Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch

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. Other family favorite taco recipes are Chicken Street Tacos, Crock Pot Birria Tacos and Oven Baked Tacos.

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. It tastes delicious with a ton of flavor.

Ingredients

• Ground Beef – We used lean ground beef
• Taco Seasoning – Use Easy Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe
• Salsa – We like to make Homemade Salsa Recipe
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese – We like to use Colby Monterey Jack Cheese
• Flour Tortillas – You can also make Homemade Flour Tortilla Recipe. You can also wrap the taco in a flatbread
• Sour Cream – Substitute with Greek Yogurt
• Ranch Seasoning Mix – Use store bought packet or make Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix that is made with buttermilk powder, garlic salt, dill and simple spices.

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, paprika, chili powder, cumin 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 including a teaspoon of hot sauce.  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 – Spoon the beef mixture to each hard shell taco.
• Step 7 – Add Toppings – Top with the spicy ranch sauce, shredded iceberg lettuce and remaining cheese. 
• Step 8 – Serve and enjoy – Serve immediately and enjoy this dish.

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.