What could be better than a Big Mac or a taco? A Big Mac taco! You may have seen these Big Mac tacos going viral all over TikTok so I decided to make a plant-based version: vegan Big Mac tacos.
These vegan Big Mac-inspired smash burger tacos combine the best elements of the famous McDonald’s Big Mac burger with a taco. To make them vegan I simply replaced beef with vegan mince and American cheese slices with vegan ‘Cheddar’ cheese.
I topped the cheesy tacos with fresh lettuce, dill pickles and homemade Big Mac burger sauce.
How to make vegan big mac tacos
To make these vegan Big Mac tacos I pressed a thin layer of vegan mince onto a mini flour tortilla. I then fried the ‘meat’ until browned and crispy and topped them with a slice of vegan cheese. Next I steamed the vegan cheese until it was gooey and melted. Whilst the cheese melts the tortilla becomes toasted and golden.
Finally, I topped the tacos with fresh shredded lettuce, dill pickles and a healthy dollop of homemade vegan Big Mac sauce. Enjoy these tacos hot, whilst the cheese is still melted!
Ingredients
Just like the classic McDonald’s Big Mac, these vegan big mac smash tacos are pretty simple.
- Mini tortillas – most white tortillas you’ll find in supermarkets are naturally vegan. I used Mission mini tortillas. They come in packs of 6, perfect for this recipe.
- Vegan mince – most vegan ‘beef’ style mince will work well with this recipe. I used Richmond vegan meatballs. These meatballs are nicely seasoned.
- Dill pickles/gherkins – traditionally McDonalds uses dill pickles in their Big Macs. These can be tricky to find in the U.K. – I used sliced gherkins instead.
- Vegan cheese slices – American cheese slices are used in McDonald’s Big Macs. Vegan American-style cheese, however, is not common in the U.K.. I used Nurishh Cheddar style vegan cheese slices and most vegan sliced cheese will work for this recipe.
- Shredded lettuce – famously McDonalds uses iceberg lettuce in their burgers. I, however, used little gem which also tasted great but does not have the same crunch as iceberg.
- Vegan big mac sauce – I made a homemade vegan Big Mac sauce. Read on to see how it’s made!
How to make vegan Big Mac sauce
The Big Mac sauce is what makes these tacos extra special. Vegan mayo and ketchup are the base of the sauce. Paprika, mustard and apple cider vinegar give the sauce it’s signature spice and tang.
My vegan Big Mac sauce has 9 ingredients, many of which will already be in your cupboards at home.
- Vegan mayo
- Ketchup
- Apple cider vinegar
- Minced white onion
- Minced pickled gherkin/pickles
- Dijon mustard
- Sugar
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
Tips for making the best vegan Big Mac tacos (smash burger tacos)
- Firstly, I recommend you flip the smash patties. In my experience the vegan mince does not cling nicely to tortillas. This, however, is a blessing in disguise. You can flip the smash patty to crisp it up on both sides before adding the cheese. This ensures the vegan mince is cooked through.
- Secondly, use water to help the vegan cheese melt. Vegan cheese does not melt as easily as dairy cheese. Once I’ve added the cheese to my tacos I add a tablespoon of water to the pan and cover with a lid. This will create steam and your cheese will be melted in just 2 minutes.
- Finally, I recommend eating these tacos straightaway. If, however, you’d like to serve them all together then you can keep them warm in the oven. Heat the oven to 120C/240F. Place your tacos on a wire rack and leave to keep warm whilst you cook the rest.
Similar recipes
If you liked these vegan Big Mac tacos then check out more of my delicious vegetarian recipes:
- Best vegan burger
- Chipotle mushroom and tofu tacos
- Fried enoki mushroom KFC wraps
Vegan Big Mac Tacos
Vegan Big Mac smash burger tacos. Topped with melted vegan cheese, shredded lettuce, dill pickles and a homemade vegan big mac sauce.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 48 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 8 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6 mini tacos
Calories 442 kcal
Ingredients
- 6 mini white flour tortillas
- 480g/17oz vegan mince
- vegetable oil for frying
- dill pickles/gherkins around 2-3 slices per taco
- 6 slices vegan cheese I used Nurishh Vegan Cheddar slices
- 6 handfuls shredded lettuce iceberg, preferably
Vegan Big Mac sauce
- ½ cup vegan mayo
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 4 tsp minced white onion
- 4 tsp minced dill pickles/sliced gherkins
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
Combine all of the vegan Big Mac sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
Press 80g of vegan mince onto one side of each tortilla so that the whole tortilla is covered.
Heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil in a medium frying pan over a medium-high heat.
Fry the tortilla mince-side down until brown and crispy, around 6 minutes. If the mince does not stick to the tortilla feel free to flip it to cook on both sides!
Add a slice of vegan cheese onto the taco. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add 1 tbsp of water and quickly cover the pan with a lid. Allow to steam until the cheese has melted and the tortilla is lightly browned, around 2 minutes.
Repeat with the remaining tacos. You can keep the tacos warm on a wire rack in an oven set to 120℃/240℉, if you like.
Top each taco with a handful of shredded lettuce, 2-3 dill pickles/sliced gherkins and a dollop of Big Mac sauce.
Keyword Big Mac, burger, taco, vegan burger
