45 min · Meat · Main course · For confident cooks
Gorditas
For 4 servings · US units
The 'little fat ones': crisp corn pockets, split while warm and stuffed
Gorditas are thicker than tortillas, crisp on the outside, soft in the middle and just right for splitting open and stuffing generously. They're classic street food, and since masa harina does most of the work, you can make them any time of year. Once you've held a freshly fried gordita in your hand, you'll be reaching for the next one.
Ingredients
- 8½ ozcorn flour for the doughFinely ground flour made from corn that has first been cooked in lime water. Mixed with water, it becomes the dough for tortillas and tamales.Substitute: There is no good substitute. Cornmeal, corn flour, grits or polenta have not been nixtamalized, so they do not form a cohesive dough and crumble when shaped into tortillas; the characteristic flavour is missing as well. Fresh masa, where available, can be used instead.Read more
- 1⅔ cupswaterwarm, worked into the dough gradually
- 1 tspsaltfor the dough
- 2 tbsplardrubbed into the dough; bacon drippings work as well
- 1 tspbaking powderfor a lighter dough
- ¼ cupoilas a thin layer for crisping in the pan
- 1 tbspbutteradded to the dough alongside the lard (optional)
Method
- Mix the masa harina, salt and baking powder thoroughly in a bowl. Rub in the lard with your fingertips, along with the butter if you're using it, until everything is evenly crumbly.
- Pour in the warm water a little at a time and knead everything into a smooth, cohesive dough. Cover the dough and set it aside for a little while.
- Divide the dough into balls of about 85 g each. Press each ball between two sheets of plastic with a tortilla press or a flat-bottomed dish to a thickness of 3 to 6 mm, roughly twice as thick as a tortilla.
- Heat a comal or skillet with no fat over medium-high heat. Cook the gorditas for 1 to 3 minutes per side, until brown spots appear.
- As they cook, gently press down on the edges so the gorditas puff up. Keep the cooked gorditas warm under a kitchen towel.
- Heat a thin layer of cooking oil in a skillet to about 355 °F. Fry the gorditas for 1 to 2 minutes until crisp, then drain them on paper towels.
- While they're still warm, slice each gordita along the side and carefully open it into a pocket. Stuff and serve right away, while they're still crisp.
Tips and variations
For a simpler version, leave the fat and baking powder out of the dough and cook the gorditas on the dry comal only. If you like things savory, knead crispy fried bacon and finely chopped serrano chile into the dough and use bacon drippings instead of lard. A classic filling is refried beans with cheese. Or skip the filling altogether and serve them with a salsa of roasted tomatillos, garlic and chipotles in adobo. Serve them straight from the skillet so they're still crunchy.
Allergens
May contain if you use the optional ingredients: Milk (including lactose)
Not every ingredient in this recipe has been checked, so nothing is promised as free from.
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
