About the Recipe
There's something that makes my heart so full about this one. My daughter, who is getting married very soon. has grown into a genuinely wonderful cook. We have this little ritual where we send each other pictures of whatever we made for dinner that night. It's such a simple thing, but it keeps us close even when we're miles apart. This recipe came straight from her kitchen to mine, and I love that.
Meet Easy Caesar Chicken Smashed Burger Tacos — her go-to, and now mine too. The concept is genius in its simplicity: seasoned chicken gets smashed and seared into a crispy-edged patty, tucked into a warm flour tortilla, and finished with a generous scoop of creamy Caesar salad right from the bag. That's it. The bagged salad does all the heavy lifting on the topper — the crunch, the creaminess, the flavor — and it somehow makes the whole thing feel like something you'd order at a trendy restaurant.
This week I'm sharing it in her honor, fresh off celebrating her bridal shower this past weekend. She deserves all the good things and apparently, she also deserves credit for one of the best weeknight dinner ideas I've made in a while. Here's to her.
Easy, fast, and so much fun to eat. Make these tonight.
Ingredients
For burgers
1 pound ground chicken
1 1/2 Tbs. ranch seasoning
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
1 Tbs. seasoned salt (like Lawry's)
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
6 - 8 6" flour tortillas
One bagged Caesar salad (your fave!)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cups sliced red onions
Bacon bits or croutons (from salad mix)
Instructions
Step 1
Mix the burger ingredients in a bowl and form into meatballs.
Step 2
Distribute the chicken mixture over the tortillas. Warm a non-stick pan on medium-high heat and coat it with olive oil spray.
Step 3
Begin by cooking with the meat side down until the meat is thoroughly cooked, which should take around 3 minutes. Then, flip the tortilla and cook for about 1 minute to let the tortilla brown and become slightly crisp.
Keep cooked tacos in a pan in the microwave to keep warm. Finish cooking all the tortillas.
Step 4
In a bowl, prepare the bagged salad mix. Add sliced tomatoes and onions to your preference. On a plate, place a taco burger with the meat side up. Top it with the salad and finish with bacon bits and/or croutons. Fold to eat like a taco!
Notes
Meat mix up - This recipe can be made with either ground turkey or beef. However, using beef will result in a slightly greasier dish.
Experiment with variations - You can effortlessly transform this into a Mexican style using a Southwest salad blend or create a more Mediterranean version with a Greek salad.
