Cheesy Gordita Crunch

Hard taco shell filled with taco ground beef, spicy ranch, cheese and lettuce, wrapped in a flour tortilla.

5 from 5 votes

Copycat Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita crunch with a soft shell on the outside, crunchy hard taco shell inside, cheese sauce and shredded cheese, ground taco beef, spicy ranch, and lettuce.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: dinner

Cuisine: american

Servings: servings

Calories: 1236kcal

Author: Krista Stechman

Equipment

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.

Nutrition