Gorditas
Here's how to make gorditas from scratch at home. They're puffy, delicious, and perfect for stuffing with your favourite fillings—in this case, sweet and spicy jackfruit!
Ingredients
For the gorditas:
- 2 cups masa harina 320g
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil 23g
- 1 ½ - 2 cups warm water 374-500ml
For the jackfruit:
- 2 young jackfruit in water drained, 800g
- 2 tablespoons olive oil 23g
- ¾ cup yellow or red onion diced, 114g
- 1 jalapeño diced, 25g
- 3 cloves garlic minced, 16g
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water, 250ml or 227g
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste 16g
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
For the gorditas:
- Combine the masa harina, kosher salt, and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Add the oil and 1 1⁄2 cups of warm water and begin to mix together. Continue to add the water a little at a time until the dough is soft and pliable like playdough.
- Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it’s smooth and soft.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rest until cooled to room temperature (15-30 minutes).
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and roll them into smooth balls with your hands. Each ball will weigh 95-100 g. If you want to make 12 smaller gorditas, divide them into 65 g balls.
- Cut the sides of a gallon ziploc bag and place the dough ball inside. Use a rolling pin or square baking pan to press the ball into a circle about 5 inches in diameter and a scant 1⁄4” thick. Repeat with the remaining dough. The dough tends to dry out, so keep it covered while you’re working.
- Heat a comal or skillet over medium high heat. The pan needs to be very hot to prevent the gorditas from sticking.
- Place the gorditas in the skillet and cook for about 2-3 minutes until they begin to have brown spots, then flip and cook on the second side for another 2-3 minutes. Give them a second flip and cook for another 30-45 seconds. They should puff up during the final cooking. If they don’t puff on their own, press down on the gordita with your spatula to make them puff.
- Set the cooked gorditas aside and cover them with a clean kitchen towel. Let them sit for just about 60 seconds to cool.
- Once they’ve cooled just enough to touch, slice one side open with a paring knife and fill with your favorite toppings. It’s important to slice them open while they are still hot as it becomes more difficult as they cool.
For the jackfruit:
- Remove the jackfruit from the can. Cut it into small slices. Set aside.
- Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes until translucent.
- Add the garlic and jalapeno to the onion and continue to cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes.
- Add the jackfruit into the pan, along with the spices, vegetable broth, lime juice, tomato paste, and soy sauce. Stir together to combine. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to low. Allow to cook for about 20 minutes until most of the liquid has cooked away.
- Remove the lid and shred the jackfruit with forks or a potato masher.
- Add the maple syrup and salt and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until it’s dried out and a little bit crispy.
- Fill the warm gorditas and top with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Gordita dough is a little tricky to get right, it should be soft enough that when it’s pressed into a circle it has no more than a few cracks around the edges.
- I started the jackfruit cooking while the gordita dough was resting, so everything would be done around the same time.
- The total cooking time on the gorditas will depend on how many you can fit on your pan since each batch will have to cook 6-8 minutes.
- If the gorditas are gummy inside when you cut into them, they were not cooked long enough or were too thick. Since the masa is precooked, it is still safe to eat the undercooked gordita and not really noticeable when the filling is added. It just makes it harder to cut them open.
- It's best to cut the gorditas when they are still warm because they become harder to cut as they cool down.
- To store: It’s best to store the gorditas and the filling separately, so only assemble what you will eat in one sitting. The jackfruit filling can be refrigerated in an airtight container, while you can wrap the gorditas in plastic wrap; both can be refrigerated for 4 to 5 days. Reheat the filling in the microwave or a skillet over medium heat, and warm up the gorditas in a dry pan.
- To freeze: If you want to keep your gorditas longer, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Separate each gordita with parchment paper and place them in a freezer-safe bag. Let them thaw in the refrigerator, then warm them up according to the instructions above. The filling can also be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight bag or container.
Nutrition
Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 897mg | Potassium: 295mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 3mg