Homemade Corn Tortillas + Video
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Published Jun 08, 2020
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Make Homemade Corn Tortillas at home with only three ingredients — masa harina (corn flour), salt, and warm water.
Making homemade corn tortillas is not difficult and they taste so delicious when they are freshly made and warm. In addition, corn tortillas are naturally gluten-free and are lower in sugar and saturated fat, compared to flour tortillas.
My favorite way to enjoy them is with a couple of creamy slices of avocado sprinkled with salt. Homemade corn tortillas are also great for your favorite taco recipes.
Tools to make homemade corn tortillas
To make corn tortillas you will need a couple essential tools — a tortilla press and a comal.
Tortilla press
My grandma didn’t use a tortilla press, she used to make homemade corn tortillas completely by hand, by forming a patty with the dough between her hands and slapping her hands back and forth until flattened into a perfect circle.
A wooden or cast iron tortilla press can be purchased at a Mexican market or online. If you don’t own a tortilla press you can use a heavy iron skillet.
Comal (Cast Iron Griddle)
A comal is perfect for cooking corn tortillas. You can use a heavy bottomed sauté pan, but there is no real substitute for the quality that a cast iron griddle brings, and this is a great inexpensive investment for any kitchen.
Tortilla Warmer
A colorful handmade palm tortilla warmer makes a pretty display and is perfect for keeping tortillas fresh and warm.
What is masa harina?
You’ll need a special corn flour called masa harina for making corn tortillas. In fact, masa harina is corn flour that has been treated with calcium hydroxide or “lime”.
Where to buy masa harina
Masa harina can be found at Mexican markets or online.
Pressing homemade corn tortillas
Cut two pieces of plastic from a plastic freezer bag to the size of the surface of the tortilla press.
Open the tortilla press and lay one piece of plastic on the press. Place ball of dough in the center of plastic sheet and place another plastic piece on top of masa ball. Lastly, close the tortilla press and press.
Vegan & Gluten-Free Homemade corn tortillas
This homemade corn tortillas recipe is gluten-free and vegan. And watch this video to see how simple it is to make.
Looking for some taco recipes?
Did you make these homemade corn tortillas? Rate the recipe and leave me a comment to let me know how it turned out!
Homemade Corn Tortillas (Tortillas de Maiz)
Ingredients
- 2 cups masa harina, corn flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups warm water
Instructions
- Place a comal (griddle or cast-iron skillet) over medium heat and allow it to heat up.
- In a large mixing bowl mix flour, salt, and water for about 4 minutes. If the masa (dough) doesn’t come together well add 1 tablespoon of water at a time and mix some more.
- Divide the masa into 12 to 14 dough balls. Keep the masa covered with a dishtowel so it does not dry out while you press the tortillas.
- Use a tortilla press when making corn tortillas. Place a piece of plastic wrap over each end of the tortilla press. The ball of masa will sit between the two pieces of plastic wrap during the pressing process. Place a ball of masa on one end of the tortilla press, directly on the plastic wrap. Close the tortilla press and press down on the handle, flattening the masa and creating a corn tortilla. Open the press and you should have a corn tortilla beautifully pressed.
- Place the corn tortilla on the hot comal to cook for approximately 30 seconds, or until browned and slightly puffy. Turn tortilla over to brown on second side for approximately 30 seconds more, and then transfer to a tortilla warmer or basket lined with a dish towel. This is how Grandma stored hers. Continue making tortillas with the remaining masa balls.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photos by Jenna Sparks / Video by Pure Cinematography
Originally published: September 2014. This recipe is also published in the Muy Bueno cookbook.
Tortillas of course but I’d be doing both flour and corn tortillas. After that I’d be making quesadillas.
The tortillas, naturally!
Looks good!
I will try to make the flour tortillas. Love your giveaway. Thank you.
It looks so versatile I’m sure I would use it for many things. I’ve wanted to learn how to make tortillas, and being of Scandinavian descent I’d also like to try making Swedish Pancakes on it.
Congrats! This is one cookbook I would love to own. I would make pork tortillas.
Steak fajitas with vll pepper and onions
I wonder if I could make Arepas – I love them and we lost our only local restaurant that served them.
I just bought a tortilla press-so recently that I haven’t even used it yet! I also bought a copy of the Muy Bueno cookbook (English version) and I want to make every single recipe in it, they all sound so yummy!! I would love to have the Spanish version. I would give it to my daughter who speaks Spanish!
I’ll be making it with avocados and chicken