Looking for easy family dinner ideas? This Big Mac tacos recipe with homemade 5-star special sauce is sure to be a family favorite meal.
Big Mac Tacos
These delicious Big Mac smash tacos are seriously so good – they make the perfect quick and easy family dinner!
They’re made with a thin layer of seasoned lean ground beef seared onto a tortilla, a slice of melted American cheese, dill pickle, and shredded lettuce. Then it’s smothered in my super popular best homemade Big Mac sauce recipe with tons of 5-star reviews. It’s such a reader’s favorite recipe that I doubt you’ll be able to tell whether it’s from McDonald’s or not.
Seriously, skip the takeout and make a lightened up and more affordable option with these tacos. These are just as good, if not better than, the real deal!
These tacos may be quick and easy to make, but if your family is anything like mine they disappear even faster, so you may want to double the recipe. They definitely make taco night fun and different! These fried tacos are also another fun way to make beef tacos for taco night.
Ingredients
Big Mac Sauce: This delicious, homemade special sauce is what gives these smash burger tacos the classic Big Mac flavor. It’s creamy, tangy, and super easy to make.
Lean Ground Beef: I prefer lean ground beef for this recipe because it’s easier for the beef to stick to the tortilla when there’s not too much excess fat. Look for ground beef that’s bright red in the package. If you’d prefer, you could use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of ground beef.
Salt and Pepper: This is what we’re seasoning the beef with. Feel free to use one of your favorite seasoning blends instead – Cajun seasoning, burger seasoning, or steak seasoning would all be yummy here.
Flour Tortillas: I like the flavor of flour tortillas in this recipe and how pliable and easy they are to work with. You could also use corn tortillas if you’d like the tacos to be crispier, or mini tortillas to make Big Mac smash burger tacos as appetizers.
American Cheese: This is the classic fast food cheese you get on cheeseburgers, and it melts so easily, so I think it’s a perfect fit for this recipe. You could also swap it for cheddar, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, provolone, or Colby Jack.
Toppings: The shredded lettuce and diced pickles add a freshness and acidity that balances out the hearty beef and cheese perfectly. Feel free to add some thinly sliced onion or tomato if you’d like.
How To Make Big Mac Tacos
Preheat the oven: Set the oven to a low warming setting and place a rimmed baking sheet on the counter so it’s ready for the finished tacos. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)
Make the sauce: In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, relish, grated onion, mustard, vinegar (if using), paprika, onion powder, salt, and garlic powder until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the tacos: Divide the ground beef into equal portions and roll into balls. Place one ball in the center of each tortilla and press it out into an even layer that covers most of the tortilla. Season the beef with salt and pepper.
Cook the beef: Heat a large nonstick skillet. Place a tortilla in the skillet, beef side down, and cook until the beef is fully cooked and nicely browned.
Flip and add cheese: Carefully flip the taco so the tortilla is against the skillet. Place a slice of cheese on the cooked beef and continue cooking until the tortilla is crisp.
Keep warm: Transfer the cooked taco to the baking sheet and place it in the oven to keep it warm. Repeat with the remaining tacos.
Finish and serve: Remove the tacos from the oven and spoon the Big Mac sauce over the beef and cheese. Top with shredded lettuce and diced pickles, then serve immediately. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.
Pro Tips
- Press the beef into a thin and even layer: The beef needs to be a thin layer so that it cooks quickly. Making sure the beef layer is an even thickness helps the entire patty cook in the same amount of time.
- Use lean ground beef: Using lean ground beef stops the tortilla from getting soggy with grease.
- Leave the beef undisturbed until you’re ready to flip: If you check the taco too much before you’re ready to flip it, you run the risk of the beef not adhering to the tortilla.
What Do You Need For Big Mac Tacos?
The ingredient list for this recipe is actually super small, especially considering how much flavor they pack. All you need is homemade Big Mac sauce, tortillas, beef, cheese, and a couple toppings.
Is Big Mac Sauce Basically Thousand Island Dressing?
They are similar, but they’re not the same thing. Big Mac sauce is more savory with a stronger emphasis on mustard and onion, while Thousand Island is sweeter thanks to the ketchup.
How To Get Ground Beef To Stick To Tortilla?
Press the raw ground beef firmly into the tortilla, then cook beef-side down until it’s fully cooked through. That’s all you have to do to get the beef to stick to the tortilla perfectly.
Can You Make Big Mac Tacos Ahead Of Time?
Prepping the sauce and toppings in advance is a great idea. I’d recommend waiting to cook the tacos until you’re just about to eat though. These are best served fresh if you want crispy tortillas.
Can You Reheat Big Mac Tacos?
Yes, you can. I’d recommend reheating them in the oven, air fryer, or in a skillet so that they maintain some crisp though. Using the microwave will make them soggy when you reheat them.
What To Serve With Big Mac Tacos?
My favorite thing to serve these with is french fries or sweet potato fries. Onion rings or this coleslaw for pulled pork are also great with it though. If you want to keep things lighter, extra pickle spears, a side salad, or fresh veggies are also great options.
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
Copycat Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out all of our other copycat recipes. Some reader favorites are:
- Big Mac Sauce Recipe
- Copycat Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce
- Big Mac Casserole Recipe
- Taco Bell Crunchwrap
- Big Mac Sliders
- Chick Fil A Sauce
BEST Big Mac Tacos (Easy Smash Burger Tacos Recipe)
Looking for easy family dinner ideas? This Big Mac tacos recipe with homemade 5-star special sauce is sure to be a family favorite meal.
Ingredients
Big Mac Sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 Tablespoon grated yellow onion (with juice)
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Tacos:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 6 (6 inch) flour tortillas
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 slices American cheese
Toppings:
- 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1/2 cup diced dill pickle
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 240F (to keep the tacos warm). Place a large rimmed baking sheet on the counter to have ready for the tacos when they’re done.
- Make the Big Mac Sauce. In a small bowl mix the mayo, relish, onion, mustard, vinegar, paprika, onion powder, salt, and garlic powder together. Place in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
- Divide the ground beef into 6 equal parts and roll each part into a ball. Place one ball in the center of each tortilla, flatten the beef out evenly, then set aside. Once all six are done, sprinkle the salt and pepper over the beef.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet between medium and medium-high heat. Once hot, place the tortilla into the skillet, beef side down, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160F on an instant read meat thermometer.
- Use a thin spatula to carefully flip the taco over, then place a slice of cheese on top of the meat. Cook the bottom of the tortilla for about 1 minute to crisp it up.
- Transfer the cooked taco to the baking sheet. Place in the oven to keep warm, and repeat until all tacos are done.
- Once all tacos are finished, remove them from the oven. Spoon the Big Mac sauce onto the beef and cheese, then top with pickle and shredded lettuce. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 457Total Fat: 31.9gCarbohydrates: 15.1gFiber: 1.9gSugar: 2.9gProtein: 27.1g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Skip the takeout and make this quick and easy Big Mac Taco recipe for an easy dinner at home!
