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Homemade Cheesy Gordita Crunch Tacos…taking everyone’s favorite fast food taco and making it healthier at home. Ground meat (chicken or beef) seasoned with homemade taco seasoning. Then stuffed into hard shell tacos wrapped in soft tortillas with a blend of three types of Mexican cheese. Each taco is topped with spicy ranch, lettuce, and cheddar cheese. Just the right amount of melty cheese and a CRUNCH with every bite. These tacos come together quickly and are so DELICIOUS. Serve with a mix of more of your favorite toppings for a Cheesy Gordita Crunch that no one can pass up. A whole lot better than the fast-food version.
Well, would you look at me? I started with the Crunchwrap and now we’re moving onto these homemade Cheesy Gordita CRUNCH tacos. And to be honest, I think these might actually be a touch better than the Crunchwraps…
Don’t hate me for saying that, but hear me out.
First things first, these were not planned for today – at all. But if you follow along on my Instagram stories you know why these are happening today. Let’s rewind to Friday night. It’s about 6:45 pm, I’m working on writing recipes by the fire at the studio. I know, I’m lame, yes, writing recipes were my Friday night plans, but for me, it’s fine. Anyway…
My oldest brother, Creighton walks in looking for food only to find out I haven’t cooked. It was yet another computer day. He’s very, very disappointed. I made nothing he really enjoyed last week. After three days working on the computer, not a lot of food had come up to the house from me. So he was bumming. I can’t remember what exactly started the conversation, but Creigh was telling me about a dinner he made. Somehow our conversation came around to the Taco Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch.
And Oh. My. Gosh. Did he have a lot to say about his very favorite Taco Bell menu item. I’ve never seen so much enthusiasm over anything in my life.
In his words, “whooooooo, if you can make a Cheesy Gordita Crunch, and you can make it healthy? You’ll solve the problems of the world”.
To say that I was dying with laughter would be an understatement. This conversation was surely the highlight of my weekend.
I could tell from the moment Creighton walked over to me and started going on about some couch he had to move, that he really had some things he needed to get off his chest. And when he started talking about T-Bell with so much excitement (all while holding a giant pepperoni stick in his hand), I quickly flipped the camera on him. Some moments are too good to not be documented.
I threw our little conversation up on Instagram Friday night, and…wow.
You guys have a lot of love for this T-Bell Cheesy Gordita Crunch. I took the thousands of direct messages to heart and quickly created my version of the Cheesy Gordita Crunch on Saturday. And now, here we are.
It’s Monday and we’re celebrating with the most exciting recipe of the week, the homemade Cheesy Gordita Crunch.
If you loved the Crunchwrap you’re guaranteed to love this taco too. Personally, I’m all about this taco, even over the Crunchwrap.
For anyone who is unfamiliar, the Cheesy Gordita Crunch is simply a hard shell taco, wrapped up in a soft piece of flatbread, topped with a three-cheese melted blend. It’s stuffed with meat, T-Bell’s spicy ranch sauce, lettuce, and then cheddar. It’s basically just a loaded cheesy taco doubled up on the shells.
These are GOOD. My photos do not do them justice. I just couldn’t seem to capture their cheesy goodness, but trust me, it’s there.
The best part about the Cheesy Gordita Crunch? They’re even easier to make than the Crunchwrap. If you can make a basic taco, you can easily make these too!
For the taco meat, I used my chipotle chicken taco seasoning mix because it’s always everyone’s favorite. You can make these using ground beef or chicken, I’ve done it both ways now, and both are equally delicious.
Once the meat is done, simply assemble, it’s that EASY.
First, lay the flour tortillas flat onto a baking sheet, then top them with a good amount of the three-cheese blend (cheddar, Monterey Jack, and mozzarella). Now, this next step is optional, BUT, if you ask me it’s a must-do. Sprinkle over a little bit of my homemade cheesy “Doritos” seasoning blend. Yes, cheesy Doritos seasoning. It’s a simple mix of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and grated parmesan cheese.
It. Is. DELICIOUS when baked into the cheese…and only just a little bit addicting.
Throw the pan in the oven to let the cheese melt. Once the cheese is melty, add the hard shell tacos. Now press the melty cheese into the hard shells. The cheese sticks to the shell and holds everything together. I then throw the shells back into the oven to warm through again.
Now, layer up your tacos. It goes taco meat, homemade spicy ranch, lettuce, and then cheddar.
For the ranch, I did my go-to homemade Greek yogurt ranch but added in a spicy jalapeño and a squeeze of lime juice.
Most tacos are topped with sour cream, but trust me, this spicy ranch is so much better. It’s not your average ranch and really completes the taco.
I generously dollop the ranch on each taco, then pile on the lettuce and cheddar. It sure isn’t anything fancy, but I have to admit, these are some of the best tacos. You get the best of both worlds between the soft and hard shells, lots of melty, warm cheese, perfectly seasoned meat, spicy sauce, and even some greens too.
Beyond delicious. Easy to make. And hey, healthier than the T-Bell version, so I’d said they’re better too! Creighton’s opinion? Well, first of all, the excitement he had when I actually made these was through the roof. But then the taste.
Even BETTER. More seasoning, more sauce, more ranch, and the perfect cheesy shells. Pretty hard to beat that combo. Delicious, and so much fun too!
Looking for other fun Mexican dinners to try, here are my favorites:
Crispy Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Honey Lime Avocado Crema
Crockpot Carne Asada Tacos with Cilantro Lime Garlic Sauce.
Lastly, if you make these Homemade Cheesy Gordita Crunch Tacos be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Best taco ever! Bursting with flavor. Definitely going on my menu rotation. Only one comment……. I didn’t care for the ranch dressing. The dill was too much and did nothing to compliment the other spices. Would swap out for plain sour cream. Otherwise, delicious! Thank you.
Hey Deb,
Thanks a bunch for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
OMG this recipe. It solves a lifelong problem. I’ve always loved crunchy tacos and hated the way that they fall apart. The flour tacos are a crunchy taco delivery system! Genius!! The faux Doritos spice mix was essential for bringing this whole recipe over the top. Again, a huge win for making me a dinner hero. Thank you!
Hey Maura,
Thanks a bunch for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious! The Doritos seasoning really tastes like the real thing!
Hey Amy,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have great week:) xTieghan
Big hit with the whole family! Loved the layers of flavor and textures.
Hey there,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have great week:) xTieghan
Sooo delicious and beyond easy!! A new staple in our household!
Hey Alison,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a try, I am delighted that the recipe was enjoyed! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
These were delicious! My kids rarely want leftovers, but my 5 year old asked for them the rest of the week. Thanks for a fun and yummy dinner!
Hey Lynae,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that the recipe was enjoyed! Have a fantastic weekend! xTieghan
So good and easy! The whole family gobbled these up. My soft taco shells were a little big so it didn’t look as pretty as yours but still delicious!
Hey Lisa,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that the recipe was enjoyed! Have a fantastic weekend! xTieghan
Such a hit! My kids no longer want plain ol’ Taco Tuesday!
Lol so glad to hear this! Thanks for making the recipe:) xTieghan
OMG these were absolutely phenomenal! My entire family devoured them (as they do with all your recipes!) and leftovers the next day were equally fantastic. The dorito seasoning and spicy ranch were the perfect add-ons. Thanks for yet another home run recipe!
Hey there,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! Happy Friday! xTieghan
My Son is ADDICTED to Taco Bell and he LOVED THIS! THank you!
Hey Jennifer,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! Happy Friday! xTieghan
This was simply amazing. I used less cheese and didn’t even make the dressing and it was still beyond delicious. Will make this often for sure.
Hey Vicki,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xTieghan
Tieghan – first time commenter! I started following your daily recipe blog since the pandemic began and I’m hard-core crushing. My family and I love e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g you do!! I had to let you know that you have attained genius status with my fam with the gordita crunch. You figured out how to enjoy hard tacos without the sloppy disaster upon first bite — minds blown. Thank you!!
Hey Stephanie,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! Thanks for your kind message:) xTieghan
10 out of 10! Family loved these, I made them vegetarian by swapping meat for beans. Easier than the crunch wraps, but both are excellent. So much fun, too. Thank you, another winner. My request: Indian spinach (saag or palak)! My favorite, what about adding halloumi for the paneer? I love all your recipes.
Hey Lori,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
OMG these were so good! I used boneless skinless chicken thighs because that’s what I had in the frig! So amazing! And I used small street tacos bc it was also what I had! Next time I’ll use soft taco tortillas and shred my own cheese! so much flavor and goodness!
Hey Leah,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Seriously loved this! Even my picky eater husband had 3 servings. The spice combo for the meat (we used turkey) is better than the ore-packaged taco seasoning we usually use. The Dorito seasoning is also a must. We didn’t do the Spicy Ranch as we don’t like anything too spicy. Overall, very yummy!
Hey Lindsey,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan