Make your next burger a Taco Burger. Mayonnaise makes everything better, and adding mayonnaise to ground beef returns a deliciously creamy juicy burger. Mix in some taco seasoning and you’ve got a sassy burger that the whole family will love.
If you’re burger fans like us, and like trying unique flavor combos, check out my Black and Blue Burger. Blackened seasoning and blue cheese come together for a championed hamburger.
What Exactly Is A Taco Burger?
Simply stated, It’s a ground beef taco in burger form.
Taco Burger: The Best of Both Worlds in One Bite
If you love classic American cheeseburgers and crave the flavor of a ground beef taco, this Taco Burger recipe brings both favorites together in the most delicious way.
At its core, a Taco Burger is exactly what it sounds like: a seasoned ground beef taco, transformed into burger form. Taco seasoning is mixed directly into the ground beef for bold, savory flavor in every bite. The patties are then topped with all your favorite taco toppings—shredded cheddar cheese, crisp lettuce, juicy tomato, and smashed avocado on the top bun. Instead of pickles, this recipe features sliced pickled jalapeños for a tangy, spicy kick.
To make the patties extra juicy and tender, I use a trick I learned in culinary school: blending mayonnaise and panko breadcrumbs into the beef mixture. This simple addition gives the burger a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
This Taco Burger is a nod to my popular Tortilla Burger—just without the tortilla shell. While Taco Bell famously offered a Taco Burger in the 1970s, this version is a unique homemade twist that’s perfect for a quick and satisfying weeknight dinner.
If you’re a fan of burgers and tacos alike, this recipe is your dream burger.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground Beef: I always recommend an 80/20% blend. That little bit of extra fat brings flavor a moisture to any burger.
- Cheese, Grated: Use what you’d normally use to make tacos. Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Colby.
- Lettuce: We like the cool crispy crunch of Iceberg Lettuce. Romaine or curly leaf green lettuce is also a good choice here.
- Tomatoes, fresh sliced.
- Panko Bread Crumbs are readily found on the baking aisle at your supermarket. A crispy, crunchy bread crumb that I use in so many recipes. Like in these gingery Ground Pork Meatballs.
- Mayonnaise: Mayo, combined with the panko bread crumbs will bring a creamy note to these taco burgers.
- Taco Seasoning: I highly recommend using my recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning. It’s easy and packed with flavor. I add smoked paprika to my recipe for a slight smoky layer of flavor.
- Avocado: Keep this recipe simple by simply smashing avocado with a fork. Seasoned simply with salt, it makes a great topping for this burger. If you want to use guacamole for a topping, check out my recipe for Molcajete Guacamole.
Pro Tip: Purchase good quality cheese and grate it yourself. Pre-grated cheese in bags includes additives to keep it from clumping, which will also compromise the melting factor. Grating cheese from a block of cheese will result in a creamier and more consistent melting experience. Plus, it’s less expensive.
Step by Step Instructions, How To Make Taco Burgers
- Step 1: Add ground beef, mayo, taco seasoning and panko bread crumbs to a bowl.
- Step 2: Just as you would making meatloaf, use your hands to gently blend the ingredients together.
- Step 3: Form the meat mixture into 4 hamburger patties.
- Step 4: Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Cook the patties about 5 – 6 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
- Step 5: While the burgers are cooking, peel, pit and salt the avocado and rough smash it with a fork. To build that burger, place lettuce and a slice of tomato on the bottom bun. Add the taco burger patty and grated cheese. Spread some smashed avocado on the top bun and serve.
Tips For Success
- Do not use a non-stick skillet to fry taco burger patties. Use a good heavy skillet to get a proper sear on the hamburger patties. Non-stick skillets are notorious for not creating enough heat to get a good crispy sear when frying meats. A carbon steel pan or a cast iron skillet are good pans when frying proteins.
- When mixing the ground beef mix, don’t over work the meat. Doing so will cause the patties to be to dense which will compromise the juicy nature of the burger.
- Of course I’d love if you tried my Homemade Taco Seasoning, it full of very special smoky flavor. But if you need to save time, purchase your favorite taco seasoning brand at the grocery store.
Variations
- Jazz it up: Add a scoop of Pico de gallo to your Taco Burger to bring fresh flavors.
- Make it creamy: Add a dollop of Mexican Crema or sour cream.
- Chorizo: Try making this taco burger using ½ Mexican ground chorizo and ½ ground beef. Choose bulk chorizo that is sold in packages that resemble ground beef rather than the tube variety. The tubed variety has too much oil and will compromise the texture of this burger.
- Smash it: I’ve chosen to make this a thicker taco burger, but feel free to make the burger patties thinner by making them smash burgers. One the burgers hit the sizzling skillet, take a metal spatula and smash them thinner.
- Gluten Free: To make this Taco burger gluten free, use gluten free panko bread crumbs and a gluten free burger bun.
Questions You May Have
Absolutely yes. This burger is sturdy enough to withstand those grill grates.
Wrap any uncooked taco burger patties in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer safe zip-lock style bag, or a plastic freezer safe container. They’ll keep for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight then cook.
I make burger patties ahead of time quite often. Form the meat into patties up to 24 hours in advance. Keep on a plate covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
What Sides Go Well With Taco Burgers?
My personal favorite is a baked bean recipe like this one for BBQ Baked Beans On The Grill. Or this easy recipe for Spicy Baked Beans. You can’t go wrong with Old Fashioned Potato Salad or a spicy mac and cheese recipe like this Mexican Mac and Cheese.
More Popular Burger Recipes
And if you’re burger fans like us, don’t miss the most popular hamburger recipe on my site for Bobby Flay’s Texas Burger With Coleslaw. And my category for Hamburger Recipes.
If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.
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Super Simple Taco Burger
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground beef 80/20 blend is always recommended for great burger flavor
- 1 Tablespoon Taco seasoning
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- 4 Hamburger buns
- To build the burger:
- Lettuce Iceberg lettuce works well here.
- Sliced tomato
- Grated Cheese Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack
- 2 Avocado peeled, pitted, smashed with a fork and salted
Instructions
- Place ground beef in a bowl and break up the meat slightly.
- Add the taco seasoning, mayonnaise and bread crumbs and gently mix until ingredients are blended. Shape the meat into 4 burger patties. Pan fry, grill or broil until done, about 5 minutes per side.
- While burgers are cooking, peel, pit, salt and smash the avocado with a fork. A slightly chunky texture is good here.
- To build the burger: place lettuce and a slice of onion on the bottom bun. Top each patty with some grated cheese. Spread smashed avocado on the top bun and serve with slices of pickled jalapenos.
Notes
- Do not use a non-stick skillet to fry taco burger patties. Use a good heavy skillet to get a proper sear on hamburger patties. Non-stick skillets are notorious for not creating enough heat to get a good crispy sear when frying meats. A carbon steel pan or a cast iron skillet are good pans when frying proteins.
- When mixing the ground beef mix, don’t over work the meat. Doing so will cause the patties to be to dense which will compromise the juicy nature of the burger.
- Of course I’d love if you tried my Homemade Taco Seasoning, it full of very special smoky flavor. But if you need to save time, purchase your favorite taco seasoning brand at the grocery store.
Nutrition
Super Simple Taco Burgers … it’s What’s For Burger Night
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
Sounds like a great burger and I like the addition of mayo to the meat. While they make for good pics, we aren’t fans of the burgers that look like slightly flattened meatballs. I’ll make the burgers but I’ll make three per pound and know they will be delicious.
What a brilliant idea! This is the perfect way to change up Taco Tuesday!