📍 Real de Catorce

Real de Catorce Oven-Baked Gorditas

Name: Real de Catorce Oven-Baked Gorditas
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 600 g nixtamalized corn masa; Salt and a little lard; Stewed pressed chicharrón; Potato with chorizo; Refried beans; Green or red salsa for serving

· Lunch

Masa gorditas baked in a wood-fired oven, filled with stews such as chicharrón or potato with chorizo.

Editorial content by WorldBites · 2026-10-04 · Contact

⏱ 55 min🍽 6 servings📊 Intermediate🏷 Commonly associated🌱 Gluten-free

Preparation: 30 min
Cooking: 25 min
Waiting and resting: 0 min

History

In the mining Magical Town of Real de Catorce, gorditas are baked in a clay or wood-fired oven, which gives them a unique flavor. Known as the 'ranch hamburger' of the San Luis Potosí highlands, they are filled with chicharrón, potato with chorizo, or house stews.

Ingredients

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Only numeric quantities at the start of an ingredient are adjusted. Descriptive quantities, seasoning to taste and timings remain unchanged; check them when changing servings.

Preparation

1
Knead the masa with salt and a little lard until smooth.
2
Form thick gorditas and make a pocket in them for the filling.
3
Fill with stewed chicharrón, potato with chorizo, or beans.
4
Seal the gorditas well and flatten them slightly.
5
Bake them in a very hot wood-fired or conventional oven until golden.
6
Serve hot with salsa to taste.

Cooking tips

Bake around 220 °C for 20-25 minutes and use already cooked, well-drained fillings.

Technique and preparation

What to check during preparation

Preheat the oven before shaping gorditas; a cold oven changes how the dough dries. Use cooked, thick fillings that have cooled slightly. Leave enough dough around each filling to seal without cracks and shape pieces evenly. Surface color is not sufficient: open a test piece to check for wet dough in the center. If the outside browns first, lower the heat and continue cooking.