This 30 minute copycat Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch recipe has two layers of taco shells: a regular hard shell taco wrapped in tortilla flatbread, loaded with all the good stuff: oozing melted cheese, juicy ground beef, and fresh crispy lettuce. Drizzled on the taco are a creamy, spicy ranch sauce and a homemade cheese sauce!
For those who have never tried it, a gordita crunch is a Taco Bell menu item. The crunchy taco shell and soft, pillowy Gordita flatbread are where this delicious bite gets its name.
This cheesy gordita crunch recipe can be a fun get-together activity for Taco Tuesday or any other day of the week. You just have to lay out all the taco toppings on the table.
Once the taco shells have been baked, everyone at the table can fill their own taco shells with the ingredients and dig in!
If you love the sound of this cheesy gordita crunch then you'd love my copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme Recipe that has the same cheese sauce.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's your favorite Taco Bell menu item but homemade & better!
- This gordita crunch recipe is family friendly, loved by kids & adults! Just like Chipotle Carne Asada!
- So much texture! You've got crunchy, soft and smooth mixed all in one.
What Is A Gordita?
The word gordita means “chubby” in Spanish. In Mexican cuisine, a gordita would refer to a thick tortilla or flatbread, made of masa corn flour and filled with beans, meat, cheese, sour cream, and other fillings.
In this recipe, we use the gordita as an outer layer for our taco, and it's made with wheat flour instead of corn. The hard crunchy taco shell on the inside of this recipe is where the crunch comes from in the name, Cheesy Gordita Crunch.
Recipe Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Super sharp yellow cheddar cheese – Cheddar has an incredible savory flavor to it. Taco Bell uses the same but we’ll pack more flavor with super sharp cheddar!
- Evaporated milk – These are usually sold in cans, and give our cheese sauce the perfect in-between point of milk and cream.
- Diced green chilis – You can get these from a can.
- Ranch dressing – I use Hidden Valley’s Buttermilk packet for the best flavor, but you can use any other bottle of ranch you have.
- Cholula hot sauce – Hot sauce brings tanginess and heat to the ranch along with a few Mexican spices.
- Gordita shell – Find these soft pillowy shells at your local Mexican grocer. You can use a flour tortilla or soft pita bread if you cannot find a soft flour gordita shell.
- Ground beef – I use ground chuck. This is a fattier cut that is more tender and flavorful. Cheesy Gordita Crunch and this Dorito Taco Salad recipe are some of my favorite ground beef recipes.
- Kosher salt - I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for all of my recipes. It is not the same as nor does it measure the same as table salt.
For a full list of ingredients and measurements see recipe card below.
Variations & Substitutions
Aside from cooked ground beef, lettuce, cheese sauce, and ranch, these optional taco toppings are amazing and will 100% fit the bill:
- Chorizo - If you love chorizo like I do then you can substitute it for the beef in this recipe or try my favorite chorizo taco with homemade roasted salsa verde.
- Ground chicken - Or add this baked chicken tacos recipe to your dinner menu!
- Ground turkey
- Refried beans
- Pickled onions
- Salsa or pico de gallo
- Guacamole
- Use Tapatio Hot Sauce in place of Cholula.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How To Make A Cheesy Gordita Crunch
Follow these step by step directions to make this delicious gordita crunch recipe.
Step 1: Make the cheese sauce. Add all the ingredients to a medium saucepan and warm over low-medium heat, whisking frequently until melted and smooth. Set aside.
Step 2: Make the spicy taco ranch. Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl until combined.
Step 3: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, onions, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions have softened. Add the ground beef, breaking up while cooking. Once the beef is fully cooked, sprinkle the taco seasoning and stir until fully combined. Turn off heat and drain any grease.
Step 4: Prepare the Gordita shells. Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Lay soft Gordita shells out on the parchment-lined pan. Smear cheese sauce over them and sprinkle half the cheddar cheese over the tops of all shells. Reserve the other half for topping.
Step 5: Bake the soft shells for 3 minutes until the cheese is melted. Place the hard shells in the middle of each soft shell and fold the sides up around the hard shell. Don’t take too long for each, as the melty cheese acts as the glue. Bake again for 2 minutes.
Step 6: Assemble the tacos. Fill each shell with the remaining cheese sauce, spicy ranch, ground beef, cheddar cheese, and romaine lettuce. Top with additional optional toppings if desired.
This Cheesy Gordita Crunch recipe is in regular rotation for taco Tuesday at my house, along with Steak Nachos recipe and Tacos de Camaron (Shrimp Tacos) that are packed with seared shrimp inside warm corn tortillas and so so good!
Expert Tips & Tricks
If you want to elevate your very own Taco Bell cheesy gordita crunch, follow these expert tips:
- Place hard taco shells on to warm cheesy soft shells as soon as they come out of the oven for best results. Bake again to seal!
- Make Taco Ranch up to 5 days ahead of time. Store in the fridge in an airtight container. Use the extra dressing on salads!
- Before you assemble the gordita shells with the taco shells, you’ll need to first bake the cheese on the gordita shells. If you prefer not to use your oven at all, simply sprinkle the cheese on top and torch it with a cooking torch.
- If you enjoy copycat recipes then Big Mac Tacos may be right up your alley with all the flavors of juicy ground beef, American cheese, onions and special sauce but on a tortilla!
Recipe FAQs
A Cheesy Gordita Crunch is a menu item created by Taco Bell. It consists of a hard shell taco and a soft gordita shell held together by melted cheese, taco ground beef, lettuce, spicy ranch and cheese. This copycat recipe is the homemade version, which is even tastier!
A gordita shell is soft and fluffy. The chalupa shell is that same shell, but deep fried. A chalupa is crunchier than a gordita.
If you can't find a gordita shell then you can use a flour tortilla. I used regular soft flour tortillas that are normally used for tacos. You can also use a pita or naan bread.
I would not recommend making this recipe ahead of time. It is best eaten fresh. If you need to re-heat later on, I would suggest removing the lettuce before heating then adding it back on afterwards.
To store unassembled Taco Bell Cheesy Crunchy Gordita: Seal each ingredient separately in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. When ready to serve, microwave or fry the ground beef. Follow the instructions from Step Four to prepare the cheesy gordita crunch.
To store assembled gordita crunch: Place each leftover taco in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Microwave to serve warm.
More Taco Recipes You'll Love
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📖Recipe
Cheesy Gordita Crunch
Equipment
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
Cheese Sauce
- 7 oz super sharp yellow cheddar
- 4 oz evaporated milk
- 2 oz diced green chilis in a can
Taco Ranch
- 1 cup ranch dressing I make my own with Hidden Valley Buttermilk packet
- 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
- 1 tbsp Cholula hot sauce
Gordita Crunch
- 1 small onion small dice
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 lb ground chuck
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 8 flour tortilla or gordita shells taco size
- 8 hard shell tacos
- 4 oz super sharp cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- 1½ cups romaine lettuce shredded
Optional Ingredients
- ½ cup pickled jalapenos
- 4 lime wedges
- ½ cup cilantro rough chop, measure before chopping
Instructions
Making Cheese Sauce
- Add all ingredients to a medium sauce pot and warm over low-medium heat, whisking frequently until melted and smooth. Set aside
Making Taco Ranch
- Whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl until combined
Making Cheesy Gordita Crunch
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a sheet tray with parchment paper
- Heat large skillet over medium heat until pan starts to become hot. Add a drizzle of olive oil, onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened
- Add ground beef, breaking up while cooking. Once beef is fully cooked, add taco seasoning. Stir until fully combined. Turn off heat and drain grease
- Lay soft shells out on parchment lined pan, smear cheese sauce over them and sprinkle half the cheddar cheese over the tops of all shells reserving other half for topping
- Bake 3 minutes until cheese is melted then add the hard shells to the middle of each soft shell and fold sides up around the hard shell. Bake a gain for 2 mintues
- Fill each shell with remaining cheese sauce, spicy ranch, ground beef, cheddar cheese and romaine lettuce. Top with additional optional toppings if desired
Notes
- Place hard taco shells on to warm cheesy soft shells as soon as they come out of the oven for best results. Bake again to seal!
- Make Taco Ranch up to 5 days ahead of time. Store in the fridge in an airtight container. Use the extra dressing on salads!
- Before you assemble the gordita shells with the taco shells, you’ll need to first bake the cheese on the gordita shells. If you prefer not to use your oven at all, simply sprinkle the cheese on top and torch it with a cooking torch.
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