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Plate of smash tacos filled with ground meat, creamy corn mixture, and garnished with cilantro, served with lime wedges on the side.
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Easy Smash Tacos Recipe with Creamy Mexican Street Corn Topping

Crispy smash tacos meet creamy Mexican street corn in this viral 30-minute recipe! The crispy edges on these are pure magic - then you add that creamy street corn and it's game over. 30 minutes to taco perfection making it a perfect weeknight dinner that tastes like your favorite taco truck!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Fusion
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 272kcal
Author: Kita Roberts

Equipment

  • Large cast iron skillet or griddle
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Spatula
  • sharp knife

Ingredients

For the Smash Tacos

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • ½ white onion chopped
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 10-12 street taco size flour tortillas

For the Elote Dip

  • 1 ½ cups corn grilled and removed from the cob, canned or frozen
  • ½ cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • ½ cup cotija cheese crumbled
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 2 teaspoons Tajín or Trader Joe's everything but the elote seasoning
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
  • 1 teaspoon honey or hot honey for extra kick
  • Extra chopped cilantro and lime wedges for garnish.

Instructions

Make the elote dip:

  • In a separate medium bowl, combine the corn, greek yogurt, mayonnaise, cotija cheese, lime juice, everything but the elote seasoning, paprika, cilantro, and honey, and stir until fully combined.
    A glass bowl containing corn, mayonnaise, sour cream, cheese, spices, and chopped cilantro on a dark surface.
  • Set the elote dip aside until ready to use.

Prep the smash tacos:

  • In a medium bowl, gently mix the ground beef, onion, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper fully combined.
  • Spoon out two tablespoons of the meat mixture and flatten it onto a tortilla, spreading it out until the entire tortilla is covered in a thin layer of meat, leaving about a quarter inch on the edges of the tortilla.
    Six smash tacos prepped to be cooked with raw ground beef and diced onions are arranged on a wooden cutting board.
  • Repeat until all of the meat has been used.

Cook

  • Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
  • Once hot, place 1-2 tacos meat side down in the skillet and allow to cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook until the meat is cooked through, gently pressing if needed for about another minute.
    Two small smash tacos are cooking in a black cast iron skillet.
  • Repeat until all of the tacos are cooked.

Serve:

  • Spoon some of the street corn mixture onto each taco, top with fresh squeezed lime and cilantro, and enjoy!
    A spoon is spreading creamy street corn dip topping over a taco filled with seasoned ground meat, on a white plate.

Notes

  • Pickled red onions make an incredible topping - tangy crunch against the rich beef.
  • Use fresh or charred corn for the topping if you have it, for extra smoky-sweet flavor.
  • Swap Greek yogurt for sour cream if you prefer a richer elote-style topping.
  • Warm tortillas before spreading the beef to prevent tearing.
  • Store the street corn topping separately so the tacos don’t get soggy.
  • Griddle-friendly: This recipe works perfectly on a Blackstone or any large flat-top griddle.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 470mg | Potassium: 253mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 259IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 2mg