heat.

If you have all of these things, these are quite easy to make.

Place a layer of cheese on a preheated skillet that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray and add some sliced ​​jalapenos, to taste.

Once the cheese starts to melt, don’t touch it anymore! Wait until it starts to bubble and get crispy around the edges, then you can add the bean layer!

Here’s how to add the refried bean layer to the tacos

To add the bean layer, spread the beans directly onto the tortilla, then invert the tortilla onto the cheese.

With a little pressure, the bean and cheese layers stick together and it turns out delicious.

In this situation you can see the cheese bubbling.

After about two minutes of cooking time, the cheese should be really crispy. Use a good spatula to work under the layer of cheese so it comes off completely. Then you can try it!

Check out these gorgeous crispy tacos!

Toppings for the smashed tacos

I don’t think these smashed tacos need any more cheese or, frankly, creamy stuff like sour cream. You do need some fresh veggies though! I like to chop up some tomatoes, cilantro, onions and lettuce and add that to the tacos with a dash of hot sauce.

So good!

Alternatives and ideas for these tacos

This is a pretty flexible taco. Here are some good ideas for substitutions!

• You can always change the cheese as long as it’s not too melty. Something like mozzarella probably wouldn’t crisp up, but something like gouda or provolone would.
• Various types of beans are suitable for the filling. Try mashed pinto beans or black beans.
• The toppings can be very flexible. Try different chopped veggies or even this green taco sauce!

Can these tacos be made ahead of time?

In short, I wouldn’t do it. They completely lose their crispness if left too long and they don’t taste as good straight out of the fridge in my opinion.

If you need to make them ahead of time, you can keep them in a 250°F oven for a short time if you need to make a large batch of them or similar.

These mashed tacos are quick to make and I think they’ll be an instant hit in your kitchen.

My bean and cheese smashed taco recipe

Here are a few more great recipes to try!