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Gorditas de papas con chorizo is a popular Mexican dish made from homemade thick corn tortillas that are sliced down the middle and stuffed with a potato and chorizo filling. Drizzled with an easy cilantro crema and garnished with queso fresco, it’s a classic recipe perfect for lunch and dinner.
This post is sponsored by V&V Supremo®. All opinions expressed here are my own.
One of my favorite home-cooked Mexican recipes is gorditas, especially when it’s stuffed with papas con chorizo. It’s a hearty and comforting dish that’s filling, easy to make, and brings back lots of memories of visiting my grandparents in Mexico.
There’s just something incredibly satisfying about biting into a perfectly made gordita. The thick, soft pocket of masa harina, complemented by the savory filling of tender potatoes and slightly spicy and salty chorizo, is simply too good to pass up!
To add a touch of freshness and brightness, I topped it off with some cilantro lime crema and queso fresco.
Ingredients
- Mexican chorizo: The most important ingredient in the filling is the chorizo! I’m using V&V Supremo’s Pork Chorizo because it’s made with the perfect balance of spices, crumbled beautifully when cooked, and is made without artificial flavors, colors, and fillers. It’s available in original and mild spice levels and even comes in a beef variety if you prefer not to eat pork.
- Potatoes: I used yellow potatoes in this recipe, but you can also use russet or red potatoes if that’s what you have at home.
- Olive oil: You just need ½ tablespoon for sauteeing the onion and chorizo.
- Onion: A diced white onion is mixed with the chorizo and potato filling to add some crunch and extra flavor.
- Masa harina: This is a kind of corn flour derived from nixtamalized corn, distinguished by its distinct taste and texture. It’s crucial for crafting genuine Mexican corn tortillas and other dishes like gorditas and sopes.
- Water: For creating the masa dough. The amount of water you’ll need will vary depending on the brand of masa harina as well as the overall moisture level in your home. A good starting amount is 1 ¾ cups, but if you find that the dough isn’t puffing up when you cook the gorditas, mix in a little more water to add moisture and help create that puff.
- Salt: A little fine salt or table salt to season the masa dough.
- Queso fresco: A little bit of V&V Supremo’s Queso Fresco crumbled on top of each gordita adds some freshness and brightness to the chorizo filling.
- Cilantro lime crema: Made with V&V Supremo’s Crema Mexicana de Casa, cilantro, and lime juice. It all gets blended until smooth and makes for the perfect drizzle of crema that helps cut the richness of the chorizo.
How to Make Gorditas de Papas con Chorizo
Cook the potatoes: Add the peeled and diced potatoes to a medium saucepan filled with water. Bring it to a boil over high heat, cover, then reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for about 8 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain the water and set it aside.
Cook the chorizo: Saute a diced onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat with a little olive oil. When translucent, add the chorizo and break it up with a spoon or spatula. Cook it for about 8-10 minutes, then stir in the potatoes and cook everything for 5 more minutes to meld all the flavors.
Set it aside and cover it with a lid to keep it warm while you make the gorditas.
Make the masa dough: Combine the masa harina, water, and salt in a large bowl. Form the dough into 10 even-sized balls.
Press the dough: Place a masa ball on a tortilla press lined with parchment paper. Press the dough in between another sheet of parchment to flatten it.
Cook the gorditas: Place the flattened dough in a hot skillet or comal and cook for about 2 minutes, flipping every 15 to 30 seconds. The masa should puff up during the cooking process. If it doesn’t, that’s typically a sign that the dough needs more water.
Slice open the gordita: When the gordita is cool enough to handle with your hands, carefully cut a slit down the edge of the tortilla to create a pocket. Getting the tortilla to puff makes this step a lot easier. If your tortilla didn’t puff, that’s okay. Just do your best!
Make the crema: In a blender or food processor, add the crema Mexicana, cilantro, and lime juice. Blend until smooth.
Stuff and serve: Fill the gorditas with a generous amount of papas con chorizo filling, then top with the cilantro lime crema and a sprinkle of queso fresco.
Suggested Toppings
While gorditas are delicious on their own, I like serving them with some toppings. I added some of the cilantro lime crema and queso fresco to mine, but you could also add the following:
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
- Cotija cheese
- Chile de árbol salsa
Tip!
Gorditas are either pan-cooked or fried depending which region they’re from in Mexico. If you’d like to fry them to get a crispy exterior, add 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a small skillet and fry the sliced gorditas on both sides until golden and crispy. Then add the filling and serve.
Recommended Tools
- Tortilla press. This tool makes it easy to get uniform, flat gorditas. If you don’t have one, a heavy skillet or large baking dish can do the job.
- Parchment paper. Useful when pressing gorditas in a tortilla press to prevent sticking. You can also use the plastic from a zip-top storage bag.
- Mixing bowls: For preparing the masa mixture.
Storing and Reheating
The gorditas and their filling should be stored separately. Let the gorditas cool completely before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The filling can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Gorditas de Papas con Chorizo
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds potatoes, diced into bite-sized pieces
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 14 ounces V&V Supremo Pork Chorizo
- 2 cups masa harina
- 1 ¾ cups water, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- ½ cup V&V Queso Fresco, for garnish
For the cilantro crema
- ½ cup V&V Supremo Crema Mexicana
- ¼ cup packed cilantro stems and leaves
- ½ tablespoon lime juice about ¼ lime
Instructions
- Make the filling. In a medium saucepan, add the potatoes. Cover them completely with water, then cover them with a lid and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 8 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. They should be tender and easily pricked with a fork. Carefully drain the water and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.
- Add the chorizo and break it up into smaller chunks using a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chorizo is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in the potatoes and cook for 5 more minutes. Cover and set aside.
- Make the gorditas. Mix together the masa harina, water, and salt to create a dough. Roll the dough into 10 balls. Heat a large skillet, griddle, or comal over medium-high heat.
- Flatten a masa ball in between two sheets of parchment paper using a tortilla press or a large, heavy baking dish. Carefully peel back the parchment paper and transfer the masa to your hand.
- Cooking 1 or 2 at a time, place the masa on the hot griddle and cook for 15 to 20 seconds. Flip and cook the other side for 15 to 20 more seconds. Flip it again and cook for another 30 seconds on each side. The dough should begin to inflate. If it doesn’t, lightly press the middle of the gordita with your fingertips to try to get it started. If you find that it’s not puffing up, try mixing in more water to the dough to add moisture. That should do the trick.
- Transfer the gordita to a plate and cover with cover it with a light kitchen towel. As soon as you can handle and hold the gordita with your hands, use a paring knife to cut a slit down the edge of one side. The gordita should open up and create a pocket. Set aside and continue cooking all of the gorditas.
- Make the sauce. Add the crema Mexican, cilantro, and lime juice to a small blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Assemble and serve. Fill each gordita with a generous helping of papas con chorizo. Add a drizzle of cilantro crema and some crumbled queso fresco. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Potatoes: I used yellow potatoes in this recipe, but you can also use russet or red potatoes if that’s what you have at home.
- Frying instructions: To fry gorditas to get a crispy exterior, add 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a small skillet and fry the pan-cooked and sliced gorditas on both sides until golden and crispy. Then add the filling and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
