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Authentic corn tortillas are made with just two ingredients: Masa flour and water. Learn how to make Corn Tortillas from scratch, a process so easy you barely need a recipe.
Megganโs notes
In my house, the only tortillas we eat are the ones made from scratch. My husband, born and raised in Mexico, wonโt eat store-bought tortillas, even if they are from the Mexican grocery store that makes them in-house. Iโm not a tortilla snob like him,so Iโll eat whatever, but even I can appreciate how much better his tortillas are than anything else Iโve ever had.
The secret to authentic corn tortillas is to skip the salt. The internet is full of recipes for corn tortillas made with salt, and they are all wrong. Use nothing by masa and water. Add salt on top of the cooked tortilla later if you want it.
Beyond that, I painstakingly laid out photos to show the process of pressing the tortilla balls in a tortilla press and transferring them to a dry skillet to heat. I hope this is helpful. Once you get into a flow of the motions, itโs easy to do, and you can make homemade tortillas every Sunday just like we do.
Corn Tortillas Ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Tortilla press:ย In Mexico, they use mesquite tortilla presses, so thatโs what I use at home. However, any press of other materials (other wood, iron, and metal) will all work. Just be sure to line them with plastic (a cut-up zipper-top plastic bag works best; cut it along the sides, leaving the bottom attached).
- Corn masa flour:ย Also known as masa harina, the corn for this flour is โnixtamalizedโ or cooked and processed with lime.ย TORTI MASAยฎย is the brand my Mexican-born husband likes best.
- Water:ย The amount of water can vary slightly depending on how wet your dough feels. If itโs too dry, add more water. If itโs too sticky, add more flour. Over time, youโll get a feel for the dough and can make it by touch alone, without a recipe.
How to Make Corn Tortillas
- Line a tortilla press on both sides with plastic wrap (I use zipper-top plastic bag cut in half along the sides, leaving the bottom attached). Preheat a dry skillet or griddle pan over medium-high heat.
- In a large, deep bowl, add corn masa flour and water. Using your hands, knead them together until a soft, smooth dough forms.
- Divide the dough into small balls about 1.4 ounces each. You should have about 18 balls of dough.
- Working with one ball of dough at a time, place one dough ball on the open tortilla press.
- Close and press firmly until flattened (the tortilla should be about 5 ยฝ inches in diameter).
- To remove the tortilla from the plastic, lift the bottom plastic sheet up.
- Transfer the tortilla to the top side of the press (on the plastic).
- Pull the bottom plastic sheet back down, leaving the tortilla on the top half, then press the tortilla from the back side of the plastic into your open palm.
- Lay the tortilla carefully on the preheated skillet.
- Cook for 30 seconds on each side, turning each tortilla 3 times, 90 seconds total.
- Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining tortilla dough. Cool completely and wrap in plastic bags, then refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Corn Tortilla tips and variations
- Yield:ย This recipe makes about 18 tortillas or 6 servings of 3 tortillas each.
- Manteca: Some recipes suggest adding a small bit of lard or fat to the masa dough. This isnโt traditional, but it can make the dough softer, more pliable, and easier to work with.
- Salt: It seems everyone on the internet adds salt to their masa. Itโs wrong to do so, but the universe will not implode.
How to Store Corn Tortillas
- Cool: Spread corn tortillas out on a clean kitchen towel to cool completely and dry out a little.
- Refrigerate: Store in airtight plastic bags in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Wrap in freezer-safe bags and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter at room temperature.
- Reheat: Reheat on a dry skillet until warm, flipping occasionally (the same way you cooked them).
Frequently Asked Questions
Use them to make tacos and quesadillas or fry corn tortillas to make homemade tortilla chips and tostadas. Fried tortilla chips are great plain or with dips like pico de gallo and guacamole, or use them as a base for Mexican breakfast recipes like chilaquiles and machaca.
Sprinkle plain corn tortillas with salt and a squeeze of fresh lime juice, then roll up and enjoy.
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Corn Tortillas
Equipment
- 1 Tortilla press (see note 1)
Ingredientsย
- 2 cups corn masa flour (see note 2)
- 14 ounces water (see note 3)
Instructionsย
- Line a tortilla press on both sides with plastic wrap (I use zipper-top plastic bag cut in half along the sides leaving the bottom attached). Preheat a dry skillet or griddle pan over medium-high heat.
- In a large, deep bowl, add corn masa flour and water. Using your hands, knead them together until a soft, smooth dough forms.
- Divide the dough into small balls about 1.4 ounces each. You should have about 18 balls of dough.
- Working with one ball of dough at a time, place one dough ball on the open tortilla press. Close and press firmly until flattened (the tortilla should be about 5 ยฝ inches in diameter).
- To remove the tortilla from the plastic, lift the bottom plastic sheet up to transfer to the tortilla to the top side of the press (on the plastic). Pull the bottom plastic sheet back down, leaving the tortilla on the top half, then press the tortilla from the back side of the plastic into your open palm.
- Lay the tortilla carefully on the preheated skillet and cook for 30 seconds on each side, turning each tortilla 3 times, 90 seconds total. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining tortilla dough. Cool completely and wrap in plastic bags, then refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Notes
- Tortilla press: In Mexico, they use mesquite tortilla presses, so thatโs what I use at home. However, any press of other materials (other wood, iron, and metal) will all work. Just be sure to line them with plastic (a cut-up zipper-top plastic bag works best; cut it along the sides leaving the bottom attached).
- Corn masa flour: Also known as masa harina, the corn for this flour is โnixtamalizedโ or cooked and processed with lime. TORTI MASAยฎ is the brand my Mexican-born husband likes best.
- Water: The amount of water can vary slightly depending on how wet your dough feels. If itโs too dry, add more water. If itโs too sticky, add more flour. Over time youโll get a feel for the dough and can make it by touch alone.ย
- Yield:ย This recipe makes about 18 tortillas or 6 servings of 3 tortillas each.