Copycat Cheesy Gordita Crunch

My love affair with this taco, the seasoned beef, the special sauce, crunchy taco shell surrounded by the cheesy soft taco glued to the outside, it’s deep and meaningful and I wouldn’t lead you astray with this copycat.

So, I’ve been very pregnant 3 times now and every time, I find myself, somehow, sitting on a couch watching a commercial for Taco Bell touting their famous Cheesy Gordita Crunch. I watch, mouth dropped open, amazed by how GOOD THAT LOOKS. I want, no, I NEED one. STAT.

You’re going to be amazed by how easy and delicious this copycat cheesy gordita crunch is, my friend. Amazed! It’s also my favorite way to prepare crunch tacos for little ones, the cheesy soft taco on the outside keeps it from falling apart. Everyone wins!

I like to think my version is even tastier, definitely healthier (#homemade), and requires no late night drive through adventuring.

What is a Cheesy Gordita Crunch?

Besides really, really delicious, the all-too-famous Cheesy Gordita Crunch is a Taco Bell menu item that is, essentially, a crunchy beef taco wrapped in a cheesy flatbread. Sounds YUMMY, right? 

Ingredients for Copycat Cheesy Gordita Crunch

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning (store-bought or homemade)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 6 flour tortillas
• 6 crunchy taco shells
• 1½ cups of shredded Mexican-blend cheese plus more for topping
• Shredded lettuce, for serving
• Chopped tomatoes, for serving
• Spicy jalapeno ranch, for serving

Ingredient Modifications and Variations

• Make them gluten free: this is incredibly easy (and what we did!). To make your Cheesy Gordita Crunches (“crunches” …is that right?) gluten free, simply purchase gluten free tortillas and taco shells.
• Make them dairy free: swap the regular shredded cheese for your favorite dairy free shredded cheese for dairy free tacos. Do keep in mind that some dairy free cheeses don’t melt great, so your tortillas and taco shells may not stick together as well. They’ll still be really tasty, though!
• Use a different ground meat: swap the ground beef for ground turkey, chicken, or pork. Whatever ground meat you have on hand will work great!
• Use a different sauce: not a fan of jalapeno ranch (or just don’t have the time to make your own dressing)? No problem! Swap the jalapeno ranch for regular ranch or buy your favorite store-bought dressing to drizzle on top!

How to Make a Cheesy Gordita Crunch

Making your very own Cheesy Gordita Crunch may seem like a tricky concept, but it’s actually REALLY easy. It’s every bit as easy as regular tacos – the added double-layer taco shell step is super simple and really only adds a few extra minutes to the process! Here’s how you’ll do it:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Brown the meat – add the ground beef to a medium-sized skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Use a spatula to cook and crumble the meat until fully cooked.
3. Add the seasoning – add the taco seasoning into the pan with the fully cooked meat and stir until fully incorporated, then squeeze the lime juice into the pan. Let everything come together for a couple of minutes over medium heat, then turn the heat off.
4. Assemble the double-layer taco shells – lay the tortillas out on a sheet pan (you may either need to use more than one sheet pan for this or work in batches), then add a ¼ cup of cheese to the surface of the tortilla. Lay a crunchy taco shell over one half of each tortilla.
5. Bake – place the sheet pan in the oven (with the tortillas open + half of the cheese exposed), and bake for 5 minutes.
6. Assemble – pull the sheet pan out of the oven and fold the tortilla over the other half of the taco shell. Gently press until the tortilla and taco shell stick together.
7. Fill – fill the double-layer taco shells with ground beef, then top with shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, shredded cheese, and spicy jalapeno ranch. 
8. Serve and enjoy!

How to Store and Reheat

When it comes to storing Cheesy Gordita Crunch tacos (or tacos in general), it’s always best to store each component separately. Storing the taco meat, tortillas, and toppings separately will keep your leftover tacos from getting soggy (and really, who wants a soggy taco?!). I also recommend only making enough double-layer taco shells for one sitting, and storing the extra tortillas, crunchy shells, and cheese separately from one another. 

When it comes to reheating your leftover tacos, simply…

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Lay the tortillas out on a sheet pan, place a shell on top of each tortilla, and bake the double-layer taco shells for 5 minutes.
3. While the double-layer shells are in the oven, reheat the taco meat in either a skillet on the stovetop or the microwave.
4. Once the double-layer taco shells are done, press the other half of the tortilla onto the crunchy shell so that it sticks.
5. Fill the tacos with meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and spicy ranch, and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions