Corn tortillas or tortillas de maíz are a type of Mexican flatbread eaten by themselves or used to make tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas. They are great for dipping, scooping and wrapping just about any kind of food and it's easy to make tortillas at home.
People always look at me like I have "m a s o c h i s t" tattooed on my forehead when I tell them I make my own tortillas. Then, when I tell them it's less work to make them myself than to go and buy them, they conclude that the tattoo actually says "m o r o n".
But it's true, the nearest grocery store that carries corn tortillas is 3 stops on the subway followed by a 20 minute walk. Plus they only seem to come in bags of 1000, so it's inevitable that I will end up with fuzzy green frisbees at the back of my fridge.
If you consider these facts and weight them against the shelf-life of masa harina and how simple it is to make tortillas at home, it just makes sense... Or at least it does for me, so if you're still not convinced, let me show you of how easy it is with the following step-by-step tortilla tutorial.
Besides the joy of acquiring a new skill, you will marvel at the difference in flavor and texture truly fresh tortillas possess. And if you end up with a few duds you haven't immediately consumed, you can make Migas with them, a popular savory Tex Mex breakfast.
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
- 2 cups masa harina
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ warm water
Instructions
- Mix the salt and masa harina then add the water.
- Mix the masa harina and water together with one hand. The tortilla dough will start out crumbly, but continue mixing it and it will start to come together. Knead it for 2 minutes.
- After kneading, the tortilla dough should have a smooth texture like playdough.
- Form the tortilla dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let it sit for at least an hour.
- After the dough has had a chance to rest, it's time to check the texture. Break off a small piece, roll it into a ball, then press it between your palms.
- If it forms cracks along the edges it's too dry. Knead some more water into the dough a little bit at a time until it looks more like the center picture.
- If the dough sticks to your palms it is too wet. Add more masa harina a little at a time until it doesn't stick anymore.
- Split the dough in half 4 times to get 16 even pieces and roll them into balls (if you're looking for an excuse to use your kitchen scale, the balls should be about 1.5 oz). Be sure to keep the tortilla dough covered with a damp paper towel while you work to keep them from drying out.
- Ideally you'll have a tortilla press, but if you don't, a flat bottomed plate will work. The plate in the photo works out perfectly because it has a very shallow lip that's 5 ½" in diameter, which just so happens to be the exact size these tortillas are supposed to end up. Wrap your tortilla press or the bottom of your plate and counter top with plastic wrap. This makes it easier to remove the delicate tortillas.
- Start preheating a cast iron skillet over medium heat. If you are using the plate+countertop method, put one ball on your counter and line it up with the middle of your plate. Press down evenly on the plate using your body weight to get it about 1/16" in thickness. It will take some elbow grease and practice, but you can always reuse the dough from your mistakes.
- Your pressed tortilla should look something like this. Carefully peel the tortilla onto the palm and fingers of one hand.
- Move over to your preheated skillet and use a sweeping motion to move your hand out from under the tortilla being careful not to burn your hand.
- Flatten out any ruffles in the tortilla and cook while you press your next tortilla (about 1 minute). The tortilla is initially cooked on only one side and should not brown. Transfer it to a pot with a lid lined with paper towels. Repeat until the rest of the dough balls have been pressed and cooked on one side. You can do these steps ahead of time and store the half cooked tortillas in the fridge until you are ready to serve them.
- When you're ready to serve the tortillas, turn up the heat on the pan to medium high. Place a tortilla in the pan, uncooked side down. Gently press the tortilla with a wadded up paper towel. Once the tortilla has a few brown spots flip one last time and press on it some more. This will cause the steam escaping to blow the tortilla up like a balloon.
- The tortilla is done when it has ballooned up and is lightly toasted on both sides. Transfer to a paper towel lined pot with a lid to keep warm until they are all ready to serve.
Jenrules says
loks great can't wait to try it
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Sazia, there isn't really a substitute, because the corn in masaharina is nixtamilized, it won't work with a regular cornmeal. It willbe something different and involves a different process, but you canalways make flour tortillas with wheat flour.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Sazia, there isn't really a substitute, because the corn in masaharina is nixtamilized, it won't work with a regular cornmeal. It willbe something different and involves a different process, but you canalways make flour tortillas with wheat flour.
szazia says
thanks can you tell me substitute for masa harina
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad you persevered. You'll be a tortilla making pro soon:-)
Nicole says
Great instructions for a first timer - just ate my first one and it was delicious! I must say, i nearly gave up half way through when I couldn't get the mixture right but the end result was will worth it. So fresh and tasty, much better than store bought! Thanks 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad you persevered. You'll be a tortilla making pro soon:-)
Nicole says
Great instructions for a first timer - just ate my first one and it was delicious! I must say, i nearly gave up half way through when I couldn't get the mixture right but the end result was will worth it. So fresh and tasty, much better than store bought! Thanks 🙂
Max says
I make my own tortillas very similarly to you, however, mine always are very thick, even though I have a tortilla press. I don't get it. HOW do you get yours so thin?
Max says
I make my own tortillas very similarly to you, however, mine always are very thick, even though I have a tortilla press. I don't get it. HOW do you get yours so thin?
Elizabeth says
Am very interested in masa harina in Dublin - where is it available?', '0
Elizabeth says
Am very interested in masa harina in Dublin - where is it available?
Mathea says
A perfect tutorial for a gringa like me! Thanks!
Mathea says
A perfect tutorial for a gringa like me! Thanks!
Tom Coburn says
Last year I learned that I was gluten intolerant. I cut out wheat and my world changed within a week. I have been eating gluten free every since then. In the New Mexico I can purchase a gluten free bread made by FOOD FOR LIFE that contains brown rice flour, raisin, pecans and is sweetened with fruit juice. It is like eating cake. But now I am taking Spanish immersion course for three months is a small village in Costa Rica. I doubt there are any gluten free breads or other foods in my area. I really miss my gluten free foods. So what I want to do is ask one of the small local family bakeries to make up gluten free recipes for me. The people here are very nice and will go out of their way to be helpful. Can you help me find gluten free recipes in Spanish?
Thank you,
Tom Coburn
I am in the village of Tuis which is about a twenty miles from Turrialba which is about two and a half hours southeast of San Jose.
Tom Coburn says
Last year I learned that I was gluten intolerant. I cut out wheat and my world changed within a week. I have been eating gluten free every since then. In the New Mexico I can purchase a gluten free bread made by FOOD FOR LIFE that contains brown rice flour, raisin, pecans and is sweetened with fruit juice. It is like eating cake. But now I am taking Spanish immersion course for three months is a small village in Costa Rica. I doubt there are any gluten free breads or other foods in my area. I really miss my gluten free foods. So what I want to do is ask one of the small local family bakeries to make up gluten free recipes for me. The people here are very nice and will go out of their way to be helpful. Can you help me find gluten free recipes in Spanish?
Thank you,
Tom Coburn
I am in the village of Tuis which is about a twenty miles from Turrialba which is about two and a half hours southeast of San Jose.
harry says
wow that was just awesome!! You should post more recipes for us. great tutorial 🙂
harry says
wow that was just awesome!! You should post more recipes for us. great tutorial 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Juliet, sorry to hear it didn't go well. I can't say I've ever had then come out chewy, so I'm not entirely sure what happened. What brand of masa harina did you use? Did they press out okay? Were they about 1/16" thick?
It's possible that your pan wasn't quite hot enough during your second cooking (the part where it's supposed to puff up) and they overcooked as a result (should only take 20-30 seconds on one side and 10-15 seconds on the other).', '0
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Juliet, sorry to hear it didn't go well. I can't say I've ever had then come out chewy, so I'm not entirely sure what happened. What brand of masa harina did you use? Did they press out okay? Were they about 1/16" thick?
It's possible that your pan wasn't quite hot enough during your second cooking (the part where it's supposed to puff up) and they overcooked as a result (should only take 20-30 seconds on one side and 10-15 seconds on the other).
Juliet Duncan says
I just tried to make them and failed miserably. They didn't puff up and they were rather chewy. I am not sure what I did wrong.. Any hints?
Juliet Duncan says
I just tried to make them and failed miserably. They didn't puff up and they were rather chewy. I am not sure what I did wrong.. Any hints?
Kirk says
Nice tortillas Marc!
As I live in northern Thailand, the closest place where I can buy any tortillas is 100km away. Two years ago I started making flour tortillas and my fridges is rarely without them now.
Corn tortillas, on the other hand, are a much bigger challenge...
Am currently trying to get some dent corn seeds shipped over so that I can grow the correct corn and make fresh masa when the corn tortilla cravings overcome me...
Keep up the good work and I look forward to more (no)recipes...
Kirk says
Nice tortillas Marc!
As I live in northern Thailand, the closest place where I can buy any tortillas is 100km away. Two years ago I started making flour tortillas and my fridges is rarely without them now.
Corn tortillas, on the other hand, are a much bigger challenge...
Am currently trying to get some dent corn seeds shipped over so that I can grow the correct corn and make fresh masa when the corn tortilla cravings overcome me...
Keep up the good work and I look forward to more (no)recipes...
Fiona says
Outstanding!
Thank you so very much for showing me how to conquer them:)
Have a nice night
Fiona says
Outstanding!
Thank you so very much for showing me how to conquer them:)
Have a nice night
Recipes Writer says
Thanks for the tutorial, I'll try to make it at the weekend.
Recipes Writer says
Thanks for the tutorial, I'll try to make it at the weekend.
Kara says
Thanks for the help! I'm about to try making my own corn tortillas for the first time and I'm a little nervous about it. I live in a small town in southern utah, and it's impossible to find good, fresh tortillas in the grocery stores. I can get fresh homemade ones in the mexican market, but, i thought, why not just learn to make my own? So here goes - I even bought a tortilla press to make it easier.
Jenni Field says
Great tutorial, as always, Marc!
pigpigscorner says
Great tips! Using the plate to press it is neat.
Kara says
Thanks for the help! I'm about to try making my own corn tortillas for the first time and I'm a little nervous about it. I live in a small town in southern utah, and it's impossible to find good, fresh tortillas in the grocery stores. I can get fresh homemade ones in the mexican market, but, i thought, why not just learn to make my own? So here goes - I even bought a tortilla press to make it easier.
Jenni Field says
Great tutorial, as always, Marc!
pigpigscorner says
Great tips! Using the plate to press it is neat.
Chou says
I love making my own, it's one of those Marxian moments when the divide between producer and consumer is easily bridged.
Chou says
I love making my own, it's one of those Marxian moments when the divide between producer and consumer is easily bridged.
Cynthia says
This is awesome! Thank you!
Shari says
I love how you've laid out the instructions here. And yes, much more fun to make them than taking that long trek to a store to buy some that would not, could not, be as fresh as these! They sound absolutely delicious!
Cynthia says
This is awesome! Thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hahaha, that's next on my list. Can't get fresh masa here, so I got the maize, and just need to get some calcium hydroxide.', '0
Marc Matsumoto says
Hahaha, that's next on my list. Can't get fresh masa here, so I got the maize, and just need to get some calcium hydroxide.
Shari says
I love how you've laid out the instructions here. And yes, much more fun to make them than taking that long trek to a store to buy some that would not, could not, be as fresh as these! They sound absolutely delicious!
Heather says
Your friends that look at you like you're crazy should meet my buddy Ken. He nixtamalizes his own corn (soaks corn in calcium to make masa from scratch) to make tortillas.
Heather says
Your friends that look at you like you're crazy should meet my buddy Ken. He nixtamalizes his own corn (soaks corn in calcium to make masa from scratch) to make tortillas.
Enjeong Noh says
Very impressive and instructive. I can see your initial practical reason to homemake this, but I would say machismotic not masochistic that you tackled this, which most of us didn't dare to try! Thanks.
Enjeong Noh says
Very impressive and instructive. I can see your initial practical reason to homemake this, but I would say machismotic not masochistic that you tackled this, which most of us didn't dare to try! Thanks.
Liz says
You do make it look pretty simple. And beyond whether it's quicker to make them yourself, I'm sure the homemade version tastes way better.
Now I just need to find masa harina ...
Liz says
You do make it look pretty simple. And beyond whether it's quicker to make them yourself, I'm sure the homemade version tastes way better.
Now I just need to find masa harina ...
maggie (p&c) says
Ooh, I bet these are delicious. Have always been intimidated by making them, even though I know fresh ones are better. Bravo.
Carolyn Jung says
You make me laugh. My husband will often bring home that bag of 1,000 tortillas, too -- for two of us!! But it IS hard to find them in smaller quantities. They do freeze pretty well, though.
What a great idea about the flat-bottomed plate. I will have to remember that when I try my hand at making my own.