A homemade Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch is one of my favorite taco nights. And it just happens to be Taco Tuesday. The cheesy Gordita crunch is a genius invention but Taco Bell doesn't execute it well. I'll show you how to make it better at home with a homemade taco seasoning mix and fresh crispy taco shells. This cheesy Gordita Crunch knocks Taco Bell's version out of the water.
Ingredients: Serves 6
1 1/2 lbs Ground Chuck
A Few Fresh limes
16 Fresh Flour AND Corn Tortillas, roughly the same size if you can
16 oz Shredded Mexican Cheese
1 Cup, Sour Cream
1/2 Head of Iceberg Lettuce, Shredded
3 Tablespoons Hot Sauce
Water, as needed
Avocado Oil, Enough to fill a pan by 1 inch (or any other high smoke point oil)
Taco Seasoning: Makes Enough to make this recipe twice
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 Tablespoons Cumin
2 Tablespoons Coriander
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1 Tablespoon Granulated Garlic
1 Tablespoon Granulated Onion
1 Tablespoon Sumac (optional)
1/2 tablespoon Cayenne
Directions:
Crispy Tortillas (These can be made ahead of time to speed this meal prep up)
Fill up a pan with no more than 1 inch with oil, then heat it up over medium heat. Once hot, add a corn tortilla to the oil gently. Flip it with metal tongs every 3-5 seconds in the first part of the cooking process. This “toasts” each side evenly and prevents one side from ballooning. If the oil is too hot, the tortillas will begin to bubble up. You have to manage the heat to ensure that it doesn’t happen. Once the tortilla begins to stiffen up, start to work it into are rounded crispy shell. This will take some practice. You have to become crafty with the tongs, using one side of the tongs to make sure one side doesn’t open up too much and the other to make sure it doesn’t close too much. Once browned throughout, transfer to a wire rack upside down to cool and harden. Repeat with the rest.
Mix all the ingredients of the spice mixture and set aside. Slice the lettuce and combine the hot sauce and sour cream.
Heat up a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add some oil and add the beef. Break it up with a flat wooden spoon. Season the meat. It will cook in two stages. First, the moisture will release and cookout, then once that is evaporated, the meat will begin to fry and brown. Be patient at this stage, it will help develop flavor. Once browned, add the about two tablespoons of the spice mixture and mix it in. If you need more, add more. Toast that for a minute or two, then add the juice of a lime. Mix it up and then add maybe a 1/4 cup of water or so to clean up the bottom of the pan and to keep it moist. Set aside for assembly.
To prepare the tacos shells, add about a 1/4 cup of cheese to each flour tortilla. Place 4 on a plate and microwave gently until thoroughly melted. Then take the crispy tortilla and stick it in the center of the cheesy flour tortilla. Flip it so that the crispy tortilla is sitting on the fingers, this will protect you from burning yourself. Then with the tip of your thumbs, gently push the cheese out from the center to the edge, gluing the tortillas to each other. Then fill the tacos. First the meat, then the sour cream, followed by the cheese, then the lettuce and finally your favorite hot sauce.
Your support keeps the show running and is very much appreciated.
If you'd like to leave a donation for this recipe, please click HERE. Thank you!
Comments