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What happens when you combine a Philly Cheesesteak with the viral smash burger tacos? You get these awesome cheesesteak smashed tacos! The perfect easy recipe to make on the Blackstone griddle for parties or just a quick dinner that the whole family will love!

An authentic Philly cheesesteak is hard to beat… but when you put all of the makings of the classic steak sandwich and add them to a crispy flour tortilla that’s griddle-grilled in beef fat, you’ve got a taco that will rival the popular Philly recipe, with or without the Wiz.

I mean… Fresh ground ribeye steak, sautéed peppers and onions, and a quick three ingredient homemade cheese sauce… what’s not to love?!

Here’s how to make your new favorite cheesesteak tacos on the griddle:

Philly cheesesteak taco

Why You’ll LOVE these Philly Cheesesteak Tacos:

  • Easy to make. These cheesesteak tacos are very easy to make, even for a beginner!
  • Simple ingredients. You only need a few simple ingredients to make these Philly tacos on the griddle – most of which are fairly inexpensive.
  • Homemade cheese sauce. The three ingredient cheese sauce cooks up quickly and easily, and it really is the perfect compliment to the greasy beef and crispy flour tortilla.
  • Customize to your liking. You can easily swap out the cheeses, add in your favorite burger seasoning, add or omit vegetables, and top with your favorite cheesesteak toppings like mayonnaise or mushrooms.

Ingredients for Cheesesteak Tacos

You have a few different ingredient options for these Philly cheesesteak tacos. You can make the homemade cheese sauce, or substitute sliced cheese. Use freshly ground ribeye steak as the beef choice, or use ground chuck instead. Here are some ingredient suggestions and substitutions:

ingredients for cheesesteak tacos

  • ground beef – We freshly ground a ribeye steak, to pay homage to the classic Philly Cheesesteak that’s traditionally made with ribeye, but you can definitely substitute ground chuck or even ground brisket. If you go with chuck, I would recommend an 80/20 blend for a nice bit of fat.
  • cheese – We highly recommend the simple homemade cheese sauce that we made for these cheesesteak tacos. But you can also substitute Cheez Whiz, sliced provolone, or American cheese. If making the cheese sauce, you’ll need heavy whipping cream, sharp cheddar (freshly grated is best), and American cheese slices.
  • green peppers and onions – We added sliced bell peppers and onions to our smashed cheesesteak tacos on the griddle, but you can add your favorite veggies for cheesesteak sandwiches.
  • flour tortillas – The fajita-sized flour tortillas works best for this recipe.
  • salt and pepper – Simple seasonings are all that’s needed for this recipe.

How to Make Smashed Cheesesteak Tacos on the Griddle

If you can make a smash burger taco, then you can make these easy smashed cheesesteak tacos, because the cooking process is pretty similar. Here’s how to make this quick cheesesteak recipe on the griddle:

Prep the Ingredients

If you’re familiar with cooking on a griddle, then you know the importance of prepping all of your ingredients in advance – or “mise en place” as the French call it. Because of the high heat capabilities and large cooking surface, griddle cooking happens much more quickly than cooking the same foods in a skillet on the stovetop.

The same goes for this cheesesteak taco recipe. Make sure that all of your ingredients are ready before you add the ground beef to the griddle, so that the patties don’t overcook while you’re slicing vegetables or unwrapping cheese slices.

sliced green peppers, sliced onions, provolone cheese, and American cheese

Make the Cheese Sauce

While the griddle is heating up, you can make a simple cheese sauce by adding these three ingredients to a medium saucepan and heating on the griddle:

  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 slices American cheese
  • 4-6 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

We preferred the taste of the cheesesteak tacos with the cheese sauce more than the ones with the sliced cheeses. The extra creaminess and flavor that you get with the homemade cheese sauce really set these tacos apart from the rest!

Your cheese sauce should look something like this when it’s done, and remember that it will thicken back up as it sits, so don’t worry if you think it’s too runny:

making cheese sauce in a saucepan

Portion the Beef

After trying a few different measurements for the size of the ground beef portions, we determined that a 1/2 cup measuring cup is perfect for these smashed Philly cheesesteak tacos.

To evenly portion the beef, loosely pack it into the measuring cup like this, and then roll into balls. For about 1.25 pounds of beef, I was able to get about 5 beef portions, or roughly 4 ounces for each taco.

ground beef portioned out into 1/2 cup portions

Cook the Cheesesteak Tacos

When all of your ingredients are prepped, you’re ready to start cooking the smashed cheesesteak tacos on the griddle. If you’re going to be adding green peppers and onions to your tacos, then go ahead and sauté those on the griddle first. You can also cook the veggies while your cheese sauce is cooking to save time.

Then, here is a visual of the steps to cook these awesome Philly tacos:

collage showing steps to make cheesesteak tacos on the griddle

  1. Place a ground beef ball on the hot griddle surface and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  2. Place one flour tortilla over the beef ball, and use a burger press to smash the beef onto the griddle (similar to making a smash burger). The flour tortilla should be in between the beef ball and the burger press. After smashing, apply even pressure for about 10-15 seconds to ensure a good crust.
  3. After about 2 minutes, or when you think the burger is mostly cooked through, use your griddle spatula to flip to the second side to continue to cook. Take care to scrape underneath the burger crust, so that all of that delicious flavor isn’t left behind on your griddle surface.
  4. Top the smashed burger patty with a spoonful of cheese sauce or a slice of cheese and the sautéed onions and peppers. Continue to cook until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is slightly crispy and golden brown. You can also use a melting dome – one of my must-have griddle accessories – to help speed up the process.

When the cheesesteak tacos are done cooking, transfer them to a cutting board or serving platter to rest for a few minutes. Then, your delicious Philly cheesesteak smashed tacos are ready to serve! Just fold the tortillas in half and enjoy like a taco!

cheesesteak tacos on a cutting board

Recipe Tips!

  • Don’t overcrowd the griddle. Leave enough space between each smashed taco to be able to get your spatula underneath and flip.
  • Use a flat spatula or burger smasher to press down on the patties evenly, ensuring maximum contact with the griddle surface and even cooking.
  • Experiment with different toppings and fillings to create unique flavor combinations. Swap the cheeses, add sautéed mushrooms, add cooked bacon, or use a different flavored tortilla to make these tacos your own!
  • Use 80/20 ground beef or freshly ground ribeye for best results. You don’t want to use super lean beef, because the cheesesteak tacos will be drier and the tortillas won’t be able to “fry” in the beef fat.

Philly cheesesteak taco

Smashed Cheesesteak Tacos

Created by: Neal

Course burgers, Griddle Recipes, Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
5 tacos
What happens when you combine a Philly Cheesesteak with the viral smash burger tacos? You get these awesome smashed cheesesteak tacos! The perfect easy recipe to make on the Blackstone griddle for parties or just a quick dinner that the whole family will love!

Equipment

  • burger press or smasher

Ingredients
  

  • 1-1¼ lb ground beef *We used fresh ground ribeye steak, but you may substitute 80/20 ground beef.
  • 5 flour tortillas fajita sized
  • green bell peppers and onion sliced thin
  • salt and pepper
  • cheese slices or cheese sauce ingredients below

For the Cheese Sauce:

  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 2 slices American cheese
  • 4-6 oz sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated

Instructions

  • Prepare the griddle. Heat griddle to about 400-425℉.
  • Prepare the cheese sauce. While griddle is heating, pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan on the griddle. Heat cream until just about boiling, then add cheddar and American cheese. Stir frequently as cheese is melting into the cream. Continue to cook until cheese sauce reaches desired consistency, keeping in mind that it will thicken as it cools. If needed, add more heavy cream or more shredded cheese.
  • Portion beef. Roll ground beef into loosely packed balls that weigh about 4 ounces each. You can use a ½ cup measuring cup to portion out the beef if you wish.
  • Sauté the vegetables. Add the sliced peppers and onions to the hot griddle surface and sauté until tender. Then move to the cooler side of the griddle to keep warm.
  • Smash the cheesesteak tacos. Place a ground beef ball on the hot griddle surface and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then place one flour tortilla over the beef ball, and use a burger press to smash the beef onto the griddle. The flour tortilla should be in between the beef ball and the burger press. After smashing, apply even pressure for about 10-15 seconds to ensure a good crust.
  • Flip the cheesesteak tacos. After about 2 minutes, or when you think the burger is mostly cooked through, use your griddle spatula to flip to the second side to continue to cook. Take care to scrape underneath the burger crust, so that all of that delicious flavor isn’t left behind on your griddle surface.
  • Add the cheese. Top the smashed beef patty with a spoonful of cheese sauce or a slice of cheese and the sautéed onions and peppers. Continue to cook until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is slightly crispy and golden brown. 
  • Serve. When the cheesesteak tacos are done cooking, transfer to a serving platter to rest and cool for about 4-5 minutes. Then serve with your favorite cheesesteak toppings.

Notes

  • Don’t overcrowd the griddle.  Leave enough space to be able to get your spatula under each taco to flip.
  • Use a flat spatula or burger smasher to press down on the patties evenly, ensuring good contact with the griddle surface.
  • Experiment with toppings and cheeses.  Add sautéed mushrooms, cooked bacon, or even try a different flavored tortilla.
  • Fajita-sized tortillas work best with these smashburger taco-style cheesesteak tacos.

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cheesesteak tacos cooking on the blackstone griddle

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