Gorditas de Harina (Flour Gorditas)

by Yvette Marquez on October 8, 2020 (updated April 4, 2024)

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These delicious Mexican Gorditas de Harina are pillowy soft and perfect for stuffing with your favorite fillings. If you’ve ever wondered how to make flour gorditas at home, this easy recipe is for you!

My grandma was famous for her deep-fried gorditas de maiz (corn pockets) made with masa and filled with picadillo. I never even knew there was such a thing as gorditas de harina!

Watch my video to learn about the gorditas de masa I grew up eating in El Paso.

Flour Gorditas (gorditas de harina) on a striped tea towel.

The traditional gorditas de masa my grandma used to make can be made using masa harina or a ground masa (different from masa for tamales) and then fried. The recipe I am sharing today is made with all-purpose flour and cooked on a griddle or comal, making it easily accessible to any home cook.

My dear friend Alba — who is from Nazas in the state of Durango, Mexico — told me all about flour gorditas and was kind enough to share her recipe. She and I had a great time cooking, listening to Latin music, and sharing stories about our abuelitas.

When Alba was making gorditas, she reminded me of my mom making flour tortillas. She worked so quickly that I had to continually stop her to write down measurements and instructions!

As it turns out, this gordita de harina recipe is actually very similar to our recipe for flour tortillas, but gorditas are a bit smaller. The dough also includes milk, which lends an extra tender quality. The flavor reminds me of my mom’s flour tortillas and buttermilk biscuits combined.

Table of Contents

What is a Gordita?

If you thought that gorditas were the brainchild of Taco Bell, you’d be wrong. Gorditas are a traditional Mexican dish whose name means “little fatties.” If you’re familiar with arepas from Venezuela and Colombia and pupusas from El Salvador, they are quite similar.

While I grew up only knowing about the deep-fried corn version known as gorditas Michoacanas or gorditas de masa, there is apparently a version traditional to Northern Mexico that is made with wheat flour and resembles a small, thick tortilla. “Little Fatties” makes sense, right?

However you make them, they’re delicious. Treat these flour gorditas like Mexican pita breads, and fill them with anything your heart desires!

Why you’ll love this flour gorditas recipe

Easy: Made with just 5 pantry ingredients!
Quick: You’ll have a batch ready in about 30 minutes.
Versatile: Fill them with anything you like!
Make-ahead: Perfect for making ahead — they freeze beautifully.

Ingredients & Substitutions

The complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.

measured ingredients to make Gorditas de harina -- milk, water, baking powder, salt, flour, and lard.

All-Purpose Flour – Plain white flour is all you need. I haven’t tested this recipe using gluten-free flour, but I imagine a cup-for-cup all-purpose GF flour blend would work well.
Baking Powder – This leavening agent helps the gordita shells puff up like pitas.
Salt – A touch of seasoning makes them extra delicious.
Lard – I like using shelf-stable lard in this Mexican gordita recipe, as it yields the most tender results. You can also use rendered lard from the butcher’s counter or swap in shortening instead.
Water & Milk – Adding milk to the dough helps make the gorditas nice and soft. Feel free to use the unsweetened full-fat dairy-free milk of your choice.

How to Make Gorditas de Harina

Step 1: Preheat. Place a comal (griddle or cast-iron skillet) over medium heat and allow it to heat up.

Step 2: Mix dry ingredients with lard. In a bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Add the lard and combine until you have the consistency of small crumbs.

Step 3: Warm liquids. In a small pot combine water and milk and heat until warm, but do not bring to a boil.

Step 4: Mix gordita dough. Add the warm liquid and mix well with your hand. The mixture may be a little sticky. Knead on a cutting board or smooth counter until dough is pliable and springy. Sprinkle with flour if the dough is too sticky.

Step 5: Shape the dough into 2 to 2½-inch dough balls.

Flour gorditas recipe - some are in balls waiting to be rolled out and cooked, some are completed.

hands rolling out gordita dough with a wooden rolling pin.

Step 6: Flatten the dough. Alba brought over a nifty round cast iron press to weigh down the gorditas as they cooked. The press helps the gorditas cook evenly and prevents them from shrinking on the comal. That said, you can also roll out the dough balls with a rolling pin to form 5 to 6-inch disks. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle the board and rolling pin with flour to make it easier to roll out the dough.

Step 7: Cook. As you roll out each disk, place on the hot comal to cook, it will take 1 minute or less on each side. Press down gently on it with a rolled up kitchen towel to cook evenly. After cooking the first side, turn the gordita over and let it cook on the opposite side.

Step 8: Make a pocket. As soon as you can handle the gorditas, carefully cut them open with a small sharp knife to create a pocket. Now they’re ready to fill!

Step 9: Finish making the gorditas, then fill & enjoy! Keep the gorditas warm in a tortilla warmer or under a clean dish towel while you make the rest. Fill gorditas with stuffing of your choice.

Fillings for Gorditas Rellenos

My family’s favorites are Creamy Zucchini, Corn, and Poblano Rajas sprinkled with queso fresco, classic Picadillo, and Refried Beans with cheese, and spicy Chile Colorado. But the sky is the limit for the tastiness you can stuff into these “little fatties.” Try Carnitas, Chicken Tinga, and Pork Green Chile.

flour gorditas on a Mexican platter filled with creamy zucchini and corn.

Expert Tips & Tricks

If your gorditas aren’t puffing up, you can gently press them with a clean dish cloth or spatula to help.
Make sure your pan is nice and hot, but not scorching. You want the gorditas to get some golden brown blisters like when you make tortillas, but not big black marks of char.
Make the pocket as soon as possible. When the gorditas are *just* cool enough to handle, use a knife to slit them open. This allows the steam to escape, which results in a better interior crumb.
If you do not own a press you can use a brick in tinfoil to use as a weight. Bonus for all you tailgaters out there: Heat that brick in the oven and pop it in a cooler to keep your food warm. Now you can bring things like my Chiles Rellenos burritos to the game!

Storage & Heating Instructions

Store: These flour gorditas will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freeze: You can also make a big batch of these flour gorditas and freeze them for up to three months. Just layer them with parchment paper and put in an airtight bag.
Reheat: Simply defrost at room temperature, then reheat on a comal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do gorditas have gluten?

These gorditas de harina are made with all-purpose flour, so yes. You can either try making them with the gluten-free flour blend of your choice or you can try this gorditas recipe made with Maseca or masa harina instead, which is gluten-free.

How are pupusas different than gorditas?

Pupusas are Salvadoran corn pancakes that are traditionally made with cornmeal and corn flour. They are thick and puffy, but don’t have a pocket in the middle.

Gorditas, on the other hand, are Mexican flatbreads that can be made with all-purpose flour (like these gorditas de harina) or with masa. They have a pocket in the middle (like pitas) which makes them perfect for stuffing.

What should I stuff gorditas with?

This gorditas recipe is easily adaptable and can be filled with almost anything you have on hand. Treat them like a flour tortilla or pita bread. Delicious filling options include vegetarian rajas, picadillo, chile verde con carne y papas, spicy chicken tinga, refried beans and cheese, or just about anything you can think of. Honestly, your imagination is the limit!

If you loved this recipe, please be sure to rate and comment below. Follow me on Pinterest and Instagram for more weekly Mexican cooking inspiration!