Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the cucumber tomato salad with dill:
- 4 persian cucumbers, cut into half moons
- 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 tablespoons dill
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- black pepper
- 1/2 lime, juiced
For the Easy Guacamole:
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 red onion
- 1/2 – 1 lime, juiced
- Kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
For the Smashed tacos:
- 1/2 lb Ground beef- 85% lean
- 3 slices of pepper jack cheese
- 6 corn or thin flour tortillas
- Kosher salt
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
Instructions
For the cucumber tomato salad with dill:
- Cut the ends off the persian cucumbers, then cut them into half moons. I halve the cucumber lengthwise, then lay it on the cut side and slice ⅓” thick pieces.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and thinly chop the dill.
- Add the chopped cucumber, tomato, and dill to a medium sized bowl. Add a big pinch of kosher salt, black pepper, drizzle of olive oil, and the fresh lime juice. Give everything a toss, taste, adjust seasoning, and also set aside.
For the Easy Guacamole:
- Add the avocado to a bowl along with the lime juice, diced red onion, pinch of kosher salt, and black pepper. Mash with a fork until combined, taste, adjust with more lime juice or seasoning as desired, and set aside.
For the Smashed Tacos:
- Portion out the ½ lb of ground beef into 6 even sized balls. Press each one into a patty, about 2” in diameter. You will continue to smash this thinner, this just helps with the initial distribution.
- Heat a cast iron pan on high heat (or any pan that can handle high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the ground beef patty to the pan.
- Season each patty with kosher salt, a sprinkle of paprika, and a sprinkle of garlic powder. Then add a tortilla over the beef. Use a spatula or bottom of a cup to press the ball SUPER flat (the beef shouldn’t be more than ¼” thick). Cook for 1 minute, then flip to the tortilla side. Add another light pinch of salt, then add ½ slice of pepperjack cheese. You may need to reduce the heat a bit at this point, as the cast iron will be VERY hot. Fold the tortilla in half, then let this cook for another 30 seconds. Flip and cook for another 30 seconds, and repeat this with the remaining ground beef and tortillas.
Notes
- I manage to cook 2 tacos at once in my cast iron, but depending on the size of your pan, you can just do one at a time.
- It’s important to smash the ground beef very thin and to use a very hot pan. If not, the tortilla may get a bit soggy.
- These work with both corn and flour tortillas – I tried them with both and they were both equally delicious!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Quick and Easy
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American