It’s those viral smash burger tacos made vegetarian!
Have you seen smash tacos floating around on social media? The ones where a burger patty is smashed onto a tortilla and fried until crispy? This concept is starting to take on a life of its own with lots of fun variations. If you have wondered if there’s a good way to make them vegetarian, the answer is a solid YES. A simple can of chickpeas is the answer.
I have taken a pretty minimal approach. Just mash up some chickpeas with spices and cheese and it works out just fine; this combo has structure to stick together and get nice and crispy on the outside. It could be on the dry side, but once we pile on our toppings it all works together beautifully.
The right toppings are critical with smash tacos! Some add Caesar salad as a topping, which looks like a fabulous idea, but I didn’t love it when I tried it with these chickpea tacos. What I found best was a simple salad, lightly dressed with lime juice and olive oil. Then we add sour cream and avocado or guac for the creaminess. This was, for me, the winning combo.
Top Tips for Smash Taco Success
- Use a flavored cheese if you can: Something like a chili cheddar, pepper jack or something smoked will give some extra depth of flavor. But it’s not a deal breaker.
- Use your best nonstick pan: Unless you are an absolute pro with stainless steel or cast iron (I am not), this is one of those times when you will benefit from a true nonstick frying pan.
- Use a crisp lettuce such as iceberg or romaine, for the best results. They’ll be less likely to wilt and the texture is just more satisfying.
Chickpea Smash Tacos
Ingredients
- 6 5-6 inch corn or flour tortillas
- ½ avocado, sliced
- â…“ cup (80 ml) sour cream
- vegetable oil, for frying
Chickpea Burger Mix
- 14 oz (400 g) canned chickpeas, drained
- â…“ cup (50 g) grated spicy cheese, pepper jack, chili cheddar, Mexican blend, etc
- 1.5 tbsp taco or fajita seasoning
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp olive oil
Salad Topping
- 1 cup (70 g) shredded lettuce, shredded
- 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 Tbsp red onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ lime, for juicing
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the chickpea "burger" mix. Mash the chickpeas in a large bowl (it's fine if some remain whole) and mix in the olive oil, tomato paste, spices and grated cheese. Set aside.
- Prepare the salad. Chop the lettuce, tomatoes and onion. Add to a bowl and toss with a drizzle of olive oil, the juice of 1/2 lime and salt and pepper to taste.
- Start frying the tacos.In a large nonstick pan, heat a shallow layer of oil in. Add 2-3 tortillas to the pan (however many will comfortably fit on the surface area of the pan). Use your hands to roll the chickpea mixture into balls (using 1/6th of the mixture per ball) and place on top of the tortillas.
- Smush the ball of chickpea burger a little bit on the tortilla to ensure it will stick when you flip it.
- Fry until the tortilla is golden at the bottom, then flip the tacos over so they are chickpea side down. Use a spatula to press down on the tortilla and smash the chickpea mixture flat. Fry for a few moments until the chickpea patty is crisp and golden, then serve onto a plate (chickpea side up!)
- And repeat.Wipe the pan with a paper towel and repeat until all of the tacos are made.
- Serve. Top the tacos with salad, sour cream, avocado, and/or any other fillings you are using. Fold and eat.
