Homemade corn tortillas taste so much better than shop-bought and they are surprisingly easy to make. These Easy Corn Tortillas need only 3 basic ingredients and take just 30 minutes from start to finish!
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So much better than shop-bought!
The kind of tortillas you can buy from most supermarkets are literally nothing like authentic Mexican tortillas. (Worse still, shop-bought tortillas are nearly always heavily processed.)
Homemade corn tortillas taste so much better than shop-bought and they are surprisingly easy to make. Better still, these Easy Corn Tortillas need only 3 basic ingredients and take just 30 minutes from start to finish!
How to make corn tortillas
Homemade corn tortillas really are very easy to make!
First you need to mix together masa harina (see below), salt and warm water. Next, knead the dough for 5 minutes. Then divide the dough into 16 equal sized pieces, and roll those pieces into balls.
Next, you press out your tortilla – either using a tortilla press, or with a heavy oven dish (see below). Then, fry your tortilla in a hot frying pan for 1 minute. When cooked, place it in a tortillada (see below) to stay warm.
When all the tortillas are cooked, place them on the table, still in the tortillada, and serve with all your favourite fillings and toppings!
(Full recipe given in the recipe card below.)
What is masa harina?
Masa harina is flour made from corn. It is sometimes referred to as corn flour or maize flour, but it is not the same as what is sold in the UK as “cornflour”.
It is not very easy to get hold of masa harina in UK supermarkets, but it is very easy to get it online. I buy the Maseca brand, which you can get from Amazon or Mexgrocer.
(Note “Cornflour” in UK supermarkets refers to what is called “cornstarch” in the United States, and is a finely powdered white starch derived from corn kernels, used primarily as a thickening agent. It is a different thing entirely and NOT what is needed in this recipe.)
What if you don’t have a tortilla press?
In an ideal world, you would use a tortilla press to press out your corn tortillas.
I use this tortilla press from the Cool Chile Company, but you can also buy them from Amazon.
However, if you don’t have a tortilla press, I recommend pressing down using a heavy oven dish or saucepan rather than rolling out your tortillas with a rolling pin.
This is because the corn tortilla dough is quite fragile and it is hard to roll out without breaking it. It is also a lot quicker to press the dough out.
Whichever option you choose, be sure to press out your dough between two pieces of plastic (e.g. a plastic sandwich bag) to stop the tortilla from sticking to the press / dish.
How do you keep the tortillas warm?
To keep the tortillas warm, I strongly advise you to get a tortillada.
A tortillada is a small bag which you can use to keep your tortillas warm.
It is absolutely perfect for the job as it is sewn up on one side and made of slightly plasticky insulated material, so your tortillas don’t stick to it and they stay really warm.
I use this tortillada from Amazon, which is very effective and versatile. (You can even put it in the microwave and wash it in the washing machine!)
But if you don’t want to buy a tortillada, you can simply place the cooked tortillas in between two clean tea towels. This doesn’t work quite as well, but it’s good enough.
What to serve with corn tortillas
You can serve your homemade corn tortillas with all your favourite Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes.
My favourite way to serve corn tortillas is with Chicken Tinga, to make Chicken Tinga Tacos.
Corn Tortillas filled with Chicken Tinga
Can you make corn tortillas ahead of time?
Corn tortillas are definitely best made fresh. But if you want to make them ahead (or you have leftovers), simply store in a freezer / ziplock bag in the fridge, where they will keep for 3-4 days.
How do you reheat corn tortillas?
To reheat your corn tortillas, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, then cook each tortilla for 15-30 seconds per side until fully warmed through.
Pop each tortilla in your tortillada after reheating.
If you have a lot of tortillas to reheat, you could wrap them in tin foil and heat in a warm oven for about 10 minutes. This won’t work out quite as well as the frying pan method, but it’s probably better than standing at the stove for hours and hours!
Can you freeze corn tortillas?
Corn tortillas are definitely best made fresh. But if you want to, you can freeze corn tortillas.
First ensure they are fully cooled down, then simply store in a freezer bag in the fridge, where they will keep for 3+ months.
I recommend you place some greaseproof / baking paper between each layer to ensure the tortillas don’t stick to each other.
Defrost for a couple of hours at room temperature, then reheat as above.
Chicken Tinga Tacos
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
- Blue Corn Tortillas
- Chicken Tinga Tacos
- Refried Bean Quesadillas
- Easy Turkey Fajitas
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Easy Homemade Salsa (Salsa Roja)
- Easy 4 Ingredient Guacamole
Easy Homemade Salsa (Salsa Roja)
Easy Corn Tortillas
Ingredients
- 150 g masa harina (See Note 1)
- Pinch of salt (optional)
- 300 ml lukewarm water
Instructions
Preparation
- Place the masa harina in a large mixing bowl and add the salt. Stir thoroughly to ensure the salt is evenly distributed.
- Add the warm water bit by bit, stirring after each addition, until you have a firm dough that just comes together. (If the dough is too dry, add a little more water. If the dough is too sloppy add a little more flour.)
- Knead the dough on a floured surface for 5 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 16 equal sized pieces. (each piece will weigh approximately 30g) and place on a plate, covered with a clean tea towel to stop them drying out.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat for 1 minute.
- Meanwhile press out your first tortilla.
Option 1: If you have a tortilla press
- Place a sheet of lightly greased plastic on the bottom of your tortilla press. Place the ball of dough on top and cover with a second sheet of lightly greased plastic on top. (See Note 2.)
- Gently cover with the top part of your tortilla press and press down using the handle. Lift up the top part of your tortilla press, turn the tortilla 180 degrees, and press again. (See Note 3.)
- Your tortillas should be approximately 12cm (5 inches) in diameter.
Option 2: If you don’t have a tortilla press
- Place a sheet of lightly greased plastic your worksurface or a chopping board. Place the ball of dough on top and cover with a second sheet of lightly greased plastic on top.
- Place a heavy oven dish or saucepan on top of the ball and press down. Remove the oven dish, turn the tortilla 180 degrees, and press again. (See Note 4.)
- Your tortillas should be approximately 12cm (5 inches) in diameter.
Frying your tortillas
- Gently peel the plastic off the tortilla and place it on the hot frying pan. (Take a lot of care when you do this as the tortillas are very fragile.)
- After 15 seconds, flip the tortilla. Repeat twice so the tortilla has had 30s on each side. (I recommend using tongs or a fish slice to flip the tortilla.)
- While the tortilla is cooking, press out the next tortilla.
- When the tortilla has had a total of 1 minute cooking time, place in a tortillada to stay warm. (If you do not have a tortillada, place the cooked tortillas in between two clean tea towels.)
- When all the tortillas are cooked, place them on the table, still in the tortillada, and serve with all your favourite fillings and toppings!
Notes
- Masa harina is flour made from corn. It is sometimes referred to as corn flour or maize flour, but it is not the same as what is sold in the UK as “cornflour”. It is not very easy to get hold of masa harina in UK supermarkets, but it is very easy to get it online. I buy the Maseca brand, which you can get from Amazon or Mexgrocer. (Note “Cornflour” in UK supermarkets refers to what is called "cornstarch" in the United States, a finely powdered white starch derived from corn kernels, used primarily as a thickening agent. It is a different thing entirely and NOT what is needed in this recipe.)
- I cut up a plastic food bag to get 2 pieces of plastic that are the perfect size to fit in my tortilla press.
- I use this tortilla press.
- If you don’t have a tortilla press, I recommend pressing down using a heavy oven dish or sauce pan rather than rolling out. This is because the corn tortilla dough is quite fragile and it is hard to roll out without breaking it. It is also a lot quicker to press the dough out.
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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This blog post contains affiliate links, this means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
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