A few months ago I saw a similar recipe to this on Instagram and immediately saved it. Time is warping but I recall smashed In’N’Out style burger tacos going viral at some point… which I tried of course. But these – these are superior. The regular burger flavors + a tortilla felt off to me. If you want a burger, just make a burger with a regular bun! But Bahn Mi style smash tacos are another story entirely. The tortilla is light and simple enough to actually enhance the wonderful flavors of the pork mix, pickled carrots, and spicy mayo. 

If you have a Trader Joe’s near you, the new small almond flour tortillas are incredible. They remind me of the Siete tortillas (which I love) but are a bit smaller. They meet somewhere between a flour and corn tortilla, are not overpowering, and are malleable. You can of course use small flour (if you aren’t GF) or the Siete tortillas… but the tacos will be decidedly larger with Siete so you may only get 4 tacos out of the 1 lb. of meat. Never hurts to double up right? 

Anyway, these are really fun to make and oh so delicious! I highly recommend trying these out for a fun Friday night dinner. Despite the seemingly long ingredient list (it really isn’t once you get into it), the instructions are simple. And you can of course build your taco toppings to your own liking. I think the key with these is the lime juice at the end and the quick homemade spicy mayo. I am NOT a mayonnaise fan. But if you get Primal Kitchen’s avocado oil mayo, it really doesn’t taste or feel like regular mayo. You can also sub with plain greek yogurt and the results will be similar. 

And feeling encumbered by the pickled carrots? Don’t be! Quick pickling has become one of my tried and true dish additions that elevates almost any dish with really no effort. Get that big jug of white vinegar under your sink out and put it to use!

INGREDIENTS

For the patties – 

1lb. ground pork

2 stalks green onion (~⅓ cup chopped)

3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp. fish sauce

1 tbsp. tamari soy sauce

8 small tortillas

For the toppings – 

2 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup sliced cucumber

2 cups pickled carrots (see below for quickie recipe)

1 ¼  cup spicy mayo (1 cup mayo + ¼ cup sriracha hot sauce)

Handful of mint 

Limes

Quick pickled carrots – 

4 shredded carrots

1 cup white vinegar

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

Serving Size: 2-4

INSTRUCTIONS

• Start by making your quick pickled carrots – shredding the carrots and mixing thoroughly in a jar or bowl with the white vinegar, sugar, and salt. Refrigerate for 30+ minutes. The longer the better in my opinion.
• Additionally, prep your toppings.
  • Whisk mayo and sriracha together for a quick spicy mayo. 
  • Slice cucumbers.
  • Shredded cabbage if not purchased pre-shredded. 
• Finally make your taco meat. Mixing together ground pork, chopped green onions, minced garlic, fish sauce and soy sauce. 
• Divide the meat mixture into 8 balls then press directly onto uncooked tortillas. Think of it like spreading butter on toast, you want the meat to form a thin even layer over the entire tortilla. 
• Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Add a splash of avocado oil. 
• Fry the tortillas meat side down for 2-3 minutes, then slip and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and layer toppings on like a taco. 
• Squeeze lime on top. Enjoy immediately!