Lamb Smash Tacos

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American, Fusion, Mediterranean

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 6

Total Time: 21

Servings: servings

Calories: 555kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

A Mediterranean take on the viral smash burger taco trend with savory spiced lamb filling, herby yogurt sauce, and cucumber relish

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Equipment

2 mixing bowl
1 large skillet or flat top griddle
1 spatula
1 cutting board
1 knife

Ingredients

For the Cucumber Relish

1 cucumber
½ onion
sea salt to taste

For the Lamb Tacos

1 pound ground lamb
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
10 tortillas corn or flour
¼ cup sunflower seeds

For the Yogurt Sauce

2 cups Greek yogurt
1 cup fresh herbs (mint, parsley, dill, etc.) chopped
juice of one lime

Instructions

Make the Relish: Dice the onion and cucumber into ⅓-inch pieces. Transfer them into a mixing bowl, sprinkle with sea salt, stir, and set aside.
1 cucumber, ½ onion, sea salt
Make the Lamb Filling: In a mixing bowl, mix together the ground lamb with the spices until incorporated.
1 pound ground lamb, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¾ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon white pepper, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground ginger
Divide the mixture into 10 equal pieces and roll each one into a ball.
Cook the Tacos: Spread each ball of seasoned meat onto a tortilla in a thin layer (less than half an inch thick). Cook each taco, meat side down, for three minutes then flip and toast the tortilla side for about two minutes.
*You can do this one or two at a time in a skillet or all at once on a flat top griddle or Blackstone.
10 tortillas
Make the Yogurt Sauce: Squeeze lime juice into Greek yogurt, then add the chopped herbs and stir until well incorporated.
2 cups Greek yogurt, 1 cup fresh herbs (mint, parsley, dill, etc.), juice of one lime
Finish and Serve: Layer each taco with cucumber relish, then sprinkle with sunflower seeds, and serve with yogurt sauce.
¼ cup sunflower seeds

Notes

Preparation

You can make the relish several days in advance and store the chopped vegetables in the fridge.

If you want to meal prep this recipe, refrigerate the balls of seasoned meat in an airtight container and proceed with cooking once you're ready to eat.

Modifications

Feel free to go with either corn or flour tortillas, depending on what you prefer. Flour tortillas tend to be softer and a little thicker, whereas corn tortillas can crisp up a bit during the cooking process and are comparatively thinner.

Mix and match different herbs into the yogurt sauce based on what you like and have available. Mint works well, and I love to add it when it's growing in my garden.

I like to sprinkle sunflower seeds over the tacos for a satisfying crunch, but you can also use other seeds, nuts, or toasted breadcrumbs if you want to get fancy.

Storage

These tacos taste best when freshly made; however, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and they'll keep for up to five days. Reheat them in the oven or air fryer if you want a toasty texture for the tortillas.

I don't recommend freezing cooked smash tacos; however, you have two options for freezing them uncooked:

Spread the seasoned meatballs out on a sheet pan (so they don't stick together), then freeze until solid and transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container and use as you need. Keeps for up to two months.
Spread the meat mixture on the tortillas, then stack them with layers of parchment paper between them and place in an airtight, freezer-safe container to freeze. Keeps for up to two months.

Nutrition