Have you heard of the viral Smash Taco burgers? They're pure genius. I took inspiration for this recipe from the viral trend to create something that is even more meaningful: Chapli Kebab Smash taco!
The Story Behind Chapli Kebabs:
Chapli Kebabs have a fascinating history that dates back centuries. They originated in the Pashtun region of Pakistan and traditionally are fried in a massive pan with heaps of oil at roadside stalls all over Peshawar. The name "chapli" refers to the flat shape of the kebabs, which are flattened by hand before being cooked. You can check out my Chapli Kebab recipe where I show you how to make it the authentic way. if you're overall really into kebabs, then another one that you can check out is my viral Seekh Kebab.
The key to making delicious Chapli Kebabs lies in the careful balance of spices and seasonings. Each region and family has its own unique recipe, but common ingredients include coriander, cumin, garlic, chili powder and the most essential pomegranate seeds. It adds a light crunch and a zing.
How to Make Chapli Kebab Smash Tacos:
- Prepare the Meat: Mix ground lamb or beef with spices like coriander, cumin, pomegranate seeds and red chili. Full list in the recipe box.
- Smash the taco: Place the golf ball-sized meat in the center of the pan, cover with a soft flour tortilla and using a spatula, smash it down. Like really give it your all! Great time to vent that anger you've been bottling up! Let it cook on high heat then flip to let the tortilla crisp up a tad. If you're like me, let the tortilla get nice and brown.
- Build Your Tacos: Top with shredded cabbage, radishes, sweet red pepper, cilantro, and a generous drizzle of chipotle mayo. This part of totally up to you. Have fun with your favorite fixings. if you want to keep to a hamburger theme, then just add shredded iceberg lettuce, pickles and your favorite sauce.
Tips for Perfect Tacos:
- Use a good ratio of lean to fat for your meat for juicy, flavorful tacos. I prefer 85% lean to 15% fat. For health reasons, you can simply disregard this suggestion and use 95% lean.
- Don't skip the pomegranate seeds. The whole point of this recipe is to marry the flavor of east with that of the west. So make that kebab truly shine.
- Flatten the meat patties thin for extra crispiness. This one is easily the #1 rule; you must flatten the patty as much as you can.
How to Make Chapli Kebab Smash Tacos
Chapli Kebab Smash Taco
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef
- 2 teaspoon crushed coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon red chilli
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 tablespoon pomegranate seeds crushed
- ½ red onion fine chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ½ green chilli
- 2 teaspoon garlic and ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal optional
Other Ingredients
- flour tortilla medium-sized
- tortillas
- cabbage shredded
- mini sweet peppers sliced
- radishes sliced
- cilantro sliced
- lime juice
- chipotle mayo
Instructions
- Start by mixing all the spices into your ground meat. Get your hands in there and really work those flavors together until you see those beautiful threads of fat running through the mince. Trust me, that's where the magic happens.
- Divide your seasoned meat mixture into 5-6 golf ball-sized portions. This ensures that each smash taco gets an equal share of the flavor explosion.
- Heat up a cast-iron skillet until it's screaming hot. Place one of your meat balls in the center, then grab a tortilla and with the help of a spatula, smash the patty down with all the force you can muster. You want to hear that sizzle!
- Let the patty cook on high heat for 3-4 minutes, then give it a flip and allow the tortilla to crisp up for another minute. If your patty didn't get that deep, golden color on the first flip, don't worry – just give it one more flip for 10-15 seconds.
- Once your Chapli Kebab Smash Taco patty is perfectly cooked and crisped to perfection, it's time to assemble your tacos. Load up your warm tortillas with shredded cabbage, mini sweet red peppers, sliced radishes, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, and a generous drizzle of chipotle mayo.
Hina
How do you make your chipotle mayo?
Rookie With A Cookie
Hi Hina! I make it with 3-4tbsp mayo and 3-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce finely minced (it's a can that you can find in most grocery stores in the Mexican/latin aisle). I add a little lemon juice and some smoked paprika to it as well. Eyeball to preference but you can also just puree the whole can and freeze it in ice cubes. Whenever you want some chipotle mayo, just heat the chipotle cube and mix with mayo and other ingredients.