Sweet & Spicy Jalapeño Popper Smash Burger Tacos
If you love jalapeño poppers, you have to make these Jalapeño Popper Smash Burger Tacos!! They are so easy to make, juicy, sweet and spicy. Everything you love about a Jalapeño Popper, smash burger and taco combined!
Smash Burger Tacos are all over social media these days and so I wanted to make my own version of them! We love burgers but we don’t often make just a classic burger with the traditional toppings. We love sweet and savoury combinations, different textures and different cheeses. That is why I chose to make these smash burger tacos Jalapeño Popper Flavor.
If you have never had a Jalapeño Popper they are essentially a jalapeño stuffed with cream cheese, wrapped in bacon and cooked until gooey inside and crispy on the outside. For these tacos, we kept with those same classic components but added a few other ingredients like red pepper jelly and white cheddar. The combination of the creamy cheese, spicy jalapeños, salty bacon and pepper jelly is truly a match made in heaven.
To make these tacos, you start by searing up some ground beef or venison onto small soft tortillas with fresh jalapeños. Then, you top them with a delicious cream cheese and pepper jelly sauce. Finish them off with more jalapeños, crispy bacon and fresh red onion for the ultimate smash burger taco! An easy and fun dinner that everyone will love.
Tips For Making Perfect Jalapeño Popper Smash Burger Tacos
- If using wild game meat, I recommend using some that has been ground with at least 10% fat. This ensures the meat stays juicy and tender as it cooks.
- When coking the meat on the tortillas, you want a nice high heat. Because the meat is spread thin it will cook fairly quick. Cooking it on a nice high heat helps you get some nice browned bits and gets the tortillas a little crispy.
- These tacos can be made quite spicy, or milk depending on your preference. If you love the flavor of jalapeños but can’t handle the spice, simply remove the core and seeds before using the jalapeños. The creamy cheese and the red pepper jelly will cut any spice, making these tolerable for basically anyone.
JalapeÑo Popper Smash Burger Taco ingredients
Tortillas– You can use any small tortillas you like. If you want to try homemade, my sourdough tortillas are in the recipe card.
Ground Beef/ Venison– This recipe can be made with any grind red meat you have. Beef or any wild game meat.
Jalapeños- Fresh jalapeños is what you want. If you don’t like spice, remove the core and seeds.
Cream Cheese– An essential part of jalapeño poppers.
White Cheddar– I love this additional for a slight stronger flavour.
Red Pepper Jelly– This isn’t spicy, but adds a delicious sweetness that compliments the jalapeños and cheese so well.
Bacon– Homemade or store bought. Whichever is your favorite.
Egg– One egg helps bind the meat and keep it juicy.
Red Onion– Diced red onion on top adds a nice little crunch.
BBQ Seasoning– This is optional, but adding a little bit of your favorite bbq rub is delicious in the sauce.
The Steps
- Start by mixing together the ground meat, egg, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a bowl until combined. Set aside.
- Then, stir together all of the sauce ingredients until smooth. Start with 2 tbsp of the red pepper jelly then add more if you want it sweeter.
- Next, fry the bacon in a large skillet until nice and crispy then remove from the pan.
- Take one tortilla at a time, and scoop a ball of the meat mixture on top. Gently press the meat down so it’s nice and thin, covering the whole tortilla.
- Then, heat the pan you cooked the bacon in back over medium high heat.
- Once hot, lay 4-5 slices of the jalapeno in the pan close together, then lay one of the tortillas on top of the jalepenos meat side down.
- Cook the meat and tortillas for about 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes depending how crispy you want your tortilla.
- Remove the taco from the pan, and repeat these steps with all of the tortillas and meat.
- Once all of the tacos are cooked, spread a spoon full of the sauce on top of each one, sprinkle over some of the chopped bacon, diced red onion and a few extra jalapeno slices. Serve immediately and enjoy!
If you give this recipe a try, leave a comment or recipe review below!
Looking for more delicious ground meat recipes to try!?
https://cmbarndominium.com/cheesy-venison-twice-baked-potatoes/
https://cmbarndominium.com/to-die-for-creamy-venison-stuffed-shells/
https://cmbarndominium.com/homemade-ground-venison-enchiladas/
Sweet and spicy smash burger tacos with a sweet and tangy cream cheese sauce, jalapeños and crispy bacon giving you all the flavors of a jalapeño popper in a taco. * If you don't want to make tortillas, you can use any small soft tortillas from the grocery store. *If you love the flavor of jalapenos but can't handle the spice (like me) just make sure to remove the core and all of the seeds from the jalepenos and this will prevent them from being too spicy. *For gluten free smash burger tacos, simply use corn tortillas instead. 
Jalapeño Popper Smash Burger Tacos
Ingredients
For the Sauce
Instructions
Notes
