Corn Tortillas

I love homemade tortillas, they are so much better than store-bought. This corn tortillas recipe is so awesome and super easy to make with just 3 ingredients. They are soft and perfect for tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, etc.

You can also use these to make homemade corn tortilla chips. Homemade tortilla chips with homemade corn tortillas are so yummy.

If you also like flour tortillas make sure to check out these homemade flour tortillas. It is always nice to have both options for people. Especially if someone is gluten-free because corn tortillas are naturally gluten-free!

These are so simple to make, if I can do it, you can do it. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Gather the ingredients

In order to make corn tortillas from scratch you need just three easy to find ingredients:

• Corn masa flour – The main brand here in the United States is called “Maseca.” A lot of people just say Maseca, even though that is really the brand name.
• Water – I like to use filtered water, since my tap water tastes kind of gross.
• Salt – Technically you can even leave the salt out for 2-ingredient corn tortillas, but I always add a bit of salt.

Tools

• Bowls
• Paper towel or kitchen towel
• Tortilla press or pie plate or something
• Plastic bag
• Spatula Skillet (cast iron or nonstick)
• Tortilla keeper or plate with a damp towel

Step 2: How to make soft corn tortillas at home

This tortilla dough is super simple to make. Place the masa in a large bowl. Then add the salt and whisk them together.

Warm the water, and then add about a fourth of the water to the bowl with the masa. Use your fingers and start mixing the water in with the masa.

Then add a bit more water and mix, keep doing that until the dough comes together and when you press on it with your finger it doesn’t stick to it. You may have a little water left, or you may need a bit more water. It shouldn’t be crumbly/dry and it shouldn’t be really damp either.

If it is too dry, add a bit more water, if too wet add a little bit more masa.

Knead the dough with one hand for about 5 minutes. This helps the corn masa flour absorb the water and produces a softer tortilla that won’t crack or split on you.

Once kneaded, shape the dough into a ball, and cover it with a damp paper towel or a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 3: Roll and press the tortilla dough

Once the dough has rested, take it out and roll it into a long log shape. Then divide it equally into 8 pieces with a knife or dough cutter. The easiest way is to cut it in half, then each piece in half, then in half again, leaving you with 8 pretty equal pieces.

NOTE: With dough balls this size the tortillas will be about 4 inches in diameter, which is a good size for street tacos. If you want larger tortillas, make the dough balls bigger.

Take the pieces of dough and roll them in between your palms into a ball. The size will be about the size of a ping/pong ball little smaller than a golf ball.

Place them in a bowl and cover them again with the damp cloth while you press them, which will help to keep the dough from drying out.

Take one of the dough balls and place it in between two pieces of plastic. I use a 1-gallon ziplock bag and cut off the zipper and cut the sides so it opens up.

Then you can press it with a tortilla press if you have one of those, or just press down on it with a pie plate or heavy pot or something.

NOTE: If you are going to be making homemade corn tortillas all the time, it might be a good idea to get a tortilla press, they are super handy.

Gently peel it from the plastic, it shouldn’t stick at all. Now it can be cooked. You can press then cook, or press all of the balls first then cook them, just make sure to keep them covered with the damp cloth before cooking them.

Step 4: Cook the corn tortillas

Heat up a non-stick pan, cast-iron skillet, or griddle on medium-high heat (approx. 375 F/190 C to 400 F/205 C).

Then place a tortilla on the pan and let it cook for 30 seconds on that side. Carefully flip it over, I use my fingers, but you may want to use a spatula if you aren’t used to using your fingers. The pan is super hot!

After you flip it over, cook the other side for 30 seconds. Flip it over to the other side and give it a pat with a spatula. It will most likely puff, which means it is done. Even if it doesn’t puff up, take it off after 30 seconds. The total time will be around 1 min 15 to 1 min 30 seconds per corn tortilla.

Place the cooked corn tortillas in a tortilla keeper with a damp cloth or on a plate with a damp cloth, while you cook the rest of them, this will help keep them soft.

And there you go, homemade corn tortillas using just 3 ingredients. Use these for tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, tortilla chips, etc. Enjoy!

How long do homemade corn tortillas last?

Store them in a zip-lock bag in the fridge for 8 to 10 days.

Here are some other recipes that you may like:

Oreo Turkeys

Easy Basic Cornbread

Homemade Microwave Popcorn

Easy Chocolate Souffle

Homemade Cornmeal

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