Juicy Pulled Chicken Gorditas are made from scratch with a handful of simple, yet powerful ingredients! Seasoned chicken thighs are seared to perfection and finished in a slow beer braise to make them extra juicy. The thick gordita dough is also worth drooling over!
Juicy Pulled Chicken Gorditas
Chicken gorditas are perfect for serving on Cinco de Mayo, or really any time you're craving bold flavors all wrapped up in homemade dough! Chicken thighs are seared, then braised low and slow in Modelo Especial. The chicken becomes SUPER tender and juicy, and we're adding some extra cheese and peppers for big flavor.
But let's not let the chicken filling get all of the attention here! A gordita is made with a thick tortilla. This gorditas recipe is made from masa harina (corn masa), or corn flour, and I’m making them here by hand - nothing at all like the fast food chain version.
It may require a little extra effort, but making gorditas by hand is really the only way to do it!
Ingredients in Juicy Pulled Chicken Gorditas
- Chicken thighs
- Taco seasoning
- Modelo Especial®
- Masa flour
- Water
- Sea salt
- Oil
How to Make Chicken Gorditas
Make the chicken first. Season the chicken thighs with 1 TBSP of taco seasoning. Sear them in a large pan over medium-high heat with the olive oil for a couple minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in a 12 ounce bottle of Modelo Especial®.
Simmer and shred. Add the remaining taco seasonings and simmer for 30 minutes, until the liquid reduces and the chicken is nice and tender. Shred it up with a couple forks and set it aside.
Prepare the oil. Heat a pot of vegetable oil to 350°F. You want just enough oil to cover the gorditas when ready.
Make the dough. Mix together 2 cups of masa with 1.5 cups of water and a couple pinches of salt. Mix the masa by hand until you form a dough. The dough shouldn’t be sticky and should not be dry. It should stick together easily. If you need to add a bit more water, do so.
Form the gorditas. Form the dough into 8 equally sized balls. Flatten each dough ball with a tortilla press, or you can do so by hand with a wide flat pan. Flatten them to about 1/8 inch thick, and about 4 inches in diameter.
Fry the gorditas. Set them into the hot oil a couple at a time and cook them a couple minutes until they puff up. Gently flip them and continue to fry them until they become golden brown.
Create the pockets. Remove the gorditas carefully and set them onto paper towels to drain. When they are just warm enough to handle, use a knife and slit a pocket into each of them.
Stuff the gorditas. Stuff them with your tender pulled chicken and whatever other goodness you desire, like refried beans, shredded white cheese, jalapeño peppers, tomatoes, avocado… whatever you wish!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- You can change the beer. If you're not a Modelo fan, grab a Corona instead! You can use any similar Mexican beer that you want. Just remember the rule of thumb - never cook with a beer you wouldn't actually drink.
- Use your favorite taco seasoning. I always use my homemade taco seasoning recipe and have the best results every time!
- Use a thermometer for the oil. If your oil is too hot, you'll burn the gorditas. Not hot enough and they'll just turn into an under-cooked greasy mess. Use a thermometer to make sure the oil is around 350°F.
Storage
Once cooled to room temperature, you can store chicken gorditas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave, or for even better results, in your oven or air fryer until warmed through.
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations.
Pulled Chicken Gorditas Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE PULLED CHICKEN
- 1 pound chicken thighs
- 2 favorite taco seasoning
- 12 ounces Modelo Especial®
FOR THE GORDITAS
- 2 cups masa flour
- 2 cups water
- 2 pinches sea salt
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Make the chicken first by seasoning the chicken thighs with 1 tablespoon of your favorite taco seasoning. Sear them in a large pan over medium-high heat with the olive oil, a couple minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in a 12 ounce bottle of Modelo Especial®.
- Add the remaining taco seasonings and simmer 30 minutes, until the liquid reduces and the chicken is nice and tender. Shred it up with a couple forks and set it aside.
- Make the gorditas. Heat a pot of vegetable oil to 350 degrees F. You want just enough oil to cover the gorditas when ready.
- Next, mix together 2 cups masa with 1.5 cups of water and a couple pinches of salt. Mix the masa by hand until you form a dough. The dough shouldn’t be sticky and should not be dry. It should stick together easily. If you need to add a bit more water, do so.
- Form the dough into 8 equally sized balls.
- Flatten each dough ball with a tortilla press, or you can do so by hand with a wide flat pan. Flatten them to about 1/8 inch thick, and about 4 inches in diameter.
- Set them into the hot oil a couple at a time and cook them a couple minutes until they puff up.
- Gently flip them and continue to fry them until they become golden brown.
- Remove the gorditas carefully and set them onto paper towels to drain. When they are just warm enough to handle, use a knife and slit a pocket into each of them.
- Finally, stuff them with your tender pulled chicken and whatever other goodness you desire, like refried beans, shredded white cheese, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, avocado…whatever you wish!
Nutrition Information
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