Corn Tortilla Recipe

This homemade corn tortilla recipe is easy to make with 3 ingredients and yields the most delicious, soft, foldable, and naturally gluten-free corn tortillas.

After learning how to make homemade flour tortillas earlier this month, it’s time to learn how to make their famous (and naturally gluten-free!) counterparts…

These traditional Mexican-style corn tortillas are easy to make with just 3 ingredients, they are naturally gluten-free, and full of the yummiest toasted corn flavors. But in my opinion, the best thing about fresh homemade corn tortillas is that they are legit-easy to roll and fold!! No cracking, breaking, or complicated re-warming instructions required here. These freshly-made corn tortillas are soft and pliable and will fold up beautifully into your favorite tacos or enchiladas. Or, of course, you can fry any of the leftovers to make tortilla chips, chilaquiles, nachos and more.

So today, I’m sharing my go-to recipe for making classic corn tortillas, plus all of my best tips and shortcuts to make the process a bit easier and more foolproof. I’ve also included an option below for how to roll out these guys out without a tortilla press, if you do not have one. But if you plan to make them regularly, a tortilla press is incredibly helpful with corn tortillas and worth the investment.

Homemade Corn Tortillas

This homemade corn tortillas recipe is easy to make with 3 ingredients and yields the most delicious, soft, foldable, and naturally gluten-free tortillas.

Prep: 25min

Total: 45min

Yield: 15

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (240 grams) masa harina
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups hot water*
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Instruction:

1. Mix the dough: In a large mixing bowl, briefly whisk together masa harina and salt. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups hot water, and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until an evenly-mixed dough begins to form. Use your hands to knead the dough for 2-3 minutes in the mixing bowl until it is smooth and forms a cohesive ball. The dough’s texture should feel springy and firm, similar to Play-Doh. If the dough feels too wet and is sticking to your hands, add in a few extra tablespoons of flour. If it feels too dry and crackly, add in an extra tablespoon or two of hot water.
2. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel (or paper towel) and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
3. Portion the dough. Use a spoon or a medium ice cream scoop to portion the dough into a 2-tablespoon ball (35-40 grams, or about the size of a golf ball), then use your hands to roll the ball until it is nice and round.
4. Press the dough balls. Place the dough ball between two pieces of plastic in a tortilla press. (I use a ziplock bag; see notes below.) Then gently press the dough ball until it forms a 4- to 5-inch tortilla.
5. Cook the tortilla. Heat a non-stick skillet or comal over medium-high heat. Once the pan is nice and hot, gently peel the tortilla away from the plastic wrap and lay the tortilla flat in the skillet. Cook the tortilla for about 40-60 seconds per side, flipping it once speckled brown spots begin to appear on the bottom of the tortilla. The tortillas will likely bubble up while cooking, especially on the second side, which is a good sign! Once it is cooked, transfer the tortilla to a tortilla warmer or a bowl wrapped in a clean kitchen towel, so that the tortillas do not dry out.
6. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. I recommend keeping the cycle going by cooking one tortilla while pressing the next dough ball at the same time. If you notice that the skillet begins to seem too hot, just turn down the heat a bit.
7. Serve. The tortillas will continue to soften a bit more as they sit in a stack in your tortilla warmer (or wrapped in a towel). So I recommend using the tortillas at the bottom of the stack first — they will be the softest. Serve however you would like and enjoy! See storage instructions below.

Our Favorite Soft Corn Tortillas

Freshly made corn tortillas are such a treat. Watch our video to see us go through the whole process. If you have never seen a tortilla press, there are some photos in the article to guide you.

Prep: 25min

Total: 40min

Yield: Makes 8 tortillas

Serving Size: 1 tortilla

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 tortilla, calories 51, Fat 0.5g, Saturated Fat 0.1g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 73.4mg, Carbohydrate 10.9g, Fiber 0.9g, Sugar 0.2g, Protein 1.2g

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (115 grams) masa harina, see notes
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, optional
• 1 cup (237 ml) warm water

Instruction:

1. Whisk the masa harina and salt together until well blended.
2. Switch to your hands or a spoon. While mixing, slowly pour in the warm water. When the dough is moist and starting to hold together, stop adding water. You will most likely have a little water leftover. If the dough seems dry, add a little water, a few teaspoons at a time or if it seems too wet or is sticky, add a little more masa harina.
3. Knead the dough for a few minutes or until there are no dry or powdery spots left. Kneading the dough helps the masa flour to rehydrate. You are looking for a dough that resembles playdough. It should be moist, but not tacky. When you press your finger into it, you should not feel any dough stick to it.
4. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll into balls. Keep the balls covered with a damp towel while you press, and then cook each tortilla. It is important that the dough does not dry out, working quickly and keeping them covered helps with this. If you notice that the balls are starting to dry out, spritz them with a little water.
5. Heat a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. As you cook the tortillas, you might find that you need to reduce the heat slightly. If you notice that tortillas are browning too quickly, turn the heat down to medium.
6. While the skillet heats up, cut two pieces of parchment paper into the shape of the surface of the tortilla press. You can also cut a plastic freezer bag into two sheets and use that.
7. Open a tortilla press and lay one piece of parchment paper or plastic down onto the press. Add a ball of dough and gently press it down with your fingers. Cover the dough with the second piece or parchment paper or plastic. Close the tortilla press and press down until the dough has spread into a thin disk, about a sixteenth-inch thick. Watch us do this in our video. (Check the tips section for an alternative method using a baking dish.)
8. Carefully remove the tortilla from the parchment or plastic and place onto the hot skillet. Cook the first side for 10 seconds, flip and cook the second side for about 1 minute. Flip again and cook until the tortilla starts to puff and is cooked in the middle, 30 to 60 seconds more. If the tortilla is cracking or looks too dry, spray with a little bit of water.
9. While the tortilla finishes cooking, press the next tortilla.
10. Transfer cooked tortillas to a tortilla warmer or bowl lined with a clean dishtowel. Keep the tortillas in the warmer or wrapped with towel until ready to serve. Fresh tortillas are best when enjoyed fresh, however, you can store them in an airtight container for a few days. Reheat on the stovetop — if they are a bit dry, spritz or brush them with a little water.

Corn Tortilla Recipe

The only corn tortilla recipe you’ll ever need! Everything you need to know about making homemade corn tortillas – a Mexican food staple!

Prep: 35min

Total: 45min

Yield: 14

Serving Size: 1 tortilla

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 tortilla, calories 62 kcal, Carbohydrate 12 g, Protein 2 g, Fat 1 g, Fiber 1 g, Saturated Fat 0.1 g, Sodium 167 mg, unSaturated Fat 0.7 g

Ingredients:

• 2 cups masa harina
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 ½ cups warm water, (plus more as needed)
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (or lard, optional)

Instruction:

1. In a large bowl, combine the masa harina and salt. Stir in the water and oil until a dough forms.
2. Using your hands, knead the dough until it fully comes together and all the water is absorbed, about 3 minutes. To make sure it’s ready, grab a small piece and roll it into a ball. Press down on it with a finger. If the edges of the dough crack, the dough is too dry. If the dough sticks to your skin, it’s too wet. Add more water or masa harina as necessary.
3. Divide the dough into 14 equal portions, then roll each into a ball. Cover them with a clean damp cloth or plastic wrap to keep the dough moist while you press and cook the tortillas.
4. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat until hot. While the griddle is heating up, cut the seams off of a large resealable plastic bag so that it makes one large rectangular piece of plastic. Alternatively, you can use parchment paper instead.
5. Lay the plastic or parchment paper on the open tortilla press and place 1 dough ball on the bottom half. Fold the other side of the plastic or parchment paper over the dough and gently close and press the upper portion of the tortilla press to flatten it out. Open the tortilla press and carefully peel back the plastic or parchment paper and transfer the tortilla to your hand.
6. Cooking 1 or 2 at a time, place the tortilla on the hot griddle and cook for 15 to 20 seconds. Flip and cook the other side for 15 to 20 more seconds. Flip the tortilla again and cook for another 30 seconds on each side.
7. Place the cooked tortillas in a tortilla warmer or wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and place them inside of a resealable plastic bag to keep them warm and soft.
8. Serve immediately or store tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to 1 week.

How to Make Corn Tortillas

FAQ

Can I use cornmeal instead of masa harina?

Which are better for you flour or corn tortillas?

How to make corn tortillas good?

Is masa harina the same as corn flour?