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Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch Recipe is a delicious copycat taco recipe. These gorditas are loaded with flavor and easy to make.
As a mom of 8, we love making easy copycat recipes and this Taco Bell Fast Food recipe is one of my kids favorites. The layers of the soft shell, cheesy and ground beef center makes this a filling recipe.
If you love this cheesy gordita recipe, you may also love this Taco Bell Frito Burrito or Taco Bell Chalupa Supreme.
Table of Contents
What is a Cheesy Gordita Crunch?
Cheesy Gordita Crunch is a popular menu item at Taco Bell. A crunchy taco shell is loaded with ground beef, cheese, lettuce and ranch sauce.
It is wrapped in a softshell tortilla and held together with melted cheese.
Ingredients
Beef Mixture
- Ground Beef
- Taco Seasoning
- Salsa
- Water
For the Tacos
- Hard Taco Shells
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese (divided)
- Small Flour Tortillas
- Shredded Lettuce
For the Spicy Ranch Sauce
- Sour Cream
- Ranch Seasoning Mix
- Mayonnaise
- Hot Sauce
Scroll to see the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.
Variation Ideas
- Change the Meat – We used ground beef in this recipe, but you can also use ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Taco Seasoning – We love making homemade taco seasoning. It is made with simple ingredients, such as onion powder, chili powder and garlic powder. You can easily use packet taco seasoning.
- Taco Shells – Use store bought crunchy taco shells. But you can make them with corn tortillas if you prefer.
- Cheese – Feel free to use different types of cheese. We do recommend shredding your own cheese instead of pre-shredded cheese.
- Ranch Dressing – Substitute the sour cream with ranch dressing and combine with the other ingredients.
Step by Step Instructions
- Step 1 – Heat Oven – Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2 – Cook Beef – Brown the ground beef in a large skillet until brown over medium heat. Drain the excess grease. Stir in the water, sprinkle in taco seasoning and salsa. You can also add in salt and pepper. Heat uncovered for 3-5 minutes until the flavors are combined.
Step 3 – Mix Sauce – Remove the meat mixture from heat. Then mix together the spicy ranch sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Chill until ready to use.
Step 4 – Flour Tortillas on Baking Sheet – Place the flour tortillas on a baking sheet. Top with 1 ½ cups of the shredded cheese.
Step 5 – Bake Tortilla with Cheese – Bake for 5 minutes until the cheese starts to melt. Remove from the oven and carefully wrap the flour tortillas around the hard taco shells.
- Step 6 – Add Beef Mixture – Add the beef mixture to each hard shell.
- Step 7 – Add Toppings – Top with the spicy ranch sauce, shredded lettuce and remaining cheese.
- Step 8 – Serve and enjoy – Serve immediately and enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- Ground Beef – This is the perfect recipe to prepare the taco meat ahead of time.
- Melt Cheese – Melt cheese on the flour tortilla to allow the taco shells to stick together. This creates the perfect crunch for the best gorditas recipe.
- Add your Favorite Toppings – Feel free to add what toppings your prefer for your tacos. My husband loves to add slice jalapenos for added flavor and extra spice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Refrigerate the leftovers separately in airtight containers for up to 5 days.
When storing, we like to storing the leftovers in separate container. This makes it easy to reheat and prevents the tortillas from getting soggy.
Depending how much you have leftover, you can reheat in the meat in the microwave. Then build your gorditas and bake everything as the recipe indicates.
More Taco Bell Copycat Recipes
- Taco Bell Quesarito Recipe
- Copycat Taco Bell Steak Quesadilla Recipe
- Taco Bell Nacho Fries Recipe
- Taco Bell Cinnamon Twists
If you make this Cheesy Gordita Crunch Taco Bell Recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review. We love hearing from you.
Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch
Ingredients
For the Beef Mixture:
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
- 1/4 cup Salsa
- 1/4 cup Water
For the Tacos:
- 8 Hard Taco Shells
- 2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese divided
- 8 Small Flour Tortillas
- 2 cups Shredded Lettuce
For the Spicy Ranch Sauce:
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 1 Packet Ranch Seasoning Mix
- 2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Hot Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet until brown over medium high heat. Drain the excess grease.
- Stir in the water, taco seasoning and salsa.
- Heat uncovered for 3-5 minutes until the flavors are combined.
- Remove from heat.
- Mix together the spicy ranch sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Chill until ready to use.
- Place the flour tortillas on a baking sheet. Top with 1 ½ cups of the shredded cheese.
- Bake for 5 minutes until the cheese starts to melt. Remove from the oven and carefully wrap the flour tortillas around the hard taco shells.
- Add the beef mixture to each hard shell,
- Top with the spicy ranch sauce, shredded lettuce and remaining cheese.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
