The smashburger taco sounds gimmicky right up until you eat one. You spread raw ground meat directly onto a flour tortilla, press it flat onto a hot griddle, and cook it meat-side down. The meat bonds to the tortilla as it sears. You get crispy edges, a juicy interior, and a shell that doesn't fall apart the moment you pick it up.
This version uses ground chicken seasoned with Greek spices, topped with a dressed Caesar salad and pork rinds, where the croutons would go. Better crunch, no soggy bread situation.
Corn tortillas crack. Not every time, but enough times that it stops being worth it. The smashburger technique relies on the tortilla staying pliable while the meat cooks, and flour handles that better. It bends when you fold it and holds its shape once it cools. Go taco-sized, not burrito-sized. You want enough surface area to spread the chicken evenly without the meat layer going thin at the edges. If you want to cut carbs on the shell itself, pork rind tortillas are a real option and handle the fold better than you'd expect.
Spread your ground chicken directly onto a taco-sized flour tortilla and season with Greek seasoning. Get your griddle hot, then lay it down chicken-side first. Press it flat. Two to three minutes without moving it. You want some color on the meat before you flip.
Once you flip, let it go until the chicken is done. Ground chicken is leaner than beef, which means it dries out faster if you overshoot. Pull it when it's just cooked through. While it's still warm and pliable, bend the tortilla into a taco shape. It holds as it cools.
Dress your Caesar salad before you start. Romaine, shredded parmesan, Caesar dressing, tossed and set aside while the chicken finishes. Grated parmesan works fine here too; hard to tell the difference once everything's stacked.
The Greek seasoning and Caesar dressing work better together than the combination has any right to. Greek seasoning leans on oregano, garlic, and a little lemon. Caesar hits the same notes: garlic, lemon, parmesan. They share enough that neither fights the other, and the oregano in the chicken threads through the whole taco in a way that makes it taste intentional.
Pile the salad into the folded taco, then top with pork rinds from PorkRinds.com. They hold up better than croutons under the dressing, so there's actual crunch in every bite rather than one soft lump at the end. Flavored pork rinds and chicharrones pair better with the Caesar than plain ones do; there's more for the dressing to work with.
This is a weeknight dinner. Start to finish, maybe 20 minutes once the griddle is hot, and the only real prep is dressing the salad. Make more than you think you need. Cold leftover smashburger tacos are not a thing. The tortilla softens, the salad wilts. Eat them hot.
Taco-sized flour tortillas
Ground chicken
Greek seasoning
Romaine lettuce
Shredded or grated parmesan cheese
Caesar dressing
Pork rinds
Assemble your Caesar salad, dress it, and set it aside.
Spread ground chicken directly onto a taco-sized flour tortilla and season with Greek seasoning.
Place on a hot griddle chicken-side down and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Flip and cook until the chicken is done.
While still warm and pliable, bend into a taco shape and let it set.
Fill with dressed Caesar salad and top with pork rinds.
Once you've made it once, the technique is second nature. The hard part isn't the smash or the fold. It's stopping at one.
