These Homemade Corn Tortillas are still the most popular recipe on the site, so if you're new to them please consider giving it a go! I've updated this post with tips for the most common obstacles you'll encounter when making tortillas for the first time -- plus some brand options if you're new to Masa Harina.
Imagine walking into the grocery store early one morning and seeing this:
Cozumel, Mexico -- Photo by Chloe Miller
That's the dough used to make fresh corn tortillas each morning in the markets of Cozumel.
Producers will de-hydrate this corn dough and sell it in bags like this:
This is Masa Harina and it's your golden ticket to easy homemade corn tortillas!
Add some water, a bit of salt, and you've got masa on your hands -- which means you're only a few minutes away from an authentic stack of tortillas. What exactly is Masa Harina?
Making a batch of these beauties comes with two main benefits, the most obvious being a stack of corn tortillas that are good enough to be eaten on their own.
The other, hidden benefit is that your taste buds will now have a built-in tortillameter that you can use to gauge the quality of tortillas sold in your neighborhood.
This will help you stay away from store-bought tortillas that have strayed too far from the original process.
How To Make Corn Tortillas
First things first, get some Masa Harina in the house!
Here are the three brands that are most common in the States: Bob's Red Mill, Maseca, and Gold Mine.
Maseca is the most common brand and it's a worthy starting point. Lately I prefer the flavor of Bob's Red Mill so keep an eye out for that one too. More info on comparing these Masa Harina brands.
Update: Bob's Red Mill also sells an organic Masa Harina. More details on organic Masa Harina options.
Okay, here's your starting recipe:
2 cups Masa Harina
1.5 cups of warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Add the 2 cups of Masa Harina and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a mixing bowl.
Add one cup of the warm water and stir until all of the water is absorbed.
It will probably look like this:
Now start adding the rest of the warm water incrementally, a couple tablespoons at a time, and stirring regularly.
The idea is to keep adding water until the flour bits meld into a dough. At that point you can pick it up with your hands and knead it together.
Eventually it will look like this:
Next, separate the dough into golf ball sized chunks, rolling them between your hands to form a smooth ball.
This will make the tortillas about 4 inches across.
You'll need something to put on either side of the dough ball to prevent it from sticking when you flatten it.
You can use plastic wrap, but I’ve found that a large Ziploc bag cut in half works best:
So that’s half a Ziploc bag on either side of the dough ball.
And after flattening it the plastic should peel off effortlessly. If it’s sticking then there's probably too much water in the dough.
Do I Really Need A Tortilla Press?
No, you definitely don't need a tortilla press, so please don't let that stop you from making your own tortillas!
You can use a skillet or any flat-bottomed dish to squish 'em.
Here I'm using a casserole dish and it's just as effective as a tortilla press. Just be sure to put plastic on either side of the dough ball before flattening it.
How To Cook Your Corn Tortillas
Okay, there are two schools of thought when it comes to cooking the tortillas.
The first simply cooks them on each side for about a minute, or until brown spots start to appear on the underside.
The second school flips the tortilla 10 seconds after putting it on the skillet and then cooks each side for about a minute. The idea is that those first 10 seconds will seal in some of the heat and help the insides cook quicker.
I’ve found the second method makes the tortillas lighter and fluffier, so I use that one. It’s a little bit more work, but I think it’s worth it.
So again...heat the skillet to medium-high heat. Add a tortilla and flip after 10 seconds, then cook each side for about a minute or until brown spots form on each side.
Don’t be surprised if they start to puff up during cooking, that’s a good sign!
You can also try pressing down on them with a spatula once you flip to the final side -- sometimes this will make them puff up instantly!
Eventually, you’ll have a stack of warm, steaming corn tortillas.
They are best eaten as soon as possible. If you want some friends for life feel free to share with neighbors.
Tips For Making Tortillas The First Time
There are two main sources of frustration that you should know about before venturing into tortilla land.
First, getting the consistency of the dough right can take some fiddling.
Ideally, you can handle the dough without it sticking to your hands. If it's sticky then simply add a few sprinklings of Masa Harina to dry it out.
And conversely, if the dough is crumbly and not coming together then it means you are low on water. Simply add splashes of water until it forms a cohesive ball.
That's why I typically recommend adding the final 1/2 cup of water incrementally -- this will help you find the right consistency quicker.
And the second pitfall is the temp of the stove. You might need to make a tortilla sacrifice to get the temperature of the stove right so don't sweat it if this happens!
For my stove that means a little over medium heat does the job.
This will have brown spots forming on the underside in about 60 seconds or so. This also makes it easy to flip the tortilla with your fingers as it will be sliding around the pan in a matter of seconds when the temp is right.
If it's taking significantly longer for brown spots to form then you'll need to raise the heat. Conversely, if you're getting black spots forming in a matter of seconds then you need to lower the heat.
How To Store Corn Tortillas
These are best eaten right off the skillet! But you can keep them warm by simply wrapping them in a tea towel or by using a dedicated tortilla warmer.
They'll keep for a few days in the fridge, but don't forget that you'll need to reheat them to bring them back to life after they have chilled down.
I always use a dry skillet over medium heat to do this -- simply add as many tortillas as you need to the skillet and give them 30-60 seconds per side to warm up. Using the stovetop will also crisp them up slightly and that's when they are most tasty.
Can I Freeze The Tortilla Dough?
I haven't tried freezing the masa dough but I 've gotten multiple emails saying it doesn't work! Once thawed the masa dough seems to be crumbly. Sure, you could probably add some water to rebuild it, but it would probably be quicker and tastier to start over.
Instead, I will sometimes use only half of the dough to make tortillas and store the rest of it in the fridge where it will keep for at least a few days.
Simply wrap the leftover dough in plastic and foil, and then store it in the fridge. The next day you can pull off a chunk, flatten it, and cook up a warm, homemade tortilla in a matter of minutes 🙂
Okay, I hope this solves Homemade Corn Tortillas for you! For reference, here are some additional articles on my site to fill in any gaps:
- 3 Different Masa Harina Brands To Choose From
- Organic Masa Harina Options
- What the heck is Nixtamalization?
- Trying out the Masa Harina from Masienda
- Homemade Masa Dough Using Dried Field Corn
- Corn Tortillas Made With Fat
- Masa Harina vs. Cornmeal: What's the Difference?
- Masa Harina Cornbread
- Corn Tortillas Made From Popcorn Kernels
- Half and Half Tortillas (Corn + Flour)
Please use this post as permission to just go for it! Making your own corn tortillas is a massive upgrade for your home kitchen -- plus it will give you an expert tortillameter for life 🙂
Buen Provecho.
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Homemade Corn Tortillas
Ingredients
- 2 cups Masa Harina
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 cups warm water
Instructions
- Add 2 cups Masa Harina and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of the warm water and stir until the water is absorbed. Add the rest of the water incrementally until the flour melds into a dough. Use your hands to knead the dough into a cohesive ball.
- If the dough is sticking to your hands simply add a few sprinklings of Masa Harina to dry it out. Conversely, if the dough is still crumbly then you can add splashes of water until it becomes cohesive.
- Separate the dough into golf ball sized chunks, this will make tortillas approximately 4 inches across.
- Flatten the dough balls using a flat bottomed pan or a tortilla press. Be sure to line each side of the dough ball with plastic or Ziploc pieces. I usually just cut off the top of a gallon sized Ziploc bag and then make slits down the sides, leaving it connected at the bottom.
- Heat a skillet or comal to medium-high heat. (Lately I use a tad over medium heat on my stove and this will have brown spots forming in about 60 seconds.)
- Add a tortilla to the skillet and flip it after 10 seconds. Then cook each side for about a minute or until light brown spots are forming on the underside.
- Continue cooking the rest of the tortillas. I usually put one in the skillet and flatten the next one to expedite the process. Once cooked you can keep them warm by wrapping them in a tea towel or using a dedicated tortilla warmer. Serve immediately.
- Store leftovers tortillas in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, cook them in a dry skillet over medium heat until warm and crispy.
Notes
This article we wrote on types of tortillas has a current list of all the tortilla recipes we have on our site, including this one for making corn tortillas from fresh masa dough.
We also just used some Masa Harina to make a batch of Tamales.
And our latest post shows how to make a batch of tortillas from dried White Olotillo Corn.
Wondering which Salsa to make first? Check out this page.
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Darren
Hey 😁
I got 1kg of masa harina, there was a bean recipe I wanted to try that needed 3 tablespoons then it was going to expire in about 6 weeks after buying it. I read some place else that you can freeze the dough but I see from your post here that it goes crumbley. I was going to make it all into tortilla dough and freeze either balls of dough or pressed dough. You were saying it can be rehydrated? How do I do this? Maybe I will try! Also, can the masa harina be frozen? It isn't available where I live so I have to order online and shipping is a little expensive but I would like to be able to have corn tortillas sometimes without paying so much shipping 😪
Patrick
Hey Darren!
Yeah if you end up freezing masa it may be a bit crumbly when you thaw it -- you can just add a splash of water to get it to combine again. You will prob have to eyeball it though as the exact amount of water needed will depend on the size of the masa chunk.
And I have to admit that I've never tried freezing masa harina before. It would prob work though. You could also consider keeping it in the fridge as I've done that before and feel like it keeps quite well. Cheers.
Darren
I tried these a few days ago, they're so so good, I love them. I will make them often from now 🥰
Ooh I've had the masa harina a while now, it actually expires tomorrow so I will store the rest in the freezer weighed out with enough for one batch in each bag.
I will probably order a few kilos next time and keep some in the fridge and freeze some too.
If I have it all frozen in batches and I add too much water can I just add a little regular flour instead and still be able to press them with my tortilla press or would they not shape correctly? I had to add a little extra this time because they were very sticky 😪
I had enough masa for a few days, tonight after I cooked them and put my black beans, pico de galo and guacamole in the tacos and folded them over but they crumbled. I can't figure out if it's because the dough dried out or because I cooked them more. I heated them on a medium high heat for one minute on each side with some oil. The first two days they did not crumble at all but they were much crispier this time since they were cooked longer, I liked how they tasted a lot more🥰 do you think the dough just dried out or is this too much heat for them?
It was stored in an air tight container in the fridge, I have read about people saying it can last up to a week but also I read it needs to be used within a day or two so I'm not sure! I saw a post some place saying if you wrap them up after cooking it helps them stay together, I might buy a tortilla pouch if this will stop them from crumbling?😁
I'm sorry for asking all these questions 😅
Patrick
Hey Darren, so glad to hear homemade corn tortillas are now a part of your kitchen!
Yeah you can always add a sprinkling of regular flour if you are trying to get the right consistency with some thawed masa, a small amount won't affect the roll-out too much.
It sounds like that crumbling is due to dried out dough, as opposed to high heat. And I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of making a big, cooked batch of corn tortillas for storage as they won't have the same taste or consistency when re-heated a few days later. They will always taste best when freshly made, so I tend to make them in smaller batches because it's so easy. Cheers.
dennis carreon
my family is from mexico..i have some great recipes in my head from my abuelas cooking..all that said i look for mexican recipe sites for original food....this site is absolutely the best I have run across....rercipies are authentic and will elevate my lost experiences ... pics and dialogue are super helpful to me because i know the food but i need help in the authentication... your site is the best...i am an experienced cook but i just don't know how to do it right sometimes...this is motivating and super helpful...i thank you for the time and labor...this is going to elevate my ability to cook mexican food...we visit Mexico regularly...timeshaer in Puerto Vallarta...always come back frustrated...because I can't duplicate....your site is my key to get my cooking back..thank you sooooooo much
Dennis Carreon
Seal Beach Ca
Patrick
Hey thanks for your note Dennis! So glad to hear you are finding some good stuff on my site. I hope it's a tasty new year for you 🙂
Shelley
I've come across many recipes that recommend resting the dough and I find that has been a helpful tip in my tortilla making ventures. I used the flat bottomed pie dish and plastic from a ziploc bag to start. We enjoyed the tortillas so much that I bought a press, I think mine is coated aluminum, and I still continue to use the plastic that I cut from that first ziploc
Patrick
Ahh good news Shelley, so glad to hear homemade tortillas are now a part of your home kitchen! Cheers.
Carol Navarrete
Thanks - your instructions are awesome - so helpful and encouraging! I appreciate that you have included what to do when encountering the pitfalls of trying something for the first time, and you have a wonderful sense of humor.
Patrick
Thanks much Carol!
Daphne Mize
I must have done something wrong. My tortillas were very thick, did not bubble, and I had to cook them on high.
The pro was they tasted great!
Patrick
Hey Daphne, sorry for the late reply! This usually means it's worth trying to get them a bit thinner before cooking them. Sometimes it can be helpful to squish them from side to side with a flat-bottomed dish, or even experimenting with a final pass from a rolling pin. Cheers.
Joe Cooks
Hi Patrick,
I always cringe when I see your glass baking pan tortilla press. I have visions of ambulance sirens and concerned families waiting in emergency rooms:
Did she try to commit suicide? Her wrists have the telltale signs!
No! She was making tortillas...
I found a Victoria 8 incher (cast iron and made in Colombia) locally. It's great for making corn tortillas quickly.
I found a few things that might be of interest to your readers. One, a tortilla press is great for corn tortillas, awful for flour tortillas. The flour dough is too stretchy, you have to roll it out. On the other hand, you can't roll out corn tortillas, at least, I can't.
I use much higher heat to cook corn tortillas than I do for flour tortillas and flat breads. Using a flat cast iron pan on my electric stove, 5 1/2 to 6 is plenty for flour, I need heat setting 7 for corn. Not sure why.
In the middle of Europe we have some things I didn't expect but others are harder or impossible to find. We have a local grower of poblanos of all things, but fresh tomatillos are unobtanium. It's difficult to get the known brands of Masa here but I stumbled on the Harimasa brand which comes in three varieties- white, yellow, and blue. It's made in Mexico, and kosher certified under KA Mexico.
For those making flour tortillas who can't use lard, I can recommend Crisco shortening as a kosher / vegetarian alternative. I also use it when I make a pot of black beans. Comes in a giant container and lasts a good while.
Thank you for a great site!
Patrick
Hey thanks for mentioning your adjustments Joe! Cheers.
Lynn Hedrick
I drizzle bacon grease on each side and fry em up on each side. Brings another level of flavor !
Patrick
Oooh respect 🙂
Alex
...Making some corn tortillas right now.
...I like to put extra salt and some honey in my dough mixture. Extra flavor!!!!
Patrick
Oh nice, thanks for mentioning this Alex! Will add it to my "want to try" list. Cheers.
Holly a Lambrechts
They turned out great.I had to up temperature but they were delicious.
Patrick
Ahh good news, so glad you tried these out Holly! Cheers.
Candi
I need to make these!! I just can't stomach store bought mass-produced tortillas! I was getting groceries yesterday and walked past the tortilla aisle. The smell made me gag! It was overpowering and SO sour!!
A good corn tortilla should be soft and slightly sweet. The preservatives they have to add to the mass-produced ones make them rubbery and extra tangy. YUCK!!
Patrick
Yeah give 'em a go Candi, you can bang them out pretty quick once you get the hang of it. Cheers.
cRaZyVaL713
Can you use the completed cooked corn tortillas to make tortilla chips??
Patrick
I usually don't. When they are freshly made they will still have a bit of moisture in them and that will make it hard to get full crisp during frying. Cheers.