Homemade Corn Tortillas - a deliciously easy 3-ingredient fresh corn tortilla recipe. A zero-waste alternative to store-bought tortillas.
Corn tortillas are a staple in our household. We use them for tacos, tostadas and tasty homemade tortilla chips. Tortillas made from scratch are amazing. And they're super easy and fun to make!
I first started experimenting with making corn tortillas from scratch because I couldn’t find any store-bought ones that didn’t have a long list of unnecessary ingredients and we wanted to find an alternative that didn’t come with plastic packaging.
Traditional corn tortillas are made with Masa flour, water, and salt - that’s it!
As I started researching how to make corn tortillas, I found that they are really easy to make!
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Ready to learn how to make corn tortillas? Let’s do it!
1 - Making the dough. Combine 2 cups Masa harina with 1 ½ cups warm water in a large mixing bowl and stir until it forms a soft dough. The dough feels reminiscent of playdoh.
Once the dough is formed, take about a tablespoon of dough and roll it between your hands to form into 1-inch balls. Once you’ve formed the dough into balls, you’re ready to press! Keep the dough balls until a damp cloth so they don’t dry out.
2 - Pressing the dough. Using a tortilla press, place each ball between the plates of the press. You will want to line the press so the dough doesn’t stick. We use two small squares of beeswax wraps, but you can use two squares of parchment paper or cut open a gallon size plastic bag and place the dough between the two halves of the bag (save it and reuse it!).
Once you place the ball of dough between the two plates, lower the top plate over the dough and press the handle down firmly.
Release the handle and separate the plates of the press. Flip the flattened tortilla over and gently remove the beeswax wrap/plastic/parchment paper.
3 - Now we cook the tortillas. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan and let it cook until it rises slightly, then flip and cook until it rises on the other side. It will take about 1-2 minutes per side.
4 - Remove the tortilla from the pan and keep warm by wrapping in a towel or tortilla warmer.
Homemade Corn Tortillas: Tips, Tricks, and Tools
Tortilla Press: You do not need special equipment to make tortillas, but using this tortilla press is extremely helpful and makes the process much, much faster.
I love my tortilla press —beautiful cast iron, durable and long-lasting. If you don't have a tortilla press, use a rolling pin to roll out the tortillas—sprinkling in a little elbow grease.
Prevent sticking: Placing your tortillas between the press plates will surely result in sticky tortillas and a frustrated cook. Try using small squares of beeswax wraps between the plates and the dough.
They’re reusable so you can use them every time you make tortillas! Alternatively, you can use a gallon size plastic bag with the sides cut open or parchment or wax paper to prevent sticking. Save and reuse the bag or paper for next time you make tortillas!
Prep ahead: I like to double the recipe and store extra tortillas in the freezer. Cook the tortillas as normal, but then stack in a glass container with small squares of beeswax wrap or parchment paper between each tortilla.
To use, simply remove from the stack (I usually like to thaw them in the fridge) and reheat in a cast iron skillet.
Masa Harina is a special flour that’s specifically used for corn tortillas and tamales. Masa Harina and cornmeal are not the same and cannot be used interchangeably. Corn meal is simply corn kernels ground into a powder.
Masa Harina is made differently and involves cooking, and soaking in an alkaline agent and then ground into a powder.
We hope you love these simple homemade corn tortillas
Perfect for your favorite mexican dish like tacos, tostadas, or homemade tortilla chips! This quick and simple recipe produces homemade tortillas in no time!
Now that you have a big pile of tortillas… let’s get cooking! Use them up in one of our delicious Mexican-Inspired recipes like Chipotle Squash Tacos or Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Avocado Crema.
Did you enjoy these Homemade Corn Tortillas as much as we do?
Comment below! And rate the recipe to let us know how it turned out! Save this recipe for later by pinning it to your Mexican Pinterest Board and make sure to tag us at The Crooked Carrot Instagram to show us your Homemade Corn Tortilla creations!
📖 Recipe
Homemade Corn Tortillas
Instructions
- Mix ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine masa harina and water, mix until combined. Form a soft dough, similar in texture to Playdoh. If the dough feels dry, add teaspoons of water, one at a time, mix until combined.
- Shape dough: Form dough into 1-inch balls, cover with a damp cloth to keep from drying out.
- Form tortillas: Line a tortilla press with parchment paper (a gallon-sized plastic bag also works), individually place each ball between the paper/bag, press until dough is flat and about 5 inches in diameter.
- Cook tortillas: Heat skillet over medium heat, cook each tortilla for 1 minute on each side. Wrap tortillas in a cloth to keep soft and warm. Use however you normally use your tortillas!
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
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