This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Making your own Mexican Gorditas at home is super easy! These little corn cakes made from masa dough have a little pocket in the middle for all sorts of delicious fillings! They’re also gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan.

Say hello to Mexican gorditas! No, this is nothing like the Taco Bell cheesy gordita crunch you may have seen. These are real, authentic, homemade gorditas, just like my Mom taught me to make!
What are gorditas?
Essentially, gorditas are thick corn tortillas that have a pocket in the middle made for stuffing with delicious Mexican fillings. Preferably on the spicy side if you ask me. Some common fillings include:
- refried beans and cheese
- chile verde (tender pork in a green chile sauce)
- chorizo and eggs
- carne con papas
- picadillo (a ground beef and potato mixture)
- papas con chile (tender diced potatoes stewed in a green chile sauce)
The possibilities are endless. For the filling shown in these photos, I used some of my barbacoa beef that I had leftover in the fridge. The results were delicious.
What does Gorditas mean?
The word gordita in Spanish literally means chubby. Itโs usually used affectionately and is often a term of endearment. So why would the name of a dish be referred to as chubby? I have no clue.
Maybe itโs because theyโre so good you canโt stop eating them, causing you to gain a few pounds. Maybe because theyโre stuffed with delicious fillings until theyโre โfatโ? Who knows. All I know is that gorditas are good and good food is what Iโm all about!
How to make Gorditas
Step 1: Mix together masa harina, water, and salt to create a dough. Roll the dough into 16 little balls. At this point, heat a large skillet, griddle, or comal over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Lightly flatten a masa ball in between two sheets of plastic wrap using a tortilla press (this is the one I have) or a flat plan. Make sure not to press it down too much as it will become too thin like a normal corn tortilla. You want it about twice as thick as a normal tortilla. If you mess up and make it too thin, simply gather the flattened dough, reform it into a ball, and try again.
Step 3: Remove the flattened masa from the plastic wrap and place it on the hot griddle. Let it cook for about 10 to 15 seconds, flip it over, and let that side cook for another 10 to 15 seconds. This helps to sort of seal the dough so that an air pocket can form more easily.
Flip it over one more time and cook each side for about 1 minute until they have beautiful brown spots.
Step 4: At this point, you should notice that the gordita inflates a little bit and starts to bubble up in the middle or the sides. This is exactly what you want. Lightly press down on the sides of the gordita with a spatula or other utensil to help it inflate even more. Remove it from the griddle, place it on a plate, and cover it with a light kitchen towel.
Step 5: As soon as you can handle and hold the gordita (it should still be hot but not hot enough to burn you), use a butter or paring knife to cut a slit down the edge of one side. The gordita should open up and have a cute little pocket to stuff all the wonderful fillings.
Tips and Tricks
- I recommend using a zip-loc gallon-size bag instead of plastic or saran wrap when flattening the masa balls. Simply cut it open down the side seams and leave the bottom seam uncut. Then place it on top of the open tortilla press, and voila! Itโs the perfect size, and it doesnโt tend to stick together like plastic wrap can.
- Use a tortilla press. It makes the process so much easier and is a must-have item in the Mexican kitchen! Hereโs one that I recommend from Amazon.
- If the gordita doesnโt inflate like it should, press down on the center and on the sides of the gordita from time to time with a spatula to help it inflate. This usually does the trick and creates a little air pocket.
- To make them perfectly round without any scraggly edges, use a round bowl, large round cookie cutter, or any round object that you have to stamp out the masa after youโve flattened it. My mom taught me this trick because she likes them to be picture-perfect. I, on the other hand, donโt have the patience. ๐
The way gorditas are made in Mexico actually varies from region to region. My family is from the central/north part of the country in the state of Zacatecas, near the town of Sombrerete. This is how they’re usually made there, but in other regions of the country, they’re often fried until super crispy and then stuffed. Both ways are delicious and totally authentic!
How to fry gorditas
If you want to try frying them, make all the gorditas as outlined above. Then add some frying oil to a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. You don’t need to use a lot of oil, just enough to fully submerge one side of the gordita.
Add the cooked gordita and fry on both sides for about a minute or two until crispy. Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to soak up any excess oil. Stuff them like normal, and enjoy!
More Mexican Recipes
Gorditas Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups masa harina
- 1 3/4 cups to 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Mix together masa harina, water and salt to create a dough. Roll the dough into 16 little balls. Heat a large skillet, griddle or comal over medium-high heat.
- Lightly flatten a masa ball in between two sheets of plastic wrap using a tortilla press or a flat plan. Make sure not to press it down too much as it will become too thin like a normal corn tortilla. You want it about twice as thick as a normal tortilla.
- Remove the flattened masa from the plastic wrap and place it on the hot griddle. Let it cook for about 10 to 15 seconds, flip it over and let that side cook for another 10 to 15 seconds.
- Flip it over one more time and cook each side for about 1 minute, until it has beautiful brown spots.
- At this point, you should notice that the gordita inflates a little bit and starts to bubble up in the middle or the sides. This is exactly what you want. Lightly press down on the sides of the gordita with a spatula or other utensil to help it inflate even more. Remove it from the griddle, place it on a plate and cover it with a light kitchen towel.
- As soon as you can handle and hold the gordita (it should still be hot but not hot enough to burn you), use a butter or paring knife to cut a slit down the edge of one side. The gordita should open up and create a pocket.
- Fill gordita with desired fillings and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
DEE-licious!! And E-Z as pie. I made some tender beef in the oven with plenty of broth (to make sure there was plenty for dipping! I made a chimichurri, which I mixed with some of the broth to send on the side and then just dipped the whole gordita in that delicious chimichurri/broth mixture. I made a few for my Son and he said it tastes like it came from a restaurant. I don’t know how I made it to this age and never even tried to do this. I will be making Gorditas a LOT! With different types of meats and fillings. Thank you!
Turned out great! I did add a tsp. shortening and tsp. baking soda to help rise. I didnโt get 16 as they were either too small or too thin, but overall great recipe. My family loved them.
Hi thank you so much! I love gorditas, my mom used to make them. She would add a very small pinch of baking powder to help rise. AND SHE WOULD ALSO MAKE SURE THEY WERE MOIST NOT DRY EASIER TO HANDLE. I MAKE THEM WITH MY HANDS KINDA WET. Iโm hungry now for a Gordita YUM YUM YUMMY!
THANK YOU
COMADRE!
We had gorditas con picadillo for dinner. They were delicious and easy! I would highly recommend them. Both recipes are easy to follow and the results were a hit with our guests.
I have more of a question than a comment. My grandma used to make sweet ones, out of flour and they were thick. I would love them.
How can I make these? recipe please !
Hi Josephine! We’re actually working on that recipe for our cookbook! In the meantime you might try another food blog.
So that I understand this correctly.., do I open up all the gorditas before setting on the table.., or let my guests open their own?
Hi Joseph! I would suggest opening them before setting the table, it’ll make serving easier and save some time.
I’m confused. I have read through all the instructions and viewed the photos with those instructions several times. At the bottom of the recipe under Isabel’s tips for frying them, you say to prepare the Gorditas as outlined above and fry them in a skillet submerging one side with oil and fry both sides 1-2 minutes. But in the instructions before the actual recipe, under HOW TO FRY GORDITAS you say to place COOKED GORDITAS in the skillet with oil and fry 1-2 minutes per sides. My question is this: Do I FIRST fry them on a griddle and then fry them in my skillet, submerging one side and fry both sides 1-2 minutes or do I not cook them first on the griddle 10-15 seconds on each side?
Hi Marilyn! We’re sorry for the confusion. If you want to fry them, you first cook them on the hot skillet/griddle with no oil. Then you lightly fry them in a skillet with oil. When you just cook them on a griddle with no oil, they’re softer and have the texture of a thicker tortilla. When you fry them, they’re crispier and it givers a slightly different flavor. I hope this helps!
Can these be frozen?
Hi Lisa! Yes, they can!
I love this recipe. I tried to sign up for your newsletter but the page doesn’t load after clicking
Hi Melodee! What is the email you used to sign up? I can check and see if it went through and signed you up.