Crispy Smashed Meatball Tacos
A Homemade-ish gem through and through, these tacos utilize store-bought meatballs for a tasty quick-fix shortcut to some of the most fun and delicious tacos you will ever try.
- Yield: Serves 4 to 6
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- Olive oil for cooking, plus more for dressing your lettuce
- 12 store-bought Italian style meatballs (uncooked and not frozen)
- 12 small (street taco style) flour tortillas
- 12 slices Provolone cheese
- 3 cups shredded lettuce
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (or to taste)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 large tomato, diced
- Store-bought marinara on the side, for dipping
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a generous amount of olive oil – enough to lightly coat the surface (this also works great on a griddle, if you have one). When the oil is hot (and working in batches if your pan will allow it) add a meatball and place a tortilla over top. Using a large spatula, smash the tortilla down, gently flattening the meatball, thinning it out as best you can.
- Allow the meatball to cook for 1 to 2 minutes, and flip when it’s crispy and very browned. Immediately place a piece of cheese on top and cover the pan to trap in the heat. Allow the tortillas to crisp up a bit and the cheese to melt for about 30 seconds or so (it goes pretty fast), and then transfer to a plate. Repeat for every taco you want to make.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss together the lettuce, a tablespoon each of oil and vinegar (or more to taste), and season with salt and pepper.
- To serve the tacos, pile some of the dressed lettuce on top of the cheesy smashed meatballs and top with diced tomatoes. A warm bowl of marinara on the side for dipping is a fun touch, though totally optional. Fold up and dig in.