The Cheesy Gordita Crunch from Taco Bell, while sometimes unfairly criticized, holds a special place in the hearts of many fast-food enthusiasts. This recipe explores a homemade version, elevating the flavors and textures to new heights. The Cheesy Gordita Crunch’s magic lies in its simple yet brilliant combination of a soft flatbread, melted cheese, a crunchy taco shell, seasoned beef, spicy ranch, lettuce, and more cheese. The contrasting textures—chewy and crunchy—create a delightful experience. When combined with the creamy, spicy ranch, each bite becomes a symphony of flavors.
This recipe enhances the original by focusing on a few key elements. First, the standard flatbread is replaced with a pillowy, homemade version. The seasoned beef gets an umami boost from monosodium glutamate (MSG) and crushed tomatoes. Finally, the spicy ranch is taken up a notch with the fiery kick of pequin chilies, balanced by the coolness of mayonnaise and yogurt. This isn’t just a copycat; it’s a gourmet interpretation of a fast-food classic.
The journey begins with the homemade flatbread. Combine instant yeast, warm water, and a spoonful of flour, letting it proof for five minutes until foamy. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt. Once the yeast is active, combine the mixtures and knead vigorously for two minutes. This 66% hydration dough will result in a chewier flatbread. Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes, allowing the flour to hydrate.
Mixing dough for homemade flatbread.
After resting, perform a series of stretch-and-folds, followed by slapping and folding the dough for 8-10 minutes until elastic. The gluten window test—stretching a small piece of dough until translucent—indicates proper hydration. Cover and let rise for 45-60 minutes. While the dough rises, prepare the seasoned beef. Combine ground beef, salt, MSG, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, and crushed tomatoes. Mix thoroughly and brown in a cast iron pan.
Seasoned ground beef cooking in a cast iron skillet.
Next, create the wicked hot spicy ranch. Rehydrate dried pequin peppers in hot water, then blend into a puree. Combine Greek yogurt or sour cream, mayonnaise, the chili puree, lime juice, garlic powder, coriander, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Adjust consistency with milk or yogurt as needed.
For the hardshell tacos, spray corn tortillas with baking spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake on a foil-lined oven rack at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes until crisp. Once the flatbread dough has doubled, divide it into 60-gram portions and roll them out into circles. Cook on a hot cast iron skillet for about a minute, flipping twice, until lightly browned.
Homemade flatbreads cooking on a cast iron skillet.
Finally, assemble the Cheesy Gordita Crunch. Place a flatbread on a plate, add a generous layer of three-cheese blend, and top with a crispy taco shell. Microwave briefly to melt the cheese. Seal the flatbread and taco shell together. Fill with seasoned beef, spicy ranch, more cheese, diced tomatoes, and cilantro.
Finished Cheesy Gordita Crunch, ready to eat.
This homemade Cheesy Gordita Crunch delivers a flavor-enhanced experience, elevating the fast-food favorite to a culinary masterpiece. Feel free to customize the recipe with different cheeses, sauces, or toppings. The MSG in the seasoned beef and the pequin peppers in the spicy ranch are highly recommended for an authentic flavor explosion.
