Making homemade corn tortillas is easy and requires just two ingredients. Soft, fresh, and perfectly pliable, you’ll never go back to pre-packaged again! Plus, I’m sharing how to make these authentic corn tortillas without a tortilla press.
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Corn tortilla lovers, meet your match!
It’s been some time since 30-Minute Homemade Flour Tortillas made their debut here, but boy, oh boy, you all have not wasted a single second whipping them up in your kitchens!
Thousands of people turn to that recipe on the daily, and if there’s any feedback beyond the common, “I am never buying tortillas again!” it’s always, “Can you share a recipe for homemade corn tortillas?”
Ask and ye shall receive!
Much like their flour counterpart, homemade corn tortillas are surprisingly simple to make. You only need two ingredients:
- Masa harina (also known as maseca): This finely milled corn flour is commonly found near the flour or in the international foods aisle in all major supermarkets.
- Hot water: No need to put on a kettle, using the hottest possible water from the tap is fine.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Ready to try your hand at homemade corn tortillas? Follow my easy instructions and take taco night to a whole new level.
- Make the dough. Using your hands is the best way to knead the hot water and flour together to ensure it is evenly blended and has a smooth, pliable consistency. Let it rest for about 10 minutes to allow the cornmeal to hydrate, ensuring even cooking and a more tender tortilla.
- Prepare your rolling station. You’ll need a bowl of water to wet your hands, and a resealable plastic bag with the sides cut open. You’ll also need either a tortilla press or a heavy skillet or baking dish.
- Shape the dough ball. Each tortilla needs about 3 tablespoons of dough, rolled into a ball and then flattened evenly into a puck. Wetting your hands will prevent the dough from sticking to your hands and will also keep the surface of the dough moist so the edges won’t crack or get jagged.
- Form the tortilla. Place a dough ball between two layers of the plastic bag, and press it flat with a tortilla press, or place it on a work surface and flatten it beneath a skillet or a baking dish. The tortillas should be about ¼ inch thick.
- Cook the tortillas. Immediately after pressing the tortilla, transfer it to a heated skillet — no oil is necessary. The tortilla will only take 1 to 2 minutes on each side. It’s done when it looks dry and is beginning to brown. Wrap the cooked tortillas in a clean dish towel to stay warm and pliable until serving.
Pro Tip: It’s best to make each tortilla one at a time by forming the dough ball, pressing the tortilla and cooking it before repeating the process for the next tortilla. Keep the bowl of dough loosely covered with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
Do I Need a Tortilla Press?
Absolutely not! Aside from the short ingredient list, there is no special equipment needed to make corn tortillas from scratch.
You can use a traditional tortilla press if you have one, but I never like to let a lack of equipment prevent me from making magic in the kitchen. If you do not have a tortilla press, a flat-bottomed baking dish or skillet will also do the trick. (You’ll just need to use a bit more muscle!)
The Secret to Making Them Restaurant-Worthy
I’m all about a good secret ingredient, but in the case of this recipe, it all comes down to a secret technique. There are three critical steps when it comes to perfecting your corn tortilla technique:
- Use hot, hot water (if you’ve made my flour tortillas, you know this makes all the difference!)
- Wet your hands when shaping the dough to ensure smooth edges all around
- Stack the cooked tortillas atop one another in a towel so that they steam one another and result in pillowy soft tortillas
Now that you’ve made the best homemade corn tortillas, here are a few ideas for how to use them:
- Wrap around some tasty seafood, such as Spicy Shrimp Tacos.
- Use for Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos.
- Bake or deep fry them to make tortilla chips. Use the chips to scoop up guac or make killer nachos.
- Serve up a stack alongside Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas.
- Roll around some fillings for Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas.
- Make tacos with Instant Pot Carnitas and all the fixings.
Common Questions
While masa harina and corn flour are both made from dried, finely milled corn kernels, there is one major difference. The corn used to make masa harina has been soaked in calcium hydroxide, or lime, a process called nixtamalization. This makes the corn easier to digest, more nutritious and also gives the trademark sour flavor to the corn flour.
Homemade corn tortillas will keep up to a week in the refrigerator. Wrap them with plastic wrap or put them in a resealable plastic bag before refrigerating. Tightly wrapped, corn tortillas can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating.
Leftover tortillas can be reheated in the same way that they were cooked. Heat them for 30 seconds to a minute in a dry skillet preheated over medium heat. If the tortillas are dried out, wrap a stack of them loosely in a damp paper towel, place them in a resealable plastic bag and microwave for 15 seconds.
- Slow Cooker Queso Dip
- Healthy Taco Zucchini Boats
- Baked Chicken and Cheese Taquitos
- Chipotle Con Carne
- Elote Corn Salad
- Strawberry Cheesecake Chimichangas
Equipment
- Sealable plastic bag
- Tortilla press, skillet or flat-bottomed baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 cups masa harina or maseca
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the masa harina and hot water. Using your hands, mix the ingredients together until well-combined. (The mixture should resemble the consistency of Play-Doh.) Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Fill a small bowl with water. Open the sealable plastic bag then cut along the longer sides to form one long rectangle of plastic that's still sealed together at the bottom of the bag.
- Pinch off pieces of the dough (for 6-inch tortillas, use roughly 3 tablespoons of dough). Lightly wet your hands then gently compress the mixture and roll it into a ball, flattening it slightly into a puck. (The water will ensure the edges of your tortillas are smooth and not jagged or cracked.)
- Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- If using a tortilla press: Open the plastic bag so that it's stretched across the open press. Place the dough on one side of the plastic bag then fold over the other side so that the dough is contained between two layers of plastic. Close the press and hold it down firmly to flatten the tortilla until it's roughly 1/4-inch thick.If using a skillet or baking dish: Place the dough on one side of the plastic bag then fold over the other side so that the dough is contained between two layers of plastic. Place a skillet or baking dish atop the dough then press down firmly to flatten the tortilla until it's roughly 1/4-inch thick.
- Peel the plastic off the tortilla then transfer it to the hot pan and cook it for 1 to 2 minutes until it becomes puffy. Flip it once and cook an additional 1 minute then place it inside a towel. Repeat the shaping and cooking process with the remaining dough, stacking the cooked tortillas on top of one another inside the folded towel. (The steam from the hot tortillas will aid in keeping them soft as they cool.)
Kelly’s Notes
- You can make any size corn tortillas, so feel free to scale up or down the size of your dough ball accordingly.
- Use very hot water to make the dough — it makes a difference!
- Wetting your hands when forming the dough ball helps prevent the tortilla edges from cracking or getting jagged.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
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Recipe is so easy and simple. And taste great!
I’ve been waiting for this recipe! SO easy and SO good! Thanks for sharing it :)
Yay! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Nancy!