Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch

5 from 3 votes

Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch

This copycat Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch recipe tastes just like the real thing - only better! We use fresh ingredients for the best flavor.

Servings tacos

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Equipment

Ingredients

Spicy Ranch Sauce

1 medium jalapeno whole
¾ cup light ranch dressing
1 chipotle in adobo
¼ tsp ground red cayenne pepper

Taco Beef

⅔ lb ground beef
2 tsp chili powder
¾ tsp paprika
¾ tsp cumin
¼ tsp ground red cayenne pepper
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp black pepper
1 pinch salt
½ cup water

Cheesy Gordita Crunch Shells

6 6-inch flour tortillas
6 yellow corn taco shells
2 cups Mexican-blend cheese shredded

Other Toppings

1 to 2 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Romaine lettuce shredded
Taco Bell hot sauce optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Spicy Ranch Sauce

First, char the jalapeno on a hot cast iron skillet or grill (we did this on our cast iron pan over medium-high heat). Using metal tongs, hold the pepper against the pan for a few minutes until charred. Rotate, then hold it against the pan again and char. Repeat until all sides of the pepper are slightly charred.
Next, add the jalapeno to a blender along with the ranch dressing, chipotle in adobo, and cayenne pepper. Blend on high speed until smooth, then transfer to a small dish and refrigerate until it's time to assemble the tacos.

Taco Beef

Next, brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, about 7 to 10 minutes.
While the beef cooks, combine chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt in a small bowl to make your taco seasoning.
Once the beef is cooked through, drain any excess grease and return to heat. Sprinkle with taco seasoning, then add the water and stir until combined.
Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.

Cheesy Gordita Crunch Shells

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with foil.
Lay flour tortillas flat on the baking sheets (3 on each pan). Top each tortilla with an even layer of shredded Mexican-blend cheese, about 1/3 cup per tortilla.
Bake until cheese is melted but tortillas are still soft, about 5 minutes (keep an eye on these so they don't get crispy!). Remove from the oven and then carefully wrap corn taco shells in cheesy flour tortillas, working quickly to use the hot cheese as "glue." Here's the best way to do this: start by placing the corn taco shells down flat on the cheesy tortillas while they're still on the baking sheets, lining up the edges. Gently press down on the inside of the taco shell to get it to stick to the flour tortilla. Then, carefully flip the taco shell (with the flour tortilla) over to the other side and press on the inside of the taco shell again to complete the seal. Transfer completed shells to taco holders for easy assembly.

Assembly

First, fill each taco shell with a layer of ground beef, then top with a generous layer of spicy ranch sauce.
Next, top with a small handful of shredded lettuce, then finish with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese.
Serve immediately with Taco Bell hot sauce!

Notes

Using chipotles in adobo: Did you know you can easily freeze chipotles in adobo if you don't need to use the whole can at once? Once we learned this easy trick it became so much more appealing to cook with them! Check out our video on Instagram here for a quick tutorial.

Spicy ranch: You may have leftover spicy ranch sauce since the ingredient amounts listed make about 3/4 cup. It's delicious on other types of tacos (get inspired here) or with tortilla chips! Store it in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Wrapping the taco shells: Be careful wrapping the hard taco shells in the cheesy flour tortillas - they'll be hot! You'll need to work fast and do it right when the tortillas come out of the oven, while the cheese is still melty and can act as the "glue" to hold everything together.

Author: Nicole

Calories: 523kcal

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: blender, cheddar cheese, corn tortillas, flour tortillas, ground beef, jalapeno, mexican cheese, ranch dressing, romaine lettuce, spicy ranch sauce, taco seasoning, tacos

Nutrition