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Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch
...in your mind.
Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch

Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch

Here's our version of the legendary Cheesy Gordita Crunch from TB. Is it the same, no. Is it better? If you'd consider the addition of melty, warm jalapeno cheese and a middle layer of refried beans an upgrade - then hell yes it's better

Makes 8

Ingredients

Flatbread

  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1 packet dry active yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup yogurt
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

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Cheese Sauce

  • ½ large jalapeno, minced fine - with or without seeds, it’s up to you
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • ½ cup milk
  • 8 ounces American cheese (I used the white version), cut in small chunks
  • 2 ounces orange cheddar cheese, shredded
  • ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
  • Kosher salt & coarse ground pepper to taste

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Spicy Ranch

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Cholula hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic paste
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • Salt and pepper to taste

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Gordita

  • Oil
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 dried chipotle pepper, or 1 small canned chipotle, minced
  • 8 corn tortillas, or 8 crispy taco shells
  • Oil for frying
  • Refried beans, see recipe here
  • Shredded iceberg lettuce

Directions

Flatbread

  1. Combine water, yeast and sugar – mix and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes
  2. Put the flour, yogurt and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, and add the yeast business
  3. Mix with the dough hook until smooth and it comes away from the sides, 3-4 minutes
  4. Remove, put in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a towel and leave in a warm spot about an hour or until it roughly doubles in size
  5. Remove from the bowl onto a floured surface
  6. Knead a couple minutes then divide into 8 even pieces, shape each into a round ball, then roll each into about a 6 inch circle or roughly the same size as your corn tortillas
  7. Place on a lightly oiled pan or griddle over low/medium heat and cook 2-3 minutes a side until just getting a little color in spots – repeat with rest, then keep warm under a towel

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Cheese Sauce

  1. Melt the butter in a small pot, add the jalapenos and cook until just softened, 3-4 minutes
  2. Pour in the milk, and when hot start adding the cheese, a little at a time stirring constantly until it’s all in and perfectly smooth
  3. Add the chili powder, then season with salt & pepper to taste

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Spicy Ranch

  1. Combine ingredients, mix well and set aside

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Gordita

  1. Heat oil in a large pan, add ground beef and start cooking, add the garlic and onion powders, and salt & pepper
  2. If using the dried chipotle, add it to the broth and microwave about 3 minutes, then slowly start adding to the beef
  3. If using the canned chipotle, just mix in with the broth and start adding to the beef
  4. In either case, the goal is to incorporate the broth, letting the beef slowly suck it up – when it stops taking in the broth, you can stop adding it
  5. If shaping your own tortillas: heat a couple inches of oil in a pot to about 350 degrees, and using 2 tongs fold it slightly in half but maintain an opening for the fillings – this should take about a minute or so each

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Build the Gordita

  1. Spread some refried beans on a cooked flatbread and wrap around a crispy tortilla, then to the crispy shell add some of the meat, spicy ranch, lettuce and finally a big glug of the cheese sauce
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