Cheesy Gordita Crunch

By Matt Price

Jun 06, 2024

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Cheesy Gordita Crunch Recipe (Taco Bell CopyCat) by Mr. Make It Happen

Introduction:

I can’t speak for everyone, but for me?? Taco Bell is and will always be in the Big Back Snack Hall of Fame! I see a lot of Taco Bell hate these days on social media, but I will never turn my back on The Bell! One of my favorite items on their menu is the Cheesy Gordita Crunch (with the Doritos Loco taco in the middle for extra razzle dazzle). Today, I’m going to show you how to Make It Happen at home!

First things first, get your muse en place together. We are going to use store bought nacho cheese taco shells, soft tortillas or the flatbread/gordita option if you can find them. Everything else is fairly standard when it comes to a taco party – with the exception of maybe the Chipotle peppers in Adobo. (That also happens to be one of my favorite pantry staple items that I always keep on hand for various sauces, marinades, etc)

We are going to start by dicing the onion and cooking our 80/20 ground beef. Make sure to develop some good color on the beef first and then add in the onions. Next, prepare your taco seasoning (you can use the store-bought stuff or use the recipe below to make your own blend)

Here’s a basic recipe for homemade taco seasoning:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes for extra heat

Instructions:

In a small bowl, mix together all the spices until well combined.
Taste the seasoning blend and adjust any flavors to your preference. You can add more salt for saltiness, more chili powder for heat, or more cumin for a deeper flavor.
Store the taco seasoning in an airtight container or spice jar until ready to use.

When you’re ready to make tacos, simply brown your ground beef or any other meat of your choice, drain off any excess fat, then sprinkle the taco seasoning over the meat along with a little water (about 1/4 cup per pound of meat) and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the meat is flavorful. Adjust the seasoning to taste and enjoy your delicious homemade tacos!

Mr. Make It Happen

2pc. Hybrid Skillet

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As always, season to taste and adjust the flavors to your personal preference. You can also sub out the beef and use ground chicken or turkey.

Next up, we need to warm our tortillas. The easiest way to do this IMO is right in the oven at 350 for a few minutes.

Here is where we elevate the recipe a bit. This is one of my go-to taco toppings/sauces. I like to mix 1 cup of sour cream with the juice and zest of 1 lime, 1 tbsp garlic, and the juice from one of the cans of Chipotles in Adobo. Season to taste and you can also add an optional pinch or two of sugar to balance things out if the chipotles pack a little too much heat.

You can save this sauce for a week or 2 in the fridge and use it on whatever you like!

When I warm the soft tacos, I add a Mexican cheese blend to them so that the cheese can melt. This will help the soft taco stick to the hard taco. I also add a dollop of our chipotle crema at this point, before adding the hard taco.

Build your taco to your preference (cheese, lettuce, pico, etc) and serve with sauce for dipping – and BOOM!! You have the best munchie cure on earth.. in less than 30 minutes and you don’t have to risk a DUI to drive to Taco Bell for your fix. You’re welcome.. lol

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