Seriously Good Smash Chicken Caesar Tacos
We have been developing recipes and experimenting with our Blackstone recipes for a couple years now and this smash burger trend is one that we just cannot get enough of! It requires a little bit of prep, but then the cook time goes SO fast! We love this chicken caesar spin – it is fresh and bright and is absolutely going to be on permanent rotation on our dinner menu plan!
Looking for More Recipes Like This?
Then be sure to check out our classic Smash Burger Tacos. Made with ground beef and have the standard burger toppings that you know and love.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
- Ground Chicken: since chicken + Caesar just go hand in hand we went with ground chicken here, but you could definitely use ground turkey if you prefer.
- White Onion: a yellow onion also works here – we are shredding the onion and then squeezing out the liquid so we get the flavor, but not too much liquid (chicken is already pretty sticky!).
- Cold Butter: Cold butter is used here so we can shred it more easily. The butter just adds a little bit more fat into these patties to round out the flavor profile. Feel free to omit or use dairy-free butter if you need to.
- Parmesan Cheese: feel free to use a dairy-free alternative here.
- Street Taco Tortillas: the street corn tortilla size is perfect for a smash burger taco since it can still be handheld! If you are gluten-free you can use a small street-corn sized corn tortilla.
- Croutons: you GOTTA do the crushed croutons – promise me! Don’t use whole croutons they are just too big for a street corn taco.
How To Make A Chicken Smash Burger Tacos
Time Saving Tip
Making the chicken mixture will probably be the most time intensive part of the recipe, so do yourself a favor, make a double batch, and freeze half of the meat mixture to use another night. If you have time, form them into balls before freezing to decrease the thaw time and to have them ready to cook once thawed.
First, combine your chicken patty mixture and divide into 6 even-sized balls and pop ’em in the freezer for 15-30 minutes – definitely do this if you are making these on a hot summer day. This will keep them from sticking to the burger press during the smashing process.
Then, while your chicken mixture chills, mix together your caesar salad and set it aside until you’re ready to top your smash burger tacos.
Next, flatten the burger balls with a burger press and use parchment to help prevent sticking (the freezing will help that too!). Flip and add cheese! Don’t forget to warm up the tortillas on the cook top.
Erin’s Testing Corner: What I Learned + Tips
- Prep Ingredients: Blackstone recipe cook QUICK so before you start cooking make sure you have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go!
- Weigh your burger mixture so each prepped ball is the same weight/size.
- Put ground meat mixture in the freezer for a bit – you will find the mixture will be much less sticky!
- Use parchment squares for easy clean-up and less stick.
Finally, once that cheese is melted, lift the patty onto the tortilla and then top each patty with a hefty helping of crunchy caesar salad, an extra drizzling of caesar dressing, and some crushed croutons for some extra flavor and texture!
Recipe Variations
- Add cooked bacon bits for a bit more salty-goodness
- Top with roasted chickpeas for another pop of protein
- Serve on a lettuce wrap for a more low-carb option
- Go dairy-free with dairy-free provolone and parmesan
- Swap out the ground chicken for ground turkey
What To Serve With Chicken Smash Burger Tacos
Wanna make this a full meal? We’ve got you covered. This yummy dinner pairs well with similarly fresh flavors like our delicious corn salsa, Mexican street corn salad, and our strawberry mojito.
Chicken Caesar Smash Taco Recipe FAQs
Especially if it’s warm out. We have tested this recipe at 40 degrees and 80 degrees, and the warmer temps definitely make the chicken mixture harder to work with. So chilling it ahead of time is super helpful.
No problem. A cast iron skillet will work here or if you have a flat-top insert for your grill – that works really well too.
Yes! These are great to prep ahead of time, simply make that ground meat mixture and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and then cook time will be a breeze. If you are looking to freeze, freeze them in pre-portioned balls (2-3 months in labeled container) before cooking then let thaw overnight and cook fresh the next day.
I feel like these are a great meal all on their own, but they would be great with some roasted broccolini or even some herby potatoes!
Made this recipe and loved it?!
We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Chicken Caesar Smash Tacos (Blackstone + Stove Top)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Blackstone/Flat Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Our epic Chopped Chicken Caesar Smash Taco recipe is the perfect spin on those classic smash burger tacos! Make on the Blackstone (preferred method) or on the stove top or grill!
Ingredients
Chicken Smash Burgers:
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/4 cup white onion, shredded & moisture squeezed out
- 2–3 tablespoons cold butter, shredded
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
Quick Chopped Caesar Salad:
- 3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1/4 cup caesar dressing (more for serving)
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shaved
Other Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 6 street taco tortillas
- 6 provolone cheese slices
- 1/2 cup croutons, crushed
- parchment paper squares
- burger press
Instructions
- Mix Burgers: Put all of the burger ingredients in a large bowl and mix to fully combine. Divide into 6 equal-sized balls on a plate and place in the freezer for 15-30 minutes (this will help them not be so sticky when you smash them).
- Mix Chopped Salad: In a separate mixing bowl, add the lettuce, caesar dressing, and shaved parmesan. Mix to combine and set aside.
- Prep Other Ingredients: Make sure you have the tortillas, salt, pepper, and cheese slices ready to bring out to the Blackstone griddle (or use a large cast iron skillet or a flat-top insert for your grill). The cook time goes super fast so having everything ready-to-go is a must!
- Cook Patties + Toast Tortillas: Preheat flat top griddle to a medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and spread around the cook top. Place the burger balls on the hot cooktop with a parchment sheet on top, then use the burger press to flatten the patties as much as you can. This will take about 15-20 seconds per patty. Let sit and cook for 40 seconds (season with a sprinkling of salt and pepper). Flip the burgers, place a slice of cheese on each one, and then place the tortillas on the cook top next to each patty. Close the lid and let burger cook for about 1-2 minutes. Open lid and flip tortillas. Use a large spatula to lift patties and place on top of toasted tortilla. Transfer to a plate.
- Top + Serve: Add your desired amount of the chopped caesar salad, crushed croutons, and any additional caesar dressing and/or parmesan. Enjoy!
Notes
- Stove Top Method: use a large cast iron skillet (or a skillet insert if you are super fancy with your gas range) and follow the same directions.
- Grill Method: use a flat top grill insert and follow the same directions.
- Freezer: we tested this without putting our ground chicken mixture in the freezer and things got .. sticky! So definitely pop them in the freezer while you are prepping everything else.
- Crushed Croutons: you gotta crush those croutons! Using a full crouton is just too big for these tacos, so crushing them makes them easier to eat while still giving them a little crunch.
- Ground Meat Options: we used chicken here since it goes really well with caesar, but feel free to swap it out for turkey! You *could* use ground beef, but I am not sure how well that would taste so I don’t know if I recommend that!
- Storage: put leftover tacos in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, but they are best when enjoyed immediately. Feel free to prep the ground chicken mixture ahead of time and store in the freezer in a labeled bag for 2-3 months or in the refrigerator for 24 hours before use.
- Caesar Dressing: feel free to use your favorite store-bought brand, but we have a homemade caesar dressing on the site as well as a dairy-free caesar dressing!
- Gluten-Free: simply use a gluten-free tortilla.
- Dairy-Free: use a dairy-free parmesan substitute, a dairy-free sliced provolone and a dairy-free caesar dressing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 smash burger taco
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 1.6 g
- Sodium: 606.8 mg
- Fat: 36.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 19.5 g
- Fiber: 3.5 g
- Protein: 25.5 g
- Cholesterol: 108.5 mg
Amanda says
These are on repeat at our house! Easy, fresh and super flavorful! It’s a must try recipe!
Erin Jensen says
Yay!! So happy to hear that!
Bridget says
Love these!! So fun, fresh and delicious!
Gretchen says
This recipe is going on repeat at our house! Even my picky kids love it! So fresh and delicious!
Erin Jensen says
Thanks, Gretchen!!
Erin says
SO GOOD!! Made them for a family get together and everyone loved them!
Erin says
Awesome to hear!