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Grilled Taco Burgers Recipe

Tacos … but make them burgers. That’s exactly what this Grilled Taco Burgers recipe is. It’ll be your new Taco Tuesday favorite.

For more ideas, check out all of our grilling recipes.

A taco burger with tater tots and the words "Grilled Taco Burgers" digitally written on top.

I love tacos. Honestly, I could eat tacos for dinner every night. But, realistically, a variety of meals is best. So, instead of making tacos, I’ll make grilled taco burgers.

It’s all the flavors of tacos, but in a bun instead of in a shell. It’s so good and will definitely satisfy your taco craving while not actually being a taco.

We make these on the grill (because we love any excuse to use the grill when it’s nice out), but you could make these in the oven or on the stovetop instead.

A package of taco seasoning with the words "Budget-Friendly Recipes Using Taco Seasoning (that aren't tacos)" digitally written on top.

If you bought too much taco seasoning and need a way to use it, check out our list of Budget-Friendly Recipes Using Taco Seasoning (That aren’t tacos).

Grilled Taco Burgers Recipe

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Grilled Taco Burgers Ingredients:

How To Make Grilled Taco Burgers:

Diced onions.

Dice the onion into small pieces. Add it to a bowl.

Taco seasoning, meat, and diced onions in a bowl.

Add in the ground beef and taco seasoning. Mix until combined.

A ball of meat and onions.

The easiest way to mix this is with your hands. You want to make sure the onions and taco seasoning are distributed throughout the meat. Just mix until everything is evenly combined. You don’t want to overwork the meat.

Four burger patties.

Split the mixture into four equal pieces.

Roll those into a ball. Smash them into a burger shape that’s about an inch thick.

If you have trouble shaping them, a burger press is super helpful. My parents have one and it really makes making burgers simple. I don’t use it when I’m only making four burgers, but when we make four pounds of burgers for a backyard barbecue.

Four raw burger patties on a grill.

Use your thumb to add a dimple into the center of the burger.

Put the burgers on a pre-heated grill for about four minutes until nice grill marks form.

Four cooked burger patties on a grill.

Flip the burgers and cook them for another four minutes.

If you want the burgers more rare, cook them a little less (about three minutes on each side). And if you want the burgers more well done, cook them a little more (about five minutes on each side).

Hamburger buns on a grill.

For the last minute, open the grill and add the hamburger buns to the top rack.

Four burger patties with cheese on a grill.

And a slice of cheddar cheese to each burger. Close the grill and cook for that final minute.

Remove the burgers and buns from the grill.

Hamburger buns with lettuce.

Add lettuce to the bottom bun.

Cheeseburgers on a bun.

Put the burger on top.

Grilled taco burgers with salsa and sour cream on top.

Top with a dollop of salsa and sour cream on each burger, then put the top on.

Grilled Taco Burgers with tater tots.

Grilled Taco Burgers: Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to grill these burgers?

If you want to make these burgers as written, then yes, you need to grill these burgers. It’s easiest in a propane grill, but using a charcoal grill would be fine too.

But, if you don’t have a grill or you just don’t want to grill, you can cook these either on the stovetop or in the oven.

If you cook the burgers on the stovetop, put all four burgers in a pan over medium-high heat. Cover them with a lid. Cook them about four minutes before flipping. Then, cook three minutes on the other side, with the lid on. Add the cheese, replace the lid, and cook an additional minute until the cheese is melted.

If you cook the burgers in the oven, cook them at 350 F for about eight to 10 minutes, flipping halfway and adding the cheese with two minutes to go.

You’ll want to toast the buns in either the oven or the toaster if you use either of these methods.

How can you store leftovers?

If you already assembled the burgers and have leftovers, you want to throw away the lettuce (it won’t keep well) and store the burgers in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days.

How can you reheat leftovers?

To reheat leftovers, remove the burger from the bun. You can either heat it in the air fryer at 370 for about four minutes or microwave it for about a minute until its heated through. Return it to the bun when it’s warm.

What else can you top a Taco Burger with?

If you want, you can use Greek yogurt rather than sour cream. You won’t be able to taste the difference because of all the other flavors. So that’s actually what we do.

You can also top it with corn chips, if you want to give it the crunch that tacos usually have.
Instead of salsa, you can top it with pico de gallo. And, if you really want to be fancy, you can top it with guacamole.

Can you use leftover taco meat to make a burger?

We don’t recommend using leftover taco meat to make a burger. That meat is really crumbly and would be more like a sloppy Joe than a burger. We recommend starting with fresh ground beef, like this recipe calls for.

Can you use ground turkey to make a taco burger?

If you don’t eat beef, or if beef is just too expensive right now, you can use ground turkey instead. What I do when I’m making the swap is add in a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. I feel it gives the turkey a richer flavor (because turkey can be pretty bland).

Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad in a bowl.

What should you serve with Grilled Taco Burgers?

The instant reaction is to serve grilled taco burgers with Mexican side dishes. If your stomach would like that, we suggest Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad or Wonton Guacamole Cups.

If you would rather serve traditional burger side dishes, we suggest versions that you can grill since you’re grilling the burgers. That way, you only have to worry about watching the grill and not about running between the oven and grill. So, for burger sides, we suggest Grilled French Fries or Grilled Caesar Salad.

Grilled Smash Burgers on a plate.

Want more burger recipes?

If you want to try some other burger recipes while it’s still nice enough to grill, we recommend the following:

Yield: 4 Burgers

Grilled Taco Burgers

Tacos … but make them burgers. That’s exactly what this Grilled Taco Burgers recipe is. It’ll be your new Taco Tuesday favorite.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 2 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/3 large onion
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • 4 slices cheddar cheese
  • Lettuce
  • 4 teaspoons salsa
  • 4 teaspoons sour cream

Instructions

  1. Dice the onion into small pieces. Add it to a bowl.
  2. Add in the ground beef and taco seasoning. Mix until combined.
  3. Split the mixture into four equal pieces. Roll those into a ball. Smash them into a burger shape that’s about an inch thick. Use your thumb to add a dimple into the center of the burger.
  4. Put the burgers on a pre-heated grill for about four minutes until nice grill marks form.
  5. Flip the burgers and cook them for another four minutes.
  6. For the last minute, open the grill and add the hamburger buns to the top rack and a slice of cheddar cheese to each burger.
  7. Remove the burgers and buns from the grill.
  8. Add lettuce to the bottom bun.
  9. Put the burger on top.
  10. Top with a dollop of salsa and sour cream on each burger, then put the top on.

Notes

The easiest way to mix this is by hand.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 591Total Fat 32gSaturated Fat 14gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 131mgSodium 1064mgCarbohydrates 30gFiber 3gSugar 5gProtein 43g

Have you tried these Grilled Taco Burgers yet? Let us know what you think of them in the comments.

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