Gorditas de Chicharrón

About This Recipe

Gorditas — literally 'little fat ones' — are thick, round masa cakes that are cooked on a comal until golden, then split and stuffed with a variety of fillings that define Mexican street food tradition. Unlike tacos, gorditas are fully enclosed like a pita pocket, with the masa providing a substantial, slightly chewy, deeply corn-flavored wrapper around fillings ranging from refried beans and cheese to the classic chicharrón (pork rinds) in salsa verde. Gorditas de chicharrón are a Mexico City street food obsession — the crunch of pork rinds softened slightly by the bright, tangy tomatillo salsa creates a combination that is simultaneously rich, acidic and profoundly satisfying. The masa must be thick enough to split (about ½ inch) and well-seasoned, using a traditional masa harina dough enriched with lard for authentic flavor and texture. Making gorditas at home connects you to one of Mexico's most ancient street food traditions. They are cooked in a dry comal or cast iron skillet with no added fat — the masa cooks in its own heat, developing a golden crust while the interior steams and sets. The split reveals a tender interior that cradles the filling without falling apart. Serve hot, immediately after filling, with extra salsa verde and lime.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 2 cupsmasa harina (Maseca)
• 1¼ cupswarm water(approximately, adjust as needed)
• 2 tbsplard or vegetable shortening
• 1 tspsalt
• 2 cupschicharrón (pork rinds)(broken into bite-sized pieces)
• 1½ cupssalsa verde(store-bought or homemade)
• ½ cupqueso fresco(crumbled)
• 1 cupshredded iceberg lettuce
• ½ cupMexican crema or sour cream

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the masa dough

   Mix masa harina, salt and lard. Add warm water gradually, kneading until a smooth, pliable dough forms — not sticky, not dry. It should feel like Play-Doh. Rest 10 minutes covered.

2. 2

   Shape the gorditas

   Divide dough into 8 equal balls. Press each into a ½-inch thick disk (about 4 inches diameter) using a tortilla press or flat-bottomed pan.

3. 3

   Cook on the comal

   Heat a dry comal or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook gorditas 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown spots appear and they feel firm. They should look slightly puffed.

   No oil on the comal. The dry heat gives gorditas their characteristic texture — oiled cooking produces something different.

4. 4

   Combine chicharrón filling

   Toss broken chicharrón pieces with salsa verde. Let sit 5 minutes — the chicharrón softens slightly from the salsa.

5. 5

   Split and fill

   Using a sharp knife, carefully split each warm gordita around the edge like a pita pocket, leaving one side intact as a hinge. Fill generously with chicharrón-salsa filling, lettuce, queso fresco and crema.

Variations

• •

  Gorditas de Frijoles: filled with seasoned black beans and crumbled queso fresco.

• •

  Gorditas de Picadillo: filled with spiced ground beef with tomato and potato.

• •

  Sweet Gorditas: cooked in lard and dusted with sugar and cinnamon as a dessert.

Storage

Cooked plain gorditas keep at room temperature up to 4 hours. Reheat on a dry comal for 2 minutes per side. Filled gorditas should be eaten immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions