Making fresh Corn Tortillas will change the game for your homecooked meals. You’ll see what I mean as soon as you try this recipe! They are fresh, foldable, and have the perfect tender and soft texture. You just need three simple ingredients: masa harina, or “corn flour,” a dash of salt, and hot water.
The possibilities are endless for how to use the tortillas! When you know how to make your own corn tortillas, you can use them to enhance any of your favorite dishes like tacos, quesadillas, or enchiladas. You can even fry them to make tostadas or cut them up and bake or fry them for homemade tortilla chips! Some of my favorite Mexican recipes to use these in are my mulitas, fish tacos, and birria tacos.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Masa Harina – also called corn flour, or masa for tortillas and tamales. The most popular and easy-to-find masa harina in the United States is Maseca, but any brand that is made with corn (maíz) and hydrated lime will work.
When shopping for masa, you can find it in the baking section or the international aisle at the grocery store. You can make this recipe with yellow masa, white masa, or blue masa. Please note that corn meal and American corn flour cannot substitute for masa harina as they are not the same thing.
Salt – a little goes a long way in this recipe! Choose fine sea salt for the best flavor.
Water – be sure to use hot water. Once combined with the flour, it makes a tender dough for the perfect maiz tortilla.
How to Make Corn Tortillas
1. Whisk together 1 cup of masa harina and salt in a large bowl until combined.
2. Add the hot water and use a rubber spatula to stir until combined. Mix until a smooth mass forms, for about 1 minute.
3. Add the remaining masa harina as needed to make a kneadable dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the tortilla press. Cut off the zipper top of a quart or gallon-sized zip-top plastic bag, along with two sides so that it opens like a book. Open the press and line the inside with the flattened plastic bag.
4. Use a medium 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to dish out masa and roll the dough into 1½-inch balls. If the masa is too sticky to handle, knead in a bit more masa harina. Once all the balls are rolled (it will make about 15 servings), place them on a dishcloth and loosely cover the tops with plastic wrap or a damp clean kitchen towel to keep them from drying out.
5. Heat a well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop while you flatten the masa balls. Place one ball of dough at a time on the plastic bag in the center of the base of the tortilla press. Fold over the second half of the plastic bag so it covers the masa ball. Close the press and press down gently to flatten. The tortilla should be thin, roughly ⅛-inch thick, and 4 to 5 inches wide. Carefully peel the pressed tortilla off of the plastic and immediately place it in the heated cast-iron skillet.
6. Cook for 1 minute, or until it is brown and speckled on one side. Then flip and cook the other side for another minute. Transfer to a tortilla warmer or a lint-free kitchen towel and cover to keep warm. Repeat rolling, pressing, and cooking with the remaining dough. Serve the tortillas while still warm.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Measure out the dough with a cookie scoop. Use a medium 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the masa dough into equal balls. It is the perfect tortilla size, about 5-6 inches in diameter. Alternatively, you can use a large spoon, weigh out scoops of the dough, or measure out 2 tablespoons of it per masa ball.
- Adjust the dough consistency if needed. If the dough feels too dry and crumbly before covering it to rest, add a little more hot water. Conversely, add more masa harina if it still feels too sticky.
- Test rested dough before cooking. Don’t skip this important step! After you let the dough rest, test the consistency by rolling one masa ball and pressing it. If it starts to crack around the edges, the dough is likely too dry. Add a bit more warm water to the dough and knead together. On the other hand, if the test tortilla sticks to the plastic liner, you’ve added too much water. Sprinkle the dough with an additional tablespoon of masa harina and knead to combine. Then test again until you have the right consistency.
- Keep cooked tortillas warm. These tortillas are best served warm. After you cook them, place them in a tortilla warmer or tightly wrap them in a lint-free kitchen towel. They will keep warm in a towel for about 20 minutes. If you need to reheat, briefly return them to the skillet over medium heat and rewarm for 20-30 seconds on each side.
Frequently Asked Questions
This homemade corn tortilla recipe is best enjoyed as soon as you make it for the freshest flavor and best texture. However, you can store leftovers tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or put them in a zip-top bag (with the air pressed out) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm the tortillas for 20-30 seconds on each side in a hot skillet. I don’t recommend microwaving to reheat them, as it will compromise the texture and make them chewy.
You can use these tender homemade tortillas anywhere you would use store-bought. They are perfect in huevos rancheros, tacos, enchiladas, frying or baking to make tortilla chips, and more! If making homemade chips, use them to make chilaquiles, nachos, or simply enjoy them with homemade salsa, salsa verde, or guacamole.
There are three main color variations of masa harina you can use to make corn flour tortillas, each with slightly different flavors. White masa has a slightly sweeter taste. Yellow masa has a stronger nutty corn flavor. Blue masa has the most intense earthy, nutty flavor. Feel free to use whichever flour you prefer!
If you find that the corn tortillas are fully cooked through when frying in the skillet but do not form brown spots (as shown in the pictures above), you likely need to add a bit of oil to the pan. Sometimes a seasoned cast iron skillet is enough to give the browning effect. If not, try adding a very small amount of oil to the pan and swirl or brush it around so it evenly coats the bottom. You aren’t trying to fry them, just creating a thin coating to encourage browning. Add the tortillas to the pan and cook once the oil is hot.
Using a press is definitely the easiest method for flattening the corn tortillas, but if you don’t have one you can use this alternative method: Place masa dough balls between two pieces of parchment paper. Then use a rolling pin to gently roll out the dough in an even thin layer, about ⅛ inch thick. Peel off the flattened dough and immediately cook in a heated cast iron skillet.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Corn Tortilla recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Corn Tortillas
Equipment
- Tortilla Press
- Gallon sized zip top bag
- Scissors
- Tortilla Warmer (optional)
- Lint-free Kitchen towel
- 2 tablespoon cookie scoop (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 to 1¼ cup masa harina (120-150g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups hot water (360ml)
Instructions
- Whisk together 1 cup of masa harina and salt in a large bowl. Add the hot water and stir to combine. Mix until a smooth mass forms, about 1 minute. Add the remaining ¼ cup of masa harina as needed to make a kneadable dough. (Adjust the consistency with a little more water if it feels too dry and crumbly, or masa harina if it still feels too sticky.)
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut off the zipper top of a quart or gallon-sized zip-top plastic bag, along with two sides so that it opens like a book. Open the tortilla press and line the inside with a plastic bag.
- Meanwhile, heat a well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Scoop 2-tablespoons of masa and roll into a balls (about 15). If the masa is too sticky to handle, knead in a little bit more masa harina. Loosely cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel to keep them from drying out.
- Place the masa ball on the plastic bag in the center of the base of the tortilla press. Cover with the other half of the plastic bag. Close the tortilla press and press gently to flatten. (Tortilla should be thin: roughly ⅛-inch thick or a bit thinner and 4 to 5 inches big).
- Carefully peel the pressed tortilla off of the plastic and Immediately place it in the heated cast-iron skillet. Cook for 1 minute, until the tortilla is brown and speckled on one side. Flip and cook the other side for another minute. Transfer to a tortilla warmer or a lint-free kitchen towel and cover to hold warm.
- Repeat rolling, pressing, and cooking with the remaining dough. Serve the tortillas while still warm.
Notes
- Measure out the dough with a cookie scoop. Use a medium 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the masa dough into equal balls. It is the perfect tortilla size, about 5-6 inches in diameter. Alternatively, you can use a large spoon, weigh out scoops of the dough, or measure out 2 tablespoons of it per masa ball.
- Adjust the dough consistency if needed. If the dough feels too dry and crumbly before covering it to rest, add a little more hot water. Conversely, add more masa harina if it still feels too sticky.
- Test rested dough before cooking. Don’t skip this important step! After you let the dough rest, test the consistency by rolling one masa ball and pressing it. If it starts to crack around the edges, the dough is likely too dry. Add a bit more warm water to the dough and knead together. On the other hand, if the test tortilla sticks to the plastic liner, you’ve added too much water. Sprinkle the dough with an additional tablespoon of masa harina and knead to combine. Then test again until you have the right consistency.
- Keep cooked tortillas warm. These tortillas are best served warm. After you cook them, place them in a tortilla warmer or tightly wrap them in a lint-free kitchen towel. They will keep warm in a towel for about 20 minutes. If you need to reheat, briefly return them to the skillet over medium heat and rewarm for 20-30 seconds on each side.
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