These tacos are full of delicious bites.
SERVES: 2-3 | PREP TIME: 15 MIN | COOK TIME: 15 MIN
Trending recipe ideas can be a fun place to start for a wild game dinner experiment. There’s normally a bunch of people trying out lots of iterations and working out the kinks for you. So, occasionally, I can’t resist trying them. If you’re in the hunt for some fine venison cuisine try this recipe: venison smash taco with spicy slaw.
This one fuses a smash burger and a taco. It’s super-fast to whip up as a post hunt treat to get your body right or a fun game-day platter to impress your buddies.
Start with a solid base.
The concept is simple: You smash a ball of seasoned ground meat (with plenty of added fat) to create your patty right on the pan or griddle. The tortilla goes right on top of that patty. Then, you flip the whole thing back into the fat and get a nice, browned tortilla. Finally, top all that with cheese, or whatever other toppings you want, and fold it in half onto itself.
Recently, I’ve been working on a spicy and sweet vinaigrette that will go into a slaw you can add to the taco itself. Or serve it extra on the side. Keep note of this sauce recipe, as I’ve put it on salads, fancy toasts with peaches, bacon and heirloom tomatoes, or with cured meats and cheeses on a charcuterie board.
Another key note for making smash burgers or tacos? You need a hot, flat surface with a nice bit of oil. Protein sticks to metal, and once it reaches a certain temperature, unsticks from it. So, if your burger is sticking due to a lower heat, let it keep cooking, and it’ll eventually release when it gets hot.
How to Make Smoked Venison Deli Meat
Layer on the good stuff.
When cooking, use at least a medium-high heat and have a big, flat spatula for smashing down the patties. I use a fish spatula, but a big grilling spatula is a good option for extra leverage.
I used my charcoal grill with lump coals to directly char my tomatoes, garlic, and pepper, on the coals. However, you can use your pan or griddle if rocking this one indoors. Of course, the advantage of cooking smash burgers/tacos outside is a lot of grease spits up, so cleanup is much easier.
After cooking this one, my wife hammered these like a caged animal. So, be careful who you put these in front of. They might end up eating all of yours, too.
Assemble the troops for a tasty recipe.
INGREDIENTS
SMASH TACOS:
- 1 lb. ground venison (30% pork or beef fat or 70/30 venison/bacon)
- 6 corn tortillas
- ½-1 lb. grated melting cheese (pepperjack, cheddar, colby jack, gouda, chihuahua, are all good options)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp dried garlic powder
Slaw is a fine pairing for this meal.
SLAW:
- ½ head of cabbage (shredded)
- ½ bunch of cilantro (chopped fine)
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup sweet rice wine vinegar
- 1 fresh chili (choose your own adventure for heat, jalapeno, or habanero works)
- 3-4 cherry tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp kosher or sea salt
A great way to use your venison.
DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- If grilling outside, get coals red and ripping hot. Wait for flames to stop before cooking.
- Make your slaw first, so it has time to sit and absorb flavor.
- Shred cabbage with knife or food processor.
- Finely chop cilantro.
- Char peppers, garlic with the skin on and tomatoes (just enough to blister).
- Add oil, vinegar, fresh hot pepper, chopped tomato, peeled garlic, and a teaspoon of salt to a blender (or in a jar to blend with a hand blender).
- Pour dressing on cabbage and mix well. Set aside on counter to let absorb flavors.
Enjoy your venison smash taco with spicy slaw.
- Chop your bacon into small bits if using and mix into venison.
- Mix your seasoning into the meat and make into six evenly shaped balls.
- Heat up your cast iron pan or griddle to medium-high heat.
- Add a little oil and place ground meat balls onto pan.
- Put tortilla on top and smash down.
- Cook until the meat is nicely browned and easily slides in the pan.
- Flip onto tortilla side and add cheese on top.
- Once cheese has melted a bit, fold over and cook a bit more on each side to brown.
- Pull open tacos when finished to spoon in a nice pile of slaw.
- Drizzle some extra sauce on top.
- Serve additional slaw on the side.
Enjoy your latest recipe: venison smash taco with spicy slaw.
Recipe: Loaded Venison Fries with Bravas Sauce
