Cheesy Gordita Crunch

By Krista Teigen

Published Apr 21, 2025

The Cheesy Gordita Crunch used to be my go-to at Taco Bell, but making it at home with fresh ingredients, it tastes even better than the original! The crispy taco shell wrapped in a soft tortilla gives me the best of both worlds, and when I add gooey melted cheese, seasoned ground beef, and all the tasty fillings, it’s hard to beat. Now when my kids ask for a drive-thru run, I can honestly say, “We’ve got that at home!”

Several tacos filled with ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese, placed in a row on a white surface - 3

I still get cravings for Taco Bell every now and then, but it truly tastes so much better when I make my favorite menu items at home. Trust me, the cheesy Gordita crunch tastes even better when it’s fresh out of your oven!

Tips for Beginners

Lightly toast both the soft flour tortilla and the crunchy taco shell before assembling. This will add a slight crisp to the flour tortilla so it doesn’t get soggy from the fillings. Warming up the flour tortillas also helps prevent splitting while assembling.
Don’t overload the taco with filling, or it may fall apart. Balance the meat, cheese, and toppings evenly for the best eating experience!

Ingredients1x2x3x

▢ 1 pound ground beef
▢ 1/2 onion chopped
▢ 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning
▢ 1/2 cup salsa
▢ 8 flour tortillas 10-inches
▢ 2 cups shredded cheese
▢ 8 crispy taco shells
▢ Taco fixings lettuce, tomatoes, onion, limes

Spicy Ranch Sauce

▢ 1/2 cup ranch
▢ 1 tablespoon hot sauce

Video

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 ° F. Add the ground beef and onion to a large skillet over medium heat and break up the meat with a spoon or spatula. 1 pound ground beef, 1/2 onion
Stir in the taco seasoning and salsa. Add in 1/2 cup water and continue cooking until the mixture has thickened. 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning, 1/2 cup salsa
Spread the tortillas out on 1 or 2 baking sheets. Sprinkle shredded cheese on each tortilla. Place the taco shells on their side to cover the half of the tortillas. 8 flour tortillas, 2 cups shredded cheese, 8 crispy taco shells
Bake in the oven for 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven, and fold the exposed half of the tortilla onto the other side of the taco shell.
Flip the taco shells so they’re resting on the opposite side. Then, return to the oven for another 3 minutes.
Combine ranch and hot sauce to make the spicy ranch. 1/2 cup ranch, 1 tablespoon hot sauce
Fill each taco shell with ground beef, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and spicy ranch. Taco fixings

Equipment

1 Baking Sheet
1 large skillet

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

How to Make Cheesy Gordita Crunch Step by Step

Cook the Ground Beef: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 lb of ground beef and ½ an onion, chopped. Use a spatula to break up the meat.

ingredient picture with shredded cheese, ground beef. red and yellow onions, shredded lettuce, limes, tomatoes, hard taco shells, flour tortillas, taco seasoning - 4

Add Seasonings and Salsa: Add 1 ½ tbsp of taco seasoning and ½ a cup of salsa to the pan, and mix to combine with the beef. Cook down until most of the liquid has evaporated.

ground beef cooking in cast iron pan with wooden spoon - 5

Form the Tortillas: Place the flour tortillas on baking sheets and sprinkle an even layer of shredded cheese on each tortilla. Place the hard shells on their sides, on top of each soft tortilla so they’re covering half of the tortilla. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes.

flour tortillas topped with shredded cheese and hard taco shells on a lined baking sheet - 6

Flip and Bake: Take the tortillas out of the oven and fold the other side of the soft tortilla over the hard shell to completely cover the outside. Place back on the baking sheet, opposite side down, and bake for another 3 minutes.

a hand folding a soft tortilla over and hard taco shell - 7

Fill the Tacos: Fill each taco shell with the ground beef mixture, more cheese, all the toppings and the spicy ranch sauce. Serve your cheesy gordita crunch immediately and enjoy!

6 cheesy gordita crunch tacos laying on a table. - 8

How to Store and Reheat

To store leftovers, each ingredient should be stored separately in its own container. Ground beef can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

To reheat, heat ground beef on the stove top for 4-6 minutes until cooked through, or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Then assemble each cheesy Gordita crunch fresh!

Several tacos filled with ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese, placed in a row on a white surface with ingredients surrounding them - 9

Serving Suggestions

Though I’m enjoying this “fast food” at home, I still want the drive through experience with all the extra sides for my Cheesy Gordita Crunch. Try with some Mexican grilled corn , frito dip , or an easy Mexican rice recipe .

More Taco Recipes We Love

Wondering how to cook ground beef? Frying is a popular option, but boiling ground beef is easy, quick, and it creates leaner meat! Cooking ground beef with this method creates the perfect crumbled ground beef for tacos, chili, spaghetti sauce, and more. - 10

How to Cook Ground Beef (Boiling Ground Beef for Tacos, Spaghetti, etc.)

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hand holding taco with ground meat, lettuce, tomatoes and taco sauce - 18

Cheesy Gordita Crunch

Equipment

1 Baking Sheet
1 large skillet