VegNews
Viral Sesame Smash Tacos With Dipping Sauce
They’re a viral sensation, and so we felt it was time to make our own vegan version.
April 3, 2026
If you haven’t heard of smash tacos (or smash burger tacos), you’re in for a treat. A viral sensation on social media, they’re a combination of a cheeseburger and a taco made by smashing a ball of plant-based ground beef into a tortilla on a hot griddle to create a thin, crispy crust. The plant meat-side-down cooking style ensures both a juicy patty and a crispy tortilla, making for a totally unique, mouthwatering meal or snack. This is our veganized version, and we’ve given it an Asian twist by using dumpling wrappers, crisp vegetables, and a homemade sesame-soy dipping sauce.
VIDEO: Watch us make these viral smash tacos here!
What you need:
For the sesame-soy dipping sauce:
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, divided
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons unsweetened rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
For the tacos:
1 pound vegan ground beef
¼ cup thinly chopped cabbage
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup chopped green onions
16 dumpling or gyoza wrappers
For the toppings:
1 cup thinly julienned carrots
1 cup thinly julienned cucumbers
¼ cup chopped green onions
¼ cup chopped cilantro
What you do:
- For the sesame-soy dipping sauce, in a large bowl, whisk together ¼ cup toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger, chili flakes, and sesame seeds. Set aside ⅓ cup to use later as dipping sauce.
- Into the bowl with remaining sauce, add vegan ground beef, cabbage, cilantro, and green onions. Mix until evenly combined.
- Onto one side of each dumpling wrapper, spread a heaping tablespoon of mixture, pressing into a thin, even layer all the way to edges.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil. Place dumpling wrappers, meat-side down, in pan. Press lightly with spatula so filling makes full contact with pan. Working in batches so to not overcrowd pan, cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until filling is browned and crisp.
- Flip tacos and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until wrapper is lightly golden and slightly crispy. Repeat with remaining dumpling tacos.
- Remove tacos from pan and fold in half like a taco. Top each with carrots, cucumbers, green onions, and cilantro. Serve with sesame-soy dipping sauce, or drizzle sauce directly onto each taco.
For more plant-based recipes like this, read:
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