Blackstone Taco Recipes: Smash Burgers, Street Tacos & More

The Blackstone and tacos go together well because most taco fillings benefit from high heat and a flat surface — searing meat, crisping tortillas, charring onions, melting cheese directly on the griddle. You can cook the filling and warm the tortillas in the same space at the same time.

Seven tacos, ranging from the viral smash burger version to a birria situation that takes some planning.

1. Smash Burger Tacos

These blew up online and they’re worth the hype. The concept is a smash burger patty cooked directly on a small tortilla so the beef fat and cheese soak into the tortilla while it crisps on the griddle.

Roll ground beef into small balls — about 1.5 ounces each, smaller than a regular smash burger. Get the griddle hot. Drop a ball, smash it flat, season with salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder. Let the first side cook for about 2 minutes until it’s crusted.

Flip the patty. Immediately lay a small flour or corn tortilla directly on top. Add a slice of American cheese between the meat and tortilla. Press down gently. The cheese melts, glues the tortilla to the meat, and the bottom of the tortilla absorbs the rendered fat and gets crispy. Another minute and it’s done.

Peel it off the griddle with a spatula, flip it so the meat is on top. Lettuce, diced onion, pickles, your favorite taco sauce, whatever you want. The crispy tortilla bottom is what makes these — it’s almost like a cheese skirt built into the taco.

2. Carne Asada Street Tacos

Flank or skirt steak marinated in lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, cilantro, salt. At least 2 hours, overnight is better. The acid and salt work into the meat and the flavor is noticeably different than a quick season-and-grill.

Get the griddle as hot as possible. Cook the whole steak — don’t cut it first. Skirt steak is thin so it’s about 3-4 minutes per side. Flank takes a minute or two longer. Rest for 5 minutes, then dice it into small pieces. Chopping before cooking dries it out.

While the meat rests, throw diced white onion and whole jalapeño slices on the griddle. Char the tortillas too — about 30 seconds per side until they have a few dark spots.

Double corn tortillas, diced carne asada, the charred onion and jalapeño, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime. Keep it simple. These don’t need cheese or sour cream or lettuce.

3. Birria Tacos

This one takes more work than the others but the result is different from anything else on this list. The meat gets braised ahead of time, then you use the braising liquid as a dipping consommé and crisp the tacos on the griddle with cheese.

Braise first. Chuck roast cut into chunks, seared on the griddle or in a pot, then slow-cooked with dried chiles (guajillo and ancho — toast them, rehydrate in hot water, blend), onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, black pepper, bay leaves, beef broth. Low and slow in a Dutch oven or slow cooker for 3-4 hours until the beef shreds apart easily.

Shred the meat. Strain the braising liquid — that’s your consommé. Skim the fat off the top.

Now the griddle part. Dip a corn tortilla in the consommé so it’s coated but not soggy. Lay it on the griddle over medium heat. Add shredded birria meat and a handful of shredded cheese (Oaxaca or mozzarella). Fold it in half. The tortilla crisps in the consommé fat and the cheese melts and gets crusty on the edges. About 2-3 minutes per side.

Serve with a small bowl of the warm consommé for dipping, plus diced onion, cilantro, and lime. The dipping is the whole experience — the crispy taco soaking up the rich, spicy broth.

4. Chicken Street Tacos

Boneless skinless thighs marinated in lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt. Marinate for at least an hour. Grill the whole thighs on the griddle over medium-high, about 5-6 minutes per side. Dice them after cooking.

Char corn tortillas on the griddle. Top with the diced chicken, diced white onion, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, salsa verde if you have it.

Not much else to say about these. They’re straightforward, they’re good, and they’re the lighter option if you’re making a taco spread and not everything needs to be beef and cheese.

5. Shrimp Tacos

Large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tossed with oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, a pinch of cayenne. Cook on the griddle over high heat, about 2 minutes per side.

These work better with flour tortillas — the softer texture pairs with the shrimp better than corn does. Top with shredded cabbage (not lettuce — cabbage has crunch that holds up), a creamy sauce (mayo, lime juice, sriracha mixed together), and pickled red onion if you have it.

The slaw-and-creamy-sauce combination is what makes shrimp tacos feel different from the other tacos on this list. Without it they’re a little one-dimensional.

6. Breakfast Tacos

Chorizo, eggs, and cheese, all cooked on the griddle at the same time.

Squeeze raw chorizo out of the casing onto the griddle over medium heat. Break it up and cook until it’s crispy in spots, about 5-6 minutes. Push to one side. Crack eggs onto the griddle next to it, scramble them. When the eggs are almost set, mix the chorizo in with them. Add shredded cheese and let it melt into the mixture.

Warm flour tortillas on the griddle for about 20 seconds per side. Scoop the chorizo-egg mixture in. Top with salsa, avocado, hot sauce.

If you don’t have chorizo, seasoned ground pork with paprika, cumin, chili powder, garlic, and vinegar gets you in the neighborhood.

7. Al Pastor-Style Tacos

Traditional al pastor is cooked on a vertical spit, which you’re not going to replicate at home. But you can get close with the marinade and charred pineapple on the Blackstone.

The marinade: dried guajillo or ancho chiles (rehydrated and blended), achiote paste or annatto powder, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt. It’s red, it’s smoky, it’s a little sweet. Marinate thinly sliced pork shoulder (or boneless pork chops if that’s easier) for at least 4 hours, overnight is better. The longer it sits, the more the color and flavor penetrate.

Griddle on high heat. Cook the pork in batches — don’t crowd it. You want charred edges, not steamed meat. Chop it up on the griddle as it cooks, same as you’d chop carne asada. Separately, grill pineapple rings until they’re caramelized and have dark grill marks. Dice them.

Double corn tortillas, the chopped pork, diced grilled pineapple, diced white onion, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, hot sauce. The pineapple-pork combination is the whole identity of al pastor — don’t skip the pineapple.

Tortilla Tips

Warm them on the griddle. Cold tortillas crack and tear. Thirty seconds per side on the griddle makes them pliable. Stack and wrap in a towel to keep warm.

Corn vs. flour. Corn for street-style tacos with simple toppings. Flour for smash tacos, breakfast tacos, and anything with a creamier filling. Both work for most things — it’s preference.

Double up corn tortillas. They tear easily, so two stacked together is standard for street tacos. Not necessary with flour.