To me spring and summer scream two things– burgers and tacos. It’s just the right time of year for it, and although I won’t argue with you if you say burgers and tacos are great anytime of year, there’s just something about these two types of food that are at their best when the sun is high, the drinks are cold and word ‘chili’ has left my lexicon. If you’re eating chili in the summer you’re either insane or you’re from Texas, there is no in-between. If you read our Goose Smashburger Recipe then you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of grinding birds and it doesn’t just stop at geese. Ground duck is the base for this recipe as well as our Fried Duck Wonton Recipe. Think what you want but I firmly believe that ground meat of any kind is some of the most versatile protein you can have. Every year I find myself in the PNW chasing big feeds of wigeon and although I will pluck a few, they are a welcome addition to the grind pile.
Now, why are burgers and tacos both being referenced here? Smashburger Tacos, that’s why. I’m sure you’ve seen this viral recipe trend pop up in your explore pages on social media or maybe you’ve already made them. Either way, they are the bomb.com. The beautiful thing about this recipe is that you can lean into either side (burgers or tacos) for your inspiration on topping choice, or even mix and match them. For this recipe I went simple, cheese, caramelized onions, fry sauce (yup you heard that right) and pickles. With it being spring, I know turkeys are on a lot of peoples minds and this was the perfect mid day recipe to make while out in the turkey woods. Waiting for old Mr. Tom to slip up. To chef these up I used the Loco Tabletop Griddle which is a perfect addition to any mobile hunting rig or camp set up.
Ingredients
- 1/2lb of ground duck meat
- Cajun seasoning
- Oil ( for camp cooking I like the avocado oil that comes in a spray can)
- Sliced cheese (I’m using pepper jack but throw on whatever you like big dog)
- Flour tortillas (flour tortillas work best here and I’m use the ‘street taco’ size)
- Fry sauce or burger sauce
- Diced white onion
- Dill pickle chips (dill only you keep those sweet pickles away from me..)
Instructions
- Pre-heat your Loco griddle to 350-375. While that heats up you can prep your smashburger tacos. Roll out a small amount of ground into a ball (a tad smaller than a ping pong ball) and place them on your tortillas. Using a smooth rubber spatula, or patty smasher if you have it, smash and spread the ground evenly across the tortilla as flat as you can.
2. If you’re using a whole onion now would be the time to dice it up! I’m using pre-cut onions here and right around a half cup worth.
3. Once your griddle is up to temp, throw down your oil and your onions.
4. Give those a couple minute head start before you throw on your smashburger tacos.
5. I wanted some southern flavor here so I’m using Cajun Two Step cajun seasoning, but feel free to use whatever seasoning you like. Make sure to season your meat well before you throw it on the heat.
6. As you might have assumed, these will cook pretty quick which is always good in my book. Let these go for a few minutes before flipping them over for the final touches.
7. Throw on your favorite sliced cheese, close the lid for a minute or two, and boom. You’re ready to assemble.
Now if you’re feeling it you can always sprinkle just a little bit more Cajun Two Step on there. Either way it’s time to load up our cajun duck smashburger tacos. Again, I went super minimal here because it’s what I like but feel free to throw on whatever toppings you’d like. Shredded lettuce, jalapenos, sour cream, mushrooms, the possibilities are endless! And that’s one of the reasons I love recipes like this so much, no two duck smashburger tacos have to be the same.
